Investigation of the effects of insecticide applications at early period of cotton on pest and beneficial insect populations in Adana

This study was carried out in the Doğankent Research Area of the Eastern Mediterranean Agricultural Research Institute between 2017-2018. In the study, 6 plant protection products ((% 20 acetamiprid SP), (210g/l imidacloprid+90 g/l betacyfluthrin OD), (% 50 pymetrozine WG), Movento SC 100 (100 g/l spitotetramat SC), (% 50 w/w sulfoxaflor WG) (green parts spraying) and (600 g/l clothianidin FS) to be used in seed spraying on Carizma cotton variety, some sucking insects and the effects on natural enemies of them were studied. In addition, the effects of 5 cotton cultivars with different characteristics (Dpsr4 (frego bract leaf), Gossypolsuz86, May505 (medium hairy), Stn825 (nectarless), Tya7/2 (hairless)) on population of harmful insects and their parasitoids and predators were also investigated. The lowest pest population densities were recorded in sulfoxaflor-treated plots. In the plots, where spirotetramat, pymetrozine (surface) and clothianidin (seed) applications, the high number of harmful insect individuals were recorded compared to sulfoxaflor application. It has been determined that all insecticides used in the form of seed and green parts application negatively affect beneficial insects. No statistically significant differences were found in terms of yield and fibre quality characteristics in the plots where spraying was performed in the early period of cotton (P>0.05). Populations of sucking insects were the highest in Dpsr4 and Stn825, low in May505, and the lowest in Gossypolsüz86 and Tya7/2. The population densities of beneficial insects were highest in medium hairy May505 variety and lowest in Gossypolsüz86 variety. Seed cotton yield and cotton fibre quality characteristics of May505 cultivar were statistically higher and significant compared to other cultivars (P<0.05).