Drip chemigation of imidacloprid under plastic mulch increased yield and decreased leaching caused by rainfall

Muskmelons were grown on raised beds and imidacloprid was applied to contro l cumber beetles. The imidacloprid Ir as applied as a band on bare soil, a single chemigation under plastic mulch, and as split chemigation under plas tic mulch at three levels: label rate, reduced rate, and zero rate (control ). Muskmelon yield increased tenfold when imidacloprid was drip chemigated under black plastic mulch as compared to no chemigation and no plastic mulc h. A four-fold yield increase resulted from plastic mulch alone while a 2.5 times yield increase resulted from imidacloprid alone. The reduced rate of imidacloprid produced the same weight of marketable melons as the label ra te when a single close of the pesticide was applied after transplanting. Du ring a heavy rainfall period, drip chemigation of imidacloprid under plasti c mulch prevented pesticide leaching through the root zone and pesticide tr ansport via soil erosion of the beds.