Endosulfan and Bifenthrin: Applied Alone, Alternatively or in Combination for Control of the Silverleaf Whitefly Bemisia argentifolii Bellows and Perring (Homoptera: Aleyrodidae) in Cotton

Insecticide treatments against the silverleaf whitefly, Bemisia argentifolii, has been the most important control method for this pest. In this study, the efficacy of bifenthrin and endosulfan applied alone, alternatively or as a tank mixture was evaluated against the silverleaf whitefly. Adult populations were reduced from 27 to 60% following 10 sprays of bifenthrin alone or the bifenthrin + endosulfan tank mixture. All insecticidal treatments resulted in lower numbers of 2nd and 3rd larval stages and were significantly different from the untreated control. Yield was the lowest in the control where the populations of whitefly adults, eggs, larval stages and pupae were consistently greater than in each insecticidal treatment. Applications of both bifenthrin and endosulfan, alternatively or as a tank mixture, did not increase control of whitefly over each insecticide applied alone. Bifenthrin alone was more effective than endosulfan alone.