Direct effects of insecticides on common ragweed-implications for natural enemy exclusion trials

Experimentally applying pesticides is an important method to assess the efficacy of weed biocontrol agents, but potential direct effects of the chemicals on plant performance are controversial or unknown. We assessed how three broad-spectrum insecticides applied in combination affect the performance of the widely invasive, crop-yield reducing, allergenic common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia L.) in an insect-free environment. Spraying insecticides had no significant effects on aboveground dry weight, seed and pollen output or pollen allergenicity, and only explained 1-8% of variation in these parameters. Our insecticide treatment can hence be applied to assess biocontrol impact on biomass and reproductive output of common ragweed. As our insecticide treatment delayed senescence, however, other methods of insect exclusion should be preferred when studying common ragweed phenology.