Pear, Pest Control, 1985

Twenty-two-year-old pear trees were sprayed with handguns operating at 600 psi to evaluate pesticides for control of pear pests. Plots consisted of 5, 2-tree replicates in randomized block design. Treatments were evaluated for PP control by counts of adults and nymphs at 2-wk intervals. Adults were counted from 5 beating-tray samples/rep. Nymphs were counted from 50 leaves/rep. First generation nymph samples, those prior to 1 Jun consisted of fruiting spur leaves. Later samples included the proximal, distal and 3 leaves from between, on each of 10 shoots. Leaves were brushed and the resulting slides were examined using a dissecting microscope. Phytophagous mites were counted from separate samples using the same procedure. Two 10-fruit samples/rep collected at normal harvest time were weighed and tested for firmness with a penetrometer. Soluble solids were measured with a refractometer on samples of the combined juice of each lot of 10 fruits. PP and PRM damage was rated according to US grade standards for fresh market Bartlett pears on 2 samples of 25 fruits/rep. Fruit and foliage were examined after each spray for phytotoxicity.