Pesticide Application Methods

Pesticide Application Methods

• Desired effect of a pesticide relies on appropriate methods and timing
• Application method depends on the pesticides, their form, target pests, location, and water availability

Dusting

• Carried out in the morning with light airflow, either manually or using duster
• Can be applied to soil to control soil insects
• Cost-effective for dry land crop pest control

Spraying

• Typically involves mixing EC or WP formulations with water
• Three types of spraying exist

High Volume Spraying

• Uses 200-400 liters of spray fluid per acre, covering 2.5 acres per day
• Uses knapsack and rocker sprayers

Low Volume Spraying

• Uses 40-60 liters of spray fluid per acre, covering 5.6 acres per day
• Uses power sprayers and mist blowers

Ultra Low Volume Spraying

• Uses 2-4 liters of spray fluid per acre, covering 20 acres per day
• Uses ULV and electrodyn sprayers

Granular Application

• Safely handles highly toxic pesticides
• Granules can be applied directly to the soil or plant parts

Broadcasting

• Granules mixed with equal sand quantity, spread on soil or standing water film
• Carbofuran 3 G is applied at 33 kg/ha in rice nurseries within a water film and water impounded for 3 days

In Furrow Application

• Granules applied during sowing in furrows, covered with soil before irrigation
• Carbofuran 3 G is applied at 3 g per meter row to combat sorghum shoot fly

Side Dressing

• Granules applied slightly away (10-15 cm) from established plants in a furrow

Spot Application

• Granules applied 5 cm away and deep on plant sides to reduce insecticide quantity

Ring Application

• Granules applied in a ring around trees

Root Zone Application

• Granules encapsulated and placed in the root zone of plants
• Carbofuran in rice is an example

Leaf Whorl application

• Granules mixed with equal sand quantity
• Applied to the central whorl of crops to control internal borers in sorghum, maize, and sugarcane

Pralinage

• Banana sucker surface trimmed, dipped in clay slurry, and carbofuran 3 G is sprinkled (20-40 g/sucker)
• Used to control burrowing nematode

Seed Pelleting/Seed Dressing

• Mixing insecticide with seed before sowing
• Sorghum seeds treated with chlorpyriphos at 4 ml/kg in 20 ml water, shade dried to control shoot fly
• Carbofuran 50 SP is directly used as dry seed dressing insecticide against sorghum shoot fly

Seedling Root Dip

• Controls early stage pests, especially in rice, targeting sucking pests and stem borers in early transplanted crops
• Prepare a shallow pit lined with polythene sheet
• Combine 0.5 kg urea in 2.5 liters water and 100 ml chlorpyriphos in 2.5 liters water separately
• Form a solution with 50 ml water and dip seedling roots in bundles for 20 minutes before transplant

Sett Treatment

• Sugarcane setts treated with 0.05% malathion for 15 minutes to protect from scales
• Alternatively, use 0.05% Imidacloprid 70 WS at 175 g/ha or 7 g/l, dipped for 16 minutes to protect from termites

Trunk/Stem Injection

• Method for controlling coconut pests, such as black headed caterpillar and mites
• Drill a downward slanting hole (1.25 cm diameter, 5 cm deep) 1.5 m above ground, inject 5 ml monocrotophos 36 WSC, and plug with cement or clay mixed with fungicide
• Banana pseudo stem injection uses an injecting gun or hypodermic syringe
• Used for control of banana aphid and bunchy top disease vector

Padding

• Controls stem borers in mango, seed cotton, and cashew
• Remove bark (5 x 5 cm) on three sides, leaving bottom as a flap
• Apply absorbent cotton with 5-10 ml Monocrotophos 36 WSP using ink filler
• Close the flap and cover with clay mixed with fungicide

Swabbing

• Coffee white borer is managed by swabbing trunks and branches with 1% HCH (BHC) suspension

Root Feeding

• Trunk injection in coconut has wounding risks
• Root feeding serves as an alternate chemical method to control black headed caterpillar, eriophyid mite, and red palm weevil
• Monocrotophos (10 ml) and equal water quantity are put in a polythene bag
• Cut a growing root tip (slant cut at 45) and place it inside the insecticide solution
• Tie the bag to the root to allow insecticide absorption, controlling the insect

Soil Drenching

• Chemical is diluted and the solution drenches the soil, controlling subterranean pests
• Mix BHC 50 WP with water at 1 kg in 65 liters of water
• Drench to control cotton/stem weevil and brinjal ash weevil grubs.

Capsule Placement

• Systemic poison in capsules applies toxic effect for extended duration
• In bananas, to control bunchy top vector (aphid) insecticide is placed in gelatin capsule within the crown region.

Baiting

• Toxicant is mixed with a bait material to attract insects

Spodoptera Bait

• Combine 0.5 kg molasses, 0.5 kg carbaryl 50 WP, and 5 kg rice bran with 3 liters water
• Form into small pellets and spread in the field in the evening

Rat Control Bait

• Zinc phosphide mixed at 1:49 with food like popped rice, maize, cholam, or coconut pieces
• Warfarin can be mixed at 1:19 with food
• Ready-to-use cake formulation (Bromodiolone) is also available.

Coconut Rhinoceros Beetle Bait

• Mix 5 kg castor rotten cake with insecticide

Fumigation

• Fumigants are available in solid and liquid forms

Soil Fumigation

• Liquid fumigants are injected using injecting gun to control nematodes in soil

Storage Fumigation

• For stored product pests in godowns
• Use liquid fumigants like Ethylene dibromide (EDB), Methyl bromide (MB), and carbon tetrachloride
• Use solid fumigants like Aluminium phosphide

Trunk Fumigation

• Insert aluminium phosphide (7f to I tablet) into affected coconut tree portion
• Plug with cement or mud to control red palm weevil