CONTROL OF DIABROTICA VIRGIFERA VIRGIFERA LE CONTE IN MAIZE SEED TREATMENT.

During the last decade of XX century, Diabrotica virgifera virgifera Le Conte became an important introduced harmful species in maize production in the northern Serbia region. The aim of this work was to assess the efficacy of imidacloprid based insecticides formulated for seed treatment in the control of D. v. virgifera. Experiments were set at two localities (Čurug--two-year maize culturing; Bečej--four-year maize culturing) in 2013, according to OEPP (PP 1/212(1) 2004) method. Imidacloprid based insecticide (600 g a.i./L) was applied at rates 0.36; 0.55; 0,7 and 0.8 L/100 kg of maize seeds (hybrids NS 5041 and NS 640 Ultra). The degree of maize root damage was determined according to scale 1-6 (https://www.ent.iastate.edu/-pest/rootworm/nodeinjury/nodeinjury.htm). A number of damaged plants was also registered and expressed in percents, as well as the development of adventitious roots. Significance of differences between root damages and number of damaged plants between treatments was tested using ANOVA. Regardless on localities and applied rates, maize roots in treatments with imidacloprid were significantly less damaged by larvae D. v. virgifera (1.1-1.4) compared to the control (3.7-4.1). Also, a significant reduction in percent of damaged plants (5.0-20%) was registered compared to the control (90-97.5%). At both localities in treatments with imidacloprid adventitious roots were well developed in 60.5 to 91% of plants compared to the control were it was the case in 10-27.5% plants. It is important to emphasize that roots were significantly more developed in treated variants compared to the control. Based on the obtained results it can be concluded that imidacloprid, regardless on its future status and restraints/limitations in maize seed treatment, provided efficient protection of maize roots from D. v. virgifera larvae, even at rate twice lower (0.36) than recommended (0.8 L/100 kg seeds), which justifies the application of lower quantities of imidacloprid in practice.