TATE FLANT BOARD E-491 September 1939 .!; United States Department of Agriculture Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine A FIELD METHOD FOR THE CHEMICAL EVALUATION OF SPRAY DEPOSITS RESULTING FROM THE APPLICATION OF INSECTICIDES FOR CONTROL OF THE CODLING MOTH By Jack E. Fahey and Harold W. Rusk Division of Insecticide Investigations INTRODUCTION The methods of studying codling moth insecticides at Vincennes, Ind. , are designed to fill the gap between the laboratory for testing toxicity and the laboratory for testing insecticides on a large scale in the field. Methods and techniques of analysis have been devised to permit detailed study of residues on apples from the time of petal fall until harvest. To complete the study of insecticidal spray residues, data from such chemical studies are combined with similar data obtained by the Division of Fruit Insect Investi- gations regarding the larvicidal value of residue deposits. The primary purpose of these investigations is to develop and adapt new insecticides and auxiliary materials for codling moth control, and this is accomplished through study of the inherent qualities of residue deposits and the effect of growth and weather on them. Spray-residue analysis was first employed in the determination of arsenical residues on harvested fruit in conjunction with studies of residue removal. This type of analysis was also adopted later to show the value of spreaders and nonarsenical insecticides in keeping the arsenical residue to a low figure. Chemical analysis of spray residues was next employed in the toxicity-testing laboratories, to measure the deposits produced by various spray mixtures. It was then but a short step from the toxicity-testing laboratory to the laboratory for field tests. For several years the study of insecticidal spray residues encountered in codling moth control has been an integral part of the plan of work of most laboratories concerned with that insect. Basically these studies are similar in that residue deposits are determined on samples taken at intervals during the growing season to show the effect of multiple spray applications and weather on spray-residue deposits. Such information has been particularly valuable in the planning of spray treatments and in the comparison of different insecticides and auxiliary spray materials. The methods employed at the various experiment stations for studying and reporting spray-residue deposits have not been standardized. As a re- sult, direct comparison of data obtained at two stations employing different -2- methods of study is impossible. Obviously it would be impossible here to discuss the various methods employed at other experiment stations, but a com- plete description will be given of the method of study used at the Vincennes station, and certain practices at other stations which differ radically from those employed at Vincennes will be indicated. METHODS OF STUDY In a chemical study of insecticidal spray residues the comparison of results is actually the comparison of chemical analyses. Therefore such comparisons involve all the errors of the analytical method plus the error of sampling. To make a valid comparison of residues these errors must be recognized and the magnitude of each estimated. Through the method of sampling adopted attempts have been made to obtain a sample that would be representative of the mean residue deposit within the plot studied. To accomplish this all parts of the plot must be adequately represented in the sample selected from that plot. A chemical method employed for the study of spray residues must be suited to the type of material analyzed and the range of spray residue encountered. In addition, it should be rapid to permit frequent and numerous samplings, it should permit a precise reproduction of results, and it should be reasonably accurate. Stress is placed on the rapidity of the method because, to minimize the errors of sampling and to permit a continuous study of the residues, any such study necessitates the handling of a large number of samples. Sampling Methods Before attempting to discuss the methods of sampling employed it is important that the problem be outlined. In the first place, spray residues are not singular in any sense of the word. They represent the accumulated deposits of a varying number of sprays; they are deposited on two or more trees; they are not equally well deposited on all fruits of a single tree; and they are not uniformly deposited on all the surface of a single fruit. Furthermore, the residue on each fruit is affected by the rate of growth of that fruit and the amount of weathering to which that fruit is exposed. Thus the methods of study must consider all these variables and measure as many of them as possible. To determine the value of each application of a spray the studies must cover the entire period beginning with the initial application of the insecticide and continuing until harvest. A represent- ative number of trees must be included in each sample, and each sample must