Neonicotinoid insecticide systemicity in soybean plants and its effect on brown stink bugs

Abstract

ABSTRACT During the application of pesticides on soybean fields, a vertical deposition gradient of the product can occur throughout the canopy, resulting in difficulties for controlling stink bugs that are in the middle and lower thirds of plants. This study aimed at evaluating the systemicity of thiamethoxam insecticide in different soybean phenological stages, using brown stink bugs as bioindicators of the pesticide efficacy. The study combined product application sites (lower, middle and upper third) and stink bugs infestation areas at five soybean phenological stages (R2, R3, R4, R5.2 and R6). For the R2 and R5.2 stages, plants presented acropetal translocation of the product, being the effect more evident in the R2 stage. For the R3, R4 and R6 stages, the product translocation was not sufficient for controlling the stink bugs. In all stages, for treatments with direct exposure (same infestation and spraying place), stink bugs were satisfactorily controlled.