Management of Alfalfa Hoppers in
the Low Desert
Ayman Mostafa
Area Agent, Field Crops IPM
Leafhoppers
• Garden leafhopper: Empoasca solana
• Potato leafhopper: E. fabae
• Mexican leafhopper: E. mexara
• Damage
Leafhoppers
• Sucking plant sap
+
• Hopper burning
• Wedge-shaped Yellow
or reddish coloration
• Stunt plant growth
• May carry over to the next growth cycle
Three-cornered Alfalfa Hopper
• Buffalo Hopper
• Rarely cause significant damage
• Heat and/or water stressed plant are at
greater risk of damage
• Damage caused by feeding and oviposition
activity of the adult (girdle stems)
Treatments of alfalfa Hoppers’ efficacy
trial at MAC in 2014
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Baythroid XL (2.8 oz / A)
Endigo (4.35 oz / A)
Warrior II (1.6 oz / A)
Dimethoate 4E (1 pt / A)
Sivanto (10.5 oz / A)
WarriorII (1.44 oz/A) + Malathion8 (1pt/A)
Beleaf 50 (2.28 oz / A)
Beleaf 50 (2.85 oz / A)
UTC
Potato Leafhoppers
PH35DAT
PH27DAT
PH21DAT
PH16DAT
PH13DAT
PH7DAT
a
BaythroidXL
Sivanto
b
Dimethoate
b
Beleaf2.85oz
b
WarriorII
b
Endigo
b
Warrior+Malation
b
c
Beleaf2.28oz
d
UTC
0
100
200
300
400
500
Number of Potato Leafhopper / 5 sweeps
600
Three-cornered Alfalfa Hopper
CH35DAT
CH27DAT
CH21DAT
CH16DAT
CH13DAT
CH7DAT
a
BaythroidXL
Sivanto
a
b
Dimethoate
Beleaf2.85oz
ab
a
WarriorII
ab
Endigo
a
Warrior+Malation
b
Beleaf2.28oz
UTC
b
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Number of three-cornered hopper / 5 sweeps
350
Yield
a
BaythroidXL
a
Sivanto
Dimethoate
a
a
Beleaf2.85oz
WarriorII
ab
Endigo
a
b
Warrior+Malation
Beleaf2.28oz
ab
UTC
0.0
bc
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
1.0
1.2
Yield (Ton / Acre)
1.4
1.6
1.8
2.0
Treated vs. untreated areas in commercial
alfalfa field - Buckeye, AZ.
(Baythroid XL 2.8 oz / acre)
Untreated
Treated
Photo credit: Jason Rovey
Other 2015 alfalfa trials
• Phosphorus management
• Field application of Topguard fungicide for
control of root rot in alfalfa
– Field efficacy trial of 3 different rates Topguard
terra™ in two locations
• Economic Threshold of Egyptian Alfalfa
Weevil