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Show Alfalfa Weevil Control Method Explained The alfalfa weevil costs the Utah farmers several hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. Many years the loss has exceeded $500,000. Such losses can be largely prevented. Alfalfa weevil control now is a relatively simple, profitable farm operation. The efficient farmer watches his early growth. When the alfalfa shoots reach a height of 4 to 2 Inches, the field Is sprayed with 4 ounces of actual heptachlor or rieldren per acre. The amount of water used may vary from 6 to 50 gallons per acre, as desired. This means that 1 gallon of 25 percent emulsifiable hepta-chator hepta-chator should treat about 8 acres; 1 gallon of 18 percent dieldrin should be used to treat 6 acres. In seasons of army cutworm infestation, in-festation, the grower does well to Increase his dosage to 6 or 8 ounces of dieldrin, or not less than 10 ounces per acre of actual heptachlor. This should control adult alfalfa weevils, before they lay many eggs, and also clean up the cutworms, so that the alfalfa crop may grow normally. Adult alfalfa weevils' killed before be-fore they reach sexual maturity lay no eggs. If left to develop normaJIy, each female weevil may deposit from 200 to 800 eggs. Usually the Infestation of alfalfa weevil larvae appears during early May, to cause crop damage during late May and early June. The most profitable way to prevent alfalfa weevil damage, with Its loss of quality and reduced re-duced crop yiejd, is to destroy the adult weevils early. This prevents pre-vents serious outbreak. Control every season Is profitable, when applied with careful timing and dosage, in areas of Utah where the weevil commonly causes crop losses. |