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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Wapato, Washington » Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #250670

Title: Combined Sprays of Sex Pheromone and Insecticides to Attract and Kill Codling Moth

Author
item KOVANCI, ORKUN - Uludag University
item Knight, Alan
item LARSEN, TOM - Suterra, Llc

Submitted to: Proceedings, IOBC
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/26/2010
Publication Date: 6/17/2011
Citation: Kovanci, O.B., Knight, A.L., Larsen, T. 2011. Combined Sprays of Sex Pheromone and Insecticides to Attract and Kill Codling Moth. Proceedings, IOBC. 72:83-88.

Interpretive Summary: Codling moth is an important pest of apple, pear, and walnut with a worldwide distribution. Management costs for this one insect are a significant proportion of growers’ total management costs in these crops. ARS researchers at the USDA, ARS, Yakima Agricultural Research Laboratory, Wapato, WA in collaboration with researchers at