Tank mixture of pesticides and foliar fertilizers for Triozoida limbata control in guava trees (Psidium guajava L.)

ABSTRACT Although tank mixture of pesticides and foliar fertilizers is common practice in agriculture, further clarification and scientific evidence is needed to support regulation. Thus, the objective of this work was to evaluate the effect of tank mixing an organosilicon adjuvant and manganese foliar fertilizer on the insecticide imidacloprid effectiveness against Triozoida limbata in guava trees. The experimental plot consisted of four consecutive trees in the same row subdivided into 4 quadrants. The experiment was arranged in a randomized block design with split plots, with four replications. Treatments were as follows: T1 - Imidacloprid (Imid.); T2 - Imid. + Polyether-polymethyl siloxane copolymer (Sil.); T3 - Imid. + MnSO4; T4 - Imid. + Sil. + MnSO4; and T5 - Control (no application). Physical-chemical characteristics, spray deposition on the leaves and losses to the soil, guava psyllid percentage of infestation and nymph’s number were evaluated. The addition of foliar fertilizer into the mixture decreased the pH and the surface tension and increased the electric conductivity and the viscosity of the insecticide solutions. The silicon adjuvant decreased the surface tension and increased the viscosity and the pH. The tank mixture of organosilicon adjuvant and manganese foliar fertilizer has no influence on the efficacy of the insecticide.