Project Number: 5302-43000-037-02
Project Type: Trust

Start Date: Mar 01, 2010
End Date: Feb 28, 2013

Objective:
Investigate the length of persistence of the new soft insecticides in pistachios that target navel orangeworm (Amyelois transitella), using bioassay and analytical chemistry,and assess spray coverage.

Approach:
Pistachios will be sprayed by commercial cooperators and collected at intervals over a 30-60 day period. These pistachios will be challenged in the lab by infesting them with known numbers of eggs and assessing adult emergence. Samples will be taken from the hull and environment and analyzed to determine insecticide residue, which will be linked to the success of the bioassays. Additional experiments conducted in the field will assess insecticide coverage using sentinel eggs and spray cards.