MATING DISRUPTION AND MONITORING OF CODLING MOTH (Cydia pomonella L.) AND ORIENTAL FRUIT MOTH (Grapholita molesta Busck) IN PENNSYLVANIA APPLE ORCHARDS
Open Access
- Author:
- Bohnenblust, Eric
- Graduate Program:
- Entomology
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- June 19, 2009
- Committee Members:
- Larry Allen Hull, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Larry Allen Hull, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
Grzegorz Krawczyk, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor - Keywords:
- mating disruption
oriental fruit moth
codling moth - Abstract:
- The codling moth (CM), Cydia pomonella (L.) and oriental fruit moth (OFM), Grapholita molesta (Busck) have been identified as the cause for rejection of over 3500 loads of fruit from the eastern U.S. destined for fruit processing plants in Adams County, Pennsylvania since 1998. Recently, both OFM and CM have developed resistance to organophosphates and other commonly used insecticides that have been the major tools for control in the past. One new method to control the CM/OFM complex is through the implementation of mating disruption (MD) tactics. These studies focused on the interaction between monitoring trap placement height and MD dispenser placement height within the tree canopy. The efficacy of several new MD technologies was also investigated. The effectiveness of several dispenser densities of the CheckMate® Duel MD technology was also evaluated in commercial apple orchards in Pennsylvania for CM and OFM. The goal of trap placement height versus dispenser placement height study was to understand the effect on moth captures between trap placement height and MD dispenser placement height. Traps were placed at a height of 1.8 m or 4.5 m in the tree canopy within plots that were 3 rows wide X 3 trees long. MD dispensers were placed at 3.2 m within the tree canopy in the MD treated plots while the other plots were treated with only insecticides. Capture of CM adults in monitoring traps was highest in traps placed at 4.5 m in the canopy in both treatment plots with and without MD. OFM adult capture in 2007 was lowest in traps placed at 1.8 m in plots treated with MD dispensers. In 2008, capture of OFM was highest in traps placed at 4.5 m in both MD and no MD treatments. The goal of the MD efficacy study was to determine the effectiveness of several new MD technologies for control of CM and OFM when compared to the standard MD technology in Pennsylvania - Isomate® CM/OFM TT®, and insecticides only. The study consisted of replicated orchard plots about 2 ha in size of Isomate CM/OFM TT, TRE #9940 and Cidetrak® OFM, and Disrupt® Micro-Flakes for CM and OFM at their recommended rates. The Isomate CM/OFM TT technology was the most effective MD treatment for controlling CM. The TRE #9940 technology was also effective for CM control, while the Disrupt Micro-Flake technology was not as effective as the previous two MD technologies at reducing CM adult populations. Also, all three MD technologies reduced the number of CM captured in monitoring traps in 2008 from the number captured in 2007. The Cidetrak OFM, Isomate CM/OFM TT and Disrupt OFM Micro-Flake MD technologies were all effective at reducing OFM capture. The dispenser density study was intended to further our understanding of the effectiveness of several dispenser densities of the CheckMate Duel MD technology that is currently used by growers in apple orchards for the control of CM and OFM. The CheckMate Duel technology was placed at densities of 250, 375, and 500 dispensers/ha in replicated plots (≈ 2 ha) on several commercial farms in 2007 and 2008. In 2008, a replicated (plots ≈ 0.1 ha) trial with CheckMate Duel dispenser densities of 250, 375, 425, and 500 dispensers/ha was also placed in a commercial orchard. In 2007, the most effective dispenser density of the CheckMate Duel at reducing CM capture in monitoring traps was the low density of 250/ha. However in 2008, the CheckMate Duel dispenser density of 500/ha was the most effective density at reducing CM adult capture and live larvae in fruit. In the small plot study, the CheckMate Duel densities of 425/ha and 500/ha were the most effective densities for reducing adult capture of CM. The CheckMate Duel density of 250/ha did not shutdown adult OFM capture in monitoring traps as effectively as the higher dispenser densities in 2008. From these experimental studies, MD dispensers should be placed as high as possible in the tree canopy, while monitoring traps should also be placed high in the tree canopy but lower than the MD dispensers for effective monitoring of both CM and OFM in a MD environment. Also, the Isomate CM/OFM TT technology, and the combination of the TRE #9940 technology and the Cidetrak OFM can be used effectively by growers to control CM and OFM. The Disrupt Micro-Flake technology is currently only effective for the control of OFM, not CM. The effectiveness of MD increases the longer (i.e., across years) this tactic is used to control CM populations. Furthermore, the higher dispenser densities (425 and 500/ha) of the CheckMate Duel will have the greatest effect on both CM and OFM populations.