I wish to take this opportunity to commend the scientists of the Division for their 
efforts to carry out the Department’s responsibilities for the entomology phases of 
farm research in the face of such demands and handicaps. In so doing, I also wish to 
acknowledge the assistance and cooperation of many individuals in the Department, State 
Experiment Stations, and industry. 
SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF PROGRESS AND PROBLEMS 
In considering progress and problems relating to the use of insect control chemicals 
in crop and livestock production, only a few examples can be cited here. 
Until the newer insecticides came into being, the toll taken by insects on a number of 
crops was not fully appreciated. For example, when DDT became available to potato 
growers for controlling the green peach aphid, wireworms, and other pests, the yield of 
potatoes virtually doubled in many areas. Increases inyield of marketable potatoes during 
recent years are due to improvements in a number of agronomic practices. However, 
without effective insect control chemicals and their proper use by the grower near maxi- 
mum yields and high quality cannot be achieved. 
FORAGE AND GRAIN INSECTS 
The European corn borer is the major pest of corn in the main Corn Belt. Losses 
due to this introduced pest average about $100 million annually. DDT treatment of sus- 
ceptible varieties for protection against lst generation borers may result in over 25 
percent increase in yield. 
The high cost of control for the corn borer and the residues associated with the 
use of insecticides are important problems in dealing with this insect. When DDT, the 
most economical insecticide, is used for corn borer control, the farmer cannot feed 
the stover to dairy cows or beef animals to be marketed for slaughter. 
Alfalfa is our most important cultivated forage crop. It is subject to attack by several 
important insect pests, including the alfalfa weevil, spotted alfalfa aphid, pea aphid, 
potato aphid, plant bugs, and spittle bugs. Through the use of insecticides now available, 
it is not uncommon to increase yields of alfalfa by 50 percent as well as to improve the 
quality of the hay produced. However, the growers are faced with the problem of con- 
trolling the insects effectively and economically without leading to traces of residue in 
milk of dairy cows consuming the forage. The recent reduction of the tolerance of 
heptachlor and its epoxide to zero was a serious blow to alfalfa growers particularly 
where the alfalfa weevil and spittle bugs are major pests. 
An excellent example of the possibilities of integrating chemical and biological con- 
trol procedures in dealing with aninsect problem can be cited for the spotted alfalfa aphid 
and the insecticide Systox. R. F. Smith, V.M. Stern, R. van den Bosch, and K. S. Hagen of 
California have given special attention to this approach to the control of this introduced 
insect, and published a series of three papers (11, 12, 13) describing their success in 
achieving integrated biological and chemical control. Through proper timing in the appli- 
cation and with the proper dosage of this sytemic insecticide, it is possible to reduce 
aphid populations without serious adverse effects on parasites and predators which 
continue to exert their influence in preventing population buildup. 
FRUIT INSECTS 
Experience has shown that insecticides are essential for the commercial production 
of most fruit crops. For many years, commercial growers of apples relied on arsenicals 
for controlling the codling moth. DDT proved to be a boon to apple producers and it 
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