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Control of codling moth in organically‐managed apple orchards by combining pheromone‐mediated mating disruption, post‐harvest fruit removal and tree banding
Author(s) -
Judd G. J. R.,
Gardiner M. G. T.,
Thomson D. R.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
entomologia experimentalis et applicata
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.765
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1570-7458
pISSN - 0013-8703
DOI - 10.1046/j.1570-7458.1997.00166.x
Subject(s) - codling moth , tortricidae , overwintering , orchard , mating disruption , biology , lepidoptera genitalia , horticulture , pheromone trap , pheromone , botany , pest analysis , fruit tree , sex pheromone , toxicology
An integrated programme of pheromone‐mediated mating disruption using Isomate‐C®, post‐harvest removal of fruit, and trapping overwintering larvae with cardboard tree bands, was used to control codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), in four commercial ‘organic’ apple orchards in Cawston, British Columbia during 1989–1992. One application of 1000 dispensers ha −1 on May 1 delivered estimated seasonal totals of 16.6, 16.5 and 19.9 g of E,E‐8,10‐dodecadien‐1‐ol [=codlemone] ha −1 in 1990, 1991 and 1992, respectively, at median rates of 8.4, 8.3, and 13.3 mg · ha −1 · h −1 during dusk flight periods of first brood and 5.3, 4.7 and 4.6 mg · ha −1 · h −1 in second brood, respectively. Over this 3‐year period damage from codling moth at harvest ranged from 0.08 to 2.4%, and averaged <0.7% in these four organic orchards, while damage in five conventional orchards receiving sprays of azinphosmethyl ranged from 0.02 to 1.85%, and averaged 0.5%. Damage in an experimental orchard that was banded only, ranged from 43.5 to 56.7%, and averaged 48.9%. Between 1990 and 1992 cumulative male catches in Pherocon 1‐CP wing traps baited with 10 mg of codlemone declined by 52% and densities of overwintering codling moth larvae declined an average of 49.5% in all organic orchards. Overwintering populations in the banded experimental orchard showed an increase of 57.7% during this study period. We conclude that an integrated programme of pheromone‐mediated mating disruption, post‐harvest fruit removal and tree banding, controls codling moth effectively enough to make organic apple production viable in British Columbia.