Role of seed treatment in insect pest management

Role of seed treatment in insect pest management

Seed treatment is an application of chemicals to the seeds either at
the time of sowing or before sowing which is an alternative to
traditional foliar or soil treatment.

Efficient function
Application of insecticides to seeds before or at the time of sowing
offers the most effective means of protecting the germinating seed or
seedling.
The chemical insecticide is absorbed by the plant tissue and
transported in the sap through the entire plant through the vascular
system, right up to the top leaf.

Natural enemies
The pest ingests the chemical compounds along with the plant juice
that is lethal for them.
Natural enemy population such as coccinellids, spiders and chrysoperla
remain unharmed.
The efficacy of seed treatment depends upon a mulltitude of
interacting factors such as seed type, chemical formulation,
compatibility of materials, adjuvants and species of insects etc. Seed
treatment with lower doses of imidacloprid, at 5g/kg seed was found
effective in controlling jassids up to 60 days after emergence of crop
and higher seed cotton yield.

Treatment method
Treatment with marshal 25 DS at 80g/kg of seeds has recorded least
population of sucking pests and resulted in higher yield of sunflower.
Acetamiprid 20 SP at dosage of 25g a i/kg of seed protects cotton crop
up to 35 days against pests.
Seed treatment of sorghum with imidacloprid 70 WS at 15g/kg seeds or
thiamethoxam 70 WS at 10g/kg followed by foliar sprays after 30 days
with imidacloprid 17.8 SL at 0.01 per cent or thiamethoxam 25 WG at
0.01 per cent were found highly effective for the management of shoot
fly and stem borer.

Sharanabasappa
D. Satish
& Satyanarayan

Regional Agricultural Research Station, Raichur
& Department of Genetics and Plant breeding
College of Agriculture
UAS Dharwad