Potential for Insecticidal Management of Flea Beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) on Canola

The expansion of canola production in the United States will depend in part on the development of canola pest management strategies. Specifically, flea beetles are a severe threat to canola in the annual canola production area of the northern Great Plains. In the United States, control options for this complex have not been identified. In this study, we evaluated persistence and laboratory and field efficacy of several insecticides for the control of the major pest flea beetle species. In laboratory studies, carbaryl was the most effective insecticide, followed by permethrin, endosulfan, esfenvalerate, and malathion. Carbaryl was the most persistent, followed by permethrin, esfenvalerate, endosulfan, and malathion. In field studies conducted at a location with a history of severe flea beetle damage, the yield of the best treatment was significantly correlated with a flea beetle stress index; however, at another location with a history of low to moderate flea beetle damage, yield was not correlated with the stress index. Regardless of location, foliar applications yielded 30% of in-furrow treatments at times of high fleabeetle stress, and 80% of in-furrow treatments at times of low beetle stress.