USE OF IMIDACLOPRID AS A SEED-TREATMENT INSECTICIDE TO CONTROL BARLEYYELLOW DWARF VIRUS (BYDV) IN OAT AND WHEAT

Control of barley yellow dwarf was studied in six-row plots of two oat cultivars using three rates (0.6, 1.2, and 1.8 g a.i. kg(-1) seed) of imidacloprid, a seed-treatment insecticide. All insecticide treatment s decreased the percentage of infected plants. Yield increases of up t o 112% were observed in treated plots of a moderately susceptible cult ivar inoculated with viruliferous aphids carrying barley yellow dwarf virus BYDV-PAV-IL. Insecticide-treated plots of a tolerant cultivar in oculated with BYDV-PAV-IL yielded up to 23% more than nontreated plots . In a similar study with four soft red winter wheat cultivars, all in secticide treatments decreased the percentage of infected plants, with the highest dose providing the most protection against BYDV infection . Yields were increased up to 21% in treated plots of a susceptible cu ltivar inoculated with viruliferous aphids carrying BYDV-PAV-IL. Nonin oculated insecticide-treated plots also yielded an average of 14% more than noninoculated nontreated plots.