Integrating Weed-feeding Insects and Herbicides for Weed Control

Abstract

Literature concerning interactions between herbicides and insects is reviewed. Herbicides can be toxic to insects or can affect them indirectly, such as by destroying food supplies, but they usually can be used with proper application timing without affecting insects adversely. Herbicides and biocontrol insects can interact either favorably or unfavorably depending on the life cycle stage of weed and insect, effect on predatory insects, changes in food quality, mobility of the biocontrol insect, and impact of herbicides on weed growth. Thus, interactions between a biocontrol insect and herbicide can be antagonistic, additive, complementary, or synergistic. Split-plot techniques to evaluate these interactions at an early stage of insect establishment are proposed to improve weed biocontrol.