adequately represent all sections of each tree. The effect of elements such as weather and growth can be determined by frequent sampling of the plots studied. The first sampling methods used were the outgrowth of pre- vious experience and inspection, but later it was possible to investigate the variations within plots and thus to modify the methods in accordance with the facts as found. There are three principal sources of variation in the amount of spray deposit on apples within a plot of trees; first of these is the inherent variation between trees due to their shape, their general structure, and the -3- relative ease with which they can be sprayed; second, is variation within a tree due to the position of the fruit upon it, that , is whether it is located in the top or bottom, in the outer "shell" or on an inner branch, and whether it is protected or unprotected by foliage; third, is variation of deposit between different areas of a fruit, such as the stem, cheek, and calyx. Al- though the variation in deposit on different sections of an individual fruit is recognized, the method of study followed is based on samples in which the smallest unit recognized is a single fruit. This is necessary in order that the study of residue deposits may begin with the first spray application, at which time it would be impossible to divide the fruit into its several parts for analysis. To study the variation in deposit between trees and within trees, analyses of individual fruits from trees have been made in plots on which lead arsenate, fixed nicotine, and phenothiazine insecticides were used. Figure 1 represents a typical apple tree in a southern Indiana commercial orchard and illustrates the way in v/hich the tree is divided into segments, or strata, for sampling. Special attention is directed to the fact that the lower branches nearly reach the ground, and at harvest it is not uncommon to find numerous heavily laden branches resting on the ground. The trees are arbitrarily considered as consisting of three horizontal sec- tions, or strata, of equal height which by count contain approximately 30 percent of the fruit in each of the top and bottom strata and 40 percent in the middle stratum. Varietal differences have been found to influence the shape of the tree but have little effect on the distribution of the crop. To determine the distribution of deposit on individual fruits, between sections of trees, and between the trees of a plot, samples consisting of single fruits have been analyzed. In these studies 105 samples were taken from each plot of 5 trees, 21 fruits were selected from each tree, and 7 fruits were taken from each stratum of each tree. Several studies of this nature have been made in plots sprayed with lead arsenate, those sprayed with phenothiazine, and those sprayed v/ith nicotine-bentonite. These studies were conducted over a period of 3 years and at different times during the growing season. In table 1 a summarization of data from a study of plots sprayed v/ith the three insecticides is presented. The deposits of pheno- thiazine and nicotine are reported for plots sprayed with those materials while the deposits from lead arsenate sprays are reported as the element lead. These figures are accurate only for the specific study which they represent, but such studies have been repeated a sufficient number of times to show that the general relationships are the same regardless of the variety of fruit used or the time of the growing season. The top stratum of the trees always carries a significantly lighter deposit than the middle or bottom stratum. Although the bottom stratum generally carries a heavier resudue deposit than the middle stratum, the difference is not great and it is ques- tionable whether it could be considered significant in all studies, especial- ly where phenothiazine residues are concerned. The deposit on individual fruits differs greatly with the insecticide under investigation, the more durable lead arsenate deposit being much less variable than the phenothiazine or nicotine deposits. ^4- Table 1. — A summary of the distribution of residue deposits of lead, phenothiazine, and nicotine determined on individual fruits from five-tree plots sprayed with lead arsenate, pheno- thiazine, and nicotine-bentonite, respectively R esidue (in mmg. per sq. cm. ) Lead Section of tree: Top stratum Maximum 28.0 Minimum 13.8 Average 19.9 Middle stratum Maximum 52.1 Minimum 15.5 Average 31.2 Bottom stratum Maximum 44.5 Minimum 22.5 Average 32.2 Entire tree Maximum 52.1 Minimum 13.8 Average 28.1 lothiazine Nicotine 36.5 4.9 7.7 .9 17.7 2.3 54.9 12.2 17.8 2.8 30.3 7.6 49.3 15.3 15.4 3.8 30.2 10.3 54.9 15.3 7.7 .9 26.1 6.7 Statistical analysis of the three sets of data from which table 1 was constructed and of similar data from other studies has shown the intra- tree variation to be significant at odds of 99 to 1 in every study. On the other hand the intertree variation was significant at odds of 99 to 1 only when lead arsenate residues were studied. 