Control of the velvetbean caterpillar through air and land applications ofits nuclear polyhedrosis virus

From 1983 to 1988 six experiments and three pilot fields were carried out a t Dourados, Mate Grosso do Sul State, Brazil, aimed at controlling Anticars ia gemmatalis Hubner, 1818 (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) larvae through air and land applications of its nuclear polyhedrosis virus (Ag NPV). One hundred l arval equivalents (LE) of NPV were applied, with soybean oil, sugar cane mo lasses and water, with an Ipanema spraying plane equipped with Micronair no zzles. The oil (5.5 and 5 L ha(-1)) and molasses (10 L ha(-1)) preparations yielded 75-89% and 79-96% control, respectively. The use of aqueous formul ation (3 L ha(-1)) didn't provide good control, but 15, 20 and 25 L ha(-1) were effective (81-90%). Fifty LE applied by plane at 3 L ha(-1) or by a tr actor propelled atomizer (15 L ha(-1)) was inefficient. Fifty LE applied wi th a bar sprayer (134 and 150 L ha(-1)) provided 87-90% control. When appli ed by plane (15, 20 and 25 L ha(-1)) the control was 93-98%. Air applicatio ns of 50 LE using soybean oil (5 L ha(-1)) and sugar cane molasses (10 L ha (-1)) were efficient, providing 86-88% and 99% control, respectively. The r esults obtained from the pilot fields were similar to the ones obtained wit h the experiments.