By Blake Jackson
Cornell University researchers are exploring safer alternatives to neonicotinoid insecticides, which are known to cause significant harm to pollinators, beneficial insects, and aquatic invertebrates.
A study published on Crop Protection examines potential replacements for neonics in large-seeded vegetable crops such as snap bean, dry bean, and sweet corn.
“We wanted to find other options for growers to protect their vegetable crops from major pests. The impetus was to identify new products including those in the registration pipeline,” said Brian Nault, lead author and professor in Cornell’s Department of Entomology at AgriTech. “My program has shifted in recent years and has focused on this major issue.”
Finding such alternatives is challenging, he added. “Insecticides kill insects, so it’s a tall order to find those that kill the pests but have minimal effects on pollinators and other beneficial insects.”
The urgency stems from New York’s Birds and Bees Protection Act, signed into law in 2023 by Governor Kathy Hochul, which will gradually end the sale and use of certain neonic-treated seeds. The law aims to promote sustainable farming while protecting ecosystems.
From 2021 to 2024, researchers conducted field trials in Delaware, Minnesota, New York, Washington, and Wisconsin. They compared common neonic seed treatments thiamethoxam and clothianidin with non-neonicotinoid options including spinosad, cyantraniliprole, chlorantraniliprole, isocycloseram, and tetraniliprole. Environmental and safety risks were also assessed using Cornell’s Environmental Impact Quotient.
“Some of the alternatives we found are safer for bees and pollinators, but not as good at controlling seedcorn maggot,” said first author and Ph.D. candidate Leonardo Salgado. Results showed cyantraniliprole and spinosad worked as well, and occasionally better, than thiamethoxam in snap beans, while no alternative matched neonics for dry beans. However, five alternatives equaled neonic performance for sweet corn.
“Sweet corn is a pretty big crop in New York state,” Nault noted, adding that while there is promise for sweet corn, dry and snap beans may still require supplemental pest control during the season.
The research provides essential data for future product registrations, helping diversify insecticide classes, reduce resistance risks, and improve the long-term sustainability of pest management in large-seeded vegetable crops across North America.
Photo Credit: cornell-university
Categories: New York, Education, General