Control of vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus, in wine grapes using new reduced-risk insecticides in a pest management program

Abstract: Vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus (Signoret), is a significant pest of grapes in many major grape-growing regions and is the most damaging of all the mealybug pests of grape in California, USA. Control of vine mealybug has relied on repeated applications of a number of insecticides including spirotetramat, imidacloprid, acetamiprid, thiamethoxam, clothianidin, dinotefuran, buprofezin and chlorpyrifos. Two new reduced-risk insecticides (sulfoxaflor and flupyradifurone) were integrated into pest management programs for vine mealybug and reported here. Three test plots were established in two vineyards with moderate to high vine mealybug populations in San Joaquin County in northern California. Each plot tested various pest management programs consisting of combinations of spirotetramat, imidacloprid, acetamiprid, buprofezin, chlorpyrifos, sulfoxaflor and/or flupyradifurone. The efficacy of the pest management programs that integrate these two new reduced-risk insecticides will be reported.