Winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) yields are gradually increasing in Russian plains, though a limited yield exists, which could point back to insect pest incursion in wheat fields. However, in the past up to the present, yield losses due to insect pest invasion were approximately 20% annually. The latest study aims to determine the effectiveness of the insecticide Thiamethoxam (350 g/l) used in controlling insect pests through wheat seed treatment. The experiments laid out in 2019 and 2020 in the foothill zone of Abinsky, Astrakhan region, Russian Federation. The randomized complete block design (RCBD) used with four replications and a plot size of 100 m². The treatment included one winter wheat variety and four treatments: T1 = Kaytoks, KS @ 0.5 l/t, T2 = Kaytoks, KS @ 1.0 l/t, T3 = Cruiser, KS @ 1.0 l/t, and T4 = the control (untreated). Based on the crop season evaluation, a significant increase resulted in the pest population (4.74 to 26.57 adults/m²) in the control plots. The plots amended with insecticide Thiamethoxam (350 g/l) at the rate of 0.5 l/t showed lesser pest population (0.25 to 1.25 adults/m²), and plots with 1.0 l/t ranged from 0 to 0.5 adults/m². Results also revealed that insecticides of the manufacturers, i.e., Kaytoks, KS, and Cruiser, KS, proved effective in pest control, ranging from 80 to 100%. The wheat seeds treated with Kaytoks, KS (0.5 l/t) and (1.0 l/t) increased their yield compared with control by 9.3 to 14.8% (2019) and 15.6 to 17.3% (2020). Thus, to achieve insect pest control and yield increase in wheat varieties, seed treatment using Thiamethoxam (Kaytoks, KS) at an application rate of 1.0 l/t can be a vital crop protection tool for cereal crops and an eco-friendly method.

Keywords: Winter wheat, insect pests, insecticides, seed treatment, Thiamethoxam, grain yield

Key findings: Seed treatment with Thiamethoxam (350 g/l) significantly reduced the incidence of five key insect pests and increases winter wheat grain yield in the Astrakhan region, Russia. Thus, Thiamethoxam (350 g/l) can be a recommended option to the farming community for better pest control and increased grain yield.