Rice
Icon approved for rice water weevil control
In addition to Karate, Icon (Fipronil) is now approved for rice water weevil control. Icon, which will be available as a seed treatment, will be sold only to seed dealers who will be licensed to treat the seed. Rice water weevil control with Icon has been good to excellent. In research plots and field demonstration plots, Icon seed treatment has provided effective water weevil control. Icon also controls rice stalk borer and chinch bug. The desired rate of Icon to be applied is 0.025 to 0.05 pounds per acre and will be based on planting 100 pounds of seed per acre. The cost of Icon seed treatment is expected to be around $14 to $15 dollars per acre for the 100 pound seeding rate.
Although Icon provides good control of rice water weevil, the decision to use it must be made early to give the seed dealers time to treat and bag the seed. The cut-off date for ordering Icon treated seed will vary depending upon the seed dealer, but the decision will have to be made early. We have no good method of predicting the infestation levels of rice water weevils in any year. If you are producing rice on old rice land, and have had water weevil infestations in the past, you can expect to have water weevils again. Water weevils at high infestation levels can reduce rice yields by 20 percent in dry seeded rice and higher in water seeded rice.
Karate has continued to provide good to excellent control of adult rice water weevils. I do not know of any failures when Karate was applied within seven days after permanent flood establishment. Timing is important to control the adult water weevil before eggs are deposited. One application of Karate has been sufficient to effectively control water weevils in most situations although two applications may be required in locations with high water weevil populations or in water seeded rice. Karate also controls armyworm, stink bug, aphid, green bugs, and suppresses grasshoppers. The current cost of the low rate of Karate is about $5.60 per acre plus the airplane cost.
Efforts are continuing to have Furadan available in 1999, but at this point, it does not look promising for renewal of that label. With alternatives available, such as Karate and Icon, EPA is not anxious to grant a request for extension of the Furadan label. Thus, at this point, you should plan on using either Icon as a seed treatment, or Karate to control the adult weevils. Either control method will effectively control water weevils and avoid yield reductions from water weevil damage. Neither Icon nor Karate interacts with other pest control procedures. However, the current Icon label restricts planting small grains within 12 months following planting of treated rice seed.
