Neonicotinoid Seed Treatments: Mode of Action and Environmental Fate

Neonicotinoid insecticides are applied to the vast majority of corn and soybean seeds planted in North America, mainly clothianidin and thiamethoxam. A review of their mode of action on target insects and the physical and chemical properties of the compound in the environment is the focus of this presentation, which includes both a review of previous literature and new data from Purdue field experiments tracking the mobility of these compounds both in target plants and in the surrounding environment.