Ltrcular 



No. 9x6 



August 195 3 • Washington, D. C. 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



Effect of Soil Applications of Insecticides 

 on the Growth and Yield of 



Vegetable Crops 1 



By M. W. Stone, entomologist, and F. B. Foley and D. H. Bixby, 2 field aides, 

 Division of Truck Crop and. Garden Insect Investigations, Bureau of Ento- 

 mology and Plant Quarantine, Agricultural Research Administration 3 



Contents 



Page 



Introduction 1 



Review of literature 2 



General pre cedure 2 



Experimental method 2 



Cultural practices 4 



Pest control 5 



Tests on different crops 6 



Lima beans 6 



Cabbage 9 



Cauliflower 9 



Lettuce , 10 



Celery 10 



Carrots 10 



Onions 11 



Page 



Tests on different crops — Continued 



Table beets 11 



Sweetpotatoes 11 



Spinach 11 



Tomatoes 12 



Peppers 12 



Peas 12 



Potatoes 14 



Residue analyses 15 



Toxaphene 15 



Aldrin 17 



Flavor of vegetables 17 



Summary 18 



Literature cited 19 



INTRODUCTION 



The effect of residues from soil applications of insecticides on 

 the growth of plants has long been a matter of concern to ento- 



1 Submitted for publication April 16, 1953. 



2 Now with the Division of Plant Quarantines at Honolulu, T. H. 



3 The authors acknowledge the assistance of Roy Hudson in 1949, C. 0. 

 Gaston and A. Sarinana in 1950, and W. Larramedy in 1951. The lima bean 

 growers Joseph and John Laubacher also assisted and furnished tractors and 

 equipment for incorporating the insecticides with the soil. The Vujovich Bros, 

 provided irrigation pipe. The Coastal Chemical Co. and the McCrae Chemical 

 Co. applied the soil fumigants. The following companies furnished insecti- 

 cides: Eston Chemicals, Inc., Hercules Powder Co., Velsicol Corp., and the 

 Julius Hyman Co. The writers are also indebted to H. K. Burr and staff of 

 the Western Regional Laboratory of the Bureau of Agricultural and Indus- 

 trial Chemistry for appraising the flavor of several of the crops. The Califor- 

 nia Lima Bean Growers Assoc, furnished a portable engine-driven lima 

 bean thresher. 



