Sunflower pest population levels in relation to date of planting in the Texas high plains
Mitchell, TL.; Bynum, ED.; Ward, CR.; Teetes, GL.; Schaeffer, CA.; Brigham, RD.
Southwestern Entomologist 34: 279-283
1978
ISSN/ISBN: 0147-1724 Accession: 021832370
Two oilseed sunflower hybrids were planted bi-weekly from mid-March to mid-July, in 1975 and 1976, to determine if a possible planting date could be established to avoid damage from the sunflower moth, Homoeosoma electellum (Hulst) on the Texas high plains USA without increasing other pest problems. Plantings in March and early April (blooming in June) were highly infested with sunflower moth larvae, whereas plantings made from late April through May had fewer larvae per head. Other sunflower pests, Zygogramma exclamationis (Chrysomelidae), Suleima helianthana (Olethreutidae) and Haplorhynchites aeneus (Curculionidae) did not reach a significant population level in any of the plantings.