7i/hen nicotine-bentonite and pheno- thiazine deposits were studied, the intertree variation was usually sig- nificant at odds of 19 to 1 or greater. By these studies two of the sources of variation in an experimental plot have been measured and the intratree variation has been found to be greater and more consistent than the intertree variation. For further development of a sampling method it is necessary to know the size of sample (i. e., the number of fruits) required in order that reasonable differences in deposit will be significant. To obtain these figures the coefficient of variation has been calculated for the three sets of data summarized in table 1 and other similar studies. The coefficients of variation determined from the standard deviations of the studies described above ranged from 22.5 to 37.7 percent, depending on the insecticide studied and the time of the growing season at which the study was made. These data indicate that differences of 10 percent of the common mean of samples com- pared would be significant at odds of 19 to 1 when samples of from 60 to 90 fruits were used. With these points in mind, an ideal sampling method should include all tre3s of a plot, all strata of each tree, and, in order that differences of -5- 10 percent of the common mean would be significant at odds of 19 to 1, should consist of 60 to 90 apples. To lessen the difference required for signifi- cance or to increase the odds of significance it would be necessary to in- crease the size of the sample. A practical method of sampling, however, must consider the limitations of chemical methods, laboratory equipment, and the personnel to handle the samples. Samples for chemical analysis employed at Vincennes consist of 50 fruits divided into 25-fruit duplicates. Each 25-fruit duplicate is repre- sentative of a single tree and is divided between the three strata of the tree according to the normal crop distribution, that is, 7 fruits from the top, 10 from the middle, and 8 from the bottom. Equal numbers of fruit could be used without introducing any great error, but when a large number of samples are taken during the growing season such a practice would inter- fere with the normal crop distribution on the tree. Where studies are to be conducted throughout the season five-tree or larger plots are generally employed. All trees of a plot are sprayed according to a prearranged sched- ule throughout the growing season. Two trees in each plot are used to pro- vide samples, one of the pair being dropped and a new one substituted after each spray so that all trees are sampled during the course of the season. Thus each sample of 50 fruits represents all sections of 2 trees. The sample has been divided between the different sections of the trees because these show a greater variation than that between trees of a plot, and 2 trees of the plot have been considered as being representative of that plot. In sam- pling all sections of the tree the method differs from that employed by some other laboratories, which confine their sampling to the lower sections. Sam- ples taken from the lower sections of the trees or at shoulder height give results higher than would actually occur on the entire tree. Preparation of Samples Two methods of recovery of residues from fruit are employed in sample preparation. Inorganic residues, such as those of lead arsenate and calcium arsenate, are removed from most fruits by peeling and digesting the peels, but when fruit is small the entire fruit is digested. Organic residues are usually removed from the surface of the fruit by selective solvents. In preparation of the sample the residue from the entire fruit is recovered. In this respect the method used at Vincennes differs from that preferred at some experiment stations, where only the cheek surface or a part of the cheek surface is used. By using the entire residue it is possible to begin studies of deposits with the first spray application; on the other hand, methods in which disks from the cheek surface, or the entire cheek surface are used are not applicable until later in the growing season. Furthermore, the re- moval of residues by the solvent method would be complicated if only the cheek surface were employed. Chemical Analysis Several methods are employed in the analysis of spray residues of arsenic, lead, nicotine, and phenothiazine, and each of these methods pos- sesses features which make it especially useful for certain phg.ses of this -6- study. Some of the methods employed in the analysis of each type of residue are briefly outlined below, and the methods employed at the Vincennes station are indicated. Arsenical residues are determined by the bromate titration method. This is used in preference to the Gutzeit method because it is both more accurate and more precise. The bromate method is also better fitted to the range of residues studied. Under ideal laboratory conditions both methods require about the same amount of time for a complete analysis. Lead residues are determined by the electrolytic method, dithizone (diphenylthiocarbazone) being employed to isolate the lead before elec- trolysis. This method is well adapted to the range of the residues studied and is both more accurate and more precise than the colorimetric methods, although the latter have some advantage in the time required for analysis. Nicotine residues are determined by the colorimetric method employing cyanogen bromide and beta-naphthylamine, developed by L. N. Markwood. Under routine laboratory conditions this method is equal in precision and accuracy to the gravimetric method, and is much more rapid since it does not require steam distillation and ignition. Phenothiazine residues are determined by the colorimetric method involving treatment with bromine, developed by C. W. Murray. This method has been found satisfactory for the analysis of chemically pure pheno- thiazine; however, there is evidence that some of the decomposition products of phenothiazine deposits will produce a color similar to that produced by phenothiazine. It is therefore questionable whether the results of analysis by this method give the true phenothiazine content of the residue deposit. APPLICATION OF DATA As will be seen from the foregoing discussion, relatively large differences in residue deposits would be necessary to show significance between any two samples. On the other hand, if the samples were increased in size to permit small differences to show significance it would be impos- sible to study more than three or four spray treatments throughout the season. During the 1938 season field studies at Vincennes covered a total of 55 spray plots; of these, 38 were compared in approximately 8 spray periods. These plots were sampled twice during each spray period and each sample was analyzed in duplicate. By employing the methods of sampling and analysis outlined above 2 chemists and an unskilled laborer have been able to select and analyze approximately 1,500 separate samples during a 130-day growing season. In addition, fruit-growth records were obtained on three varieties of fruit during the entire growing season. In the following discussion of the application of data an attempt will be made to give a cross section of the results of these studies by showing the various comparisons possible. -7- Weathering of Residue Deposits The simplest method of expressing residue deposits is in weight of residue per fruit (micrograms per fruit). Such data are of value in the study of the rate of weathering of spray deposits, since by disregarding the distribution of residue on the fruit surface the effect of fruit growth on samples taken on different days is nullified. This method is valid only when it can be assumed that the fruits from the plots compared are relatively uniform in size. Study of the weathering of spray residues is not a simple matter, and because of the difference in the physical character of spray deposits weathering may be expected to affect different deposits to different degrees. In figure 2 are shown the residues, in micrograms per fruit, for three totally different spray plots. Plot 1 received lead arsenate in nine spray applications, but data from only the last eight are shown in this fig- ure. Plot 2 received nicotine bentonite in eight spray applications and plot 3 received phenothiazine in eight spray applications. Beginning at the bottom of the chart it will be noted that in the case of plot 2 there is a consistent trend to accumulate residue so that at the end of the season the fruit retained approximately 20 percent of all residue deposited. The second curve, that of plot 1, shows an even greater tendency for lead arsenate (in- dicated by AS2O3 residue) to accumulate, and at the end of the season 66 percent of the total residue deposited was still present. Plot 3, treated with phenothiazine, shows the greatest loss from weathering; between suc- cessive spray applications this plot lost nearly all the residue from the previous spray and at the end of the season retained only 11 percent of the total residue deposited by eight sprays. As noted in the discussion of chem- ical methods, it is probable that the results of analysis of phenothiazine are inaccurate because some of the decomposition products will produce the same color as phenothiazine under conditions of the analysis. Any such error would tend to indicate greater deposits than those actually present on the sample studied. There is very little indication that rainfall alone is responsible for the loss in residue by weathering. This is shown by the lack of cor- relation between rainfall and loss of residue. It is quite probable that brushing of the fruit by foliage movement is more important than rainfall in removal of residue after the residue has once dried on the fruit. Heavy rains immediately following a spray application, as occurred on August 5, have a pronounced effect on phenothiazine residues and a measurable effect on nicotine residues, as is indicated in the very small quantity of residues deposited on this date. Fruit-Growth Records Fruit growth is an important part of any study of spray residues on apples, and such data can be easily obtained from the weight and number of fruits in samples analyzed. To obtain the area of any sample the apple was considered as a sphere and the area calculated from its weight and its specific gravity. ^.-^'^^-^ -8- In figure 3 a chart has been prepared to represent the relative sur- face area of one fruit at different periods during the growing season. These figures were obtained from growth records on Grimes Golden apples in the Vincennes area covering 3 years. The figures in the column marked "days" at the extreme left represent the days from petal fall (calyx-spray date). The middle column on the' left of the figure identifies the spray which would be applied on that day and for that size of fruit. The column on the left next to the figure gives the average daily percentage increase in surface area between days and sprays. The figures within the several squares repre- senting the size of the fruit are the average surface areas of one fruit in square centimeters. Three years' records of Grimes Golden fruit growth show an average daily increase of 1 square centimeter per apple per day, At the blossom period this will amount to as m.uch as 100 percent increase in surface area per day or, as indicated by this figure, an average daily increase of 22.3 percent per day between the 7-day spray and the first cover spray. Such a rapid development of area of fruit rapidly decreases the surface concentra- tion of residue deposits. As the size of the fruit increases the relative rate of growth is materially reduced; consequently, during the second-brood period the daily increase in area amounts to only a little more than 2 per- cent per day. Thus these data show the rate of growth of fruit and its effect on residue deposit. It is interesting that normal spray applications during the first 45 days of the growing season (approximately the first-brood period) do not deposit sufficient residue to compensate for the growth of the fruit. During the second-brood period the normal spray application will deposit sufficient residue to compensate for growth and will accumulate an excess deposit. Residue-Area Relationship The control of insects by spray deposits depends on the concentration of residue on the fruit surface. To obtain such a figure the residue per fruit is divided by the area per fruit. If the residue were expressed in micrograms and the area in square centimeters this would give a value in micrograms per square centimeter. In figure 4 the data obtained from two nicotine spray plots employed during the 1938 season are graphically illus- trated. These data are reported in micrograms of nicotine per square centi- meter of fruit surface to permit a direct comparison of the average con- centration of deposit on the surface of fruit from two or more plots. Such data include the effect of both weathering and fruit growth on residue de- posit. The figures represent the results of 18 analyses of 50-fruit samples taken from each plot on the days indicated. Eight sprays were applied to each plot. It may be noted that the difference between these two plots at any one date is not great and in most cases would not be significant at odds of more than 19 to 1. On the otherhand, the data consistently favor one plot and there can be little question as to the significance of the differ- ence that exists between these tv/o treatments. These data indicate the man- ner in which small differences can assume significance when a study is con- tinued through an entire growing season. -9- There are two other characteristics of spray residues which are well illustrated in this figure. (1) Early spray applications (that is, spray on small fruit which has not lost its pubescence) deposit greater residues per unit area than late spray applications. Whether this is due to the character of the fruit surface or to the ease of completely covering small fruits has not been definitely determined. (2) The slowing down of the relative rate of increase of fruit surface late in the spray season makes it appear that deposits from late cover sprays are more persistent than deposits from early sprays. Such data as are presented in this figure are valuable for direct comparison of spray treatments. The method permits a comparison between deposits at any one period or, when considered as a whole, throughout the season. The combined effect of weather and fruit growth on residue deposit is also shown. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2013 http://archive.org/details/fieldnnethodforchOOunit MIDDLE 40 *y. BOTTOM 30®/ Figure !•— Crop distribution on a typical apple tree in a coomeroial orohard in Indiana. Figure 2. —Effect of weathering on spray deposit, 1 « Ol • 2 o z 1- rs • cc o u. O 0) - or. Q. to 10 CO fvi I Ifl O z CM csj lO Q X I- «q CO c5 t^J 3 3 00 3 o P ^ to +^ o o +> O oj o o -P 0) ;3 I "-* fl ra ^ (j> +> fH o o o rt ^ +> o tn •H 5 u P< (D S !>. cd 1 ^ 'St- 0) (i« UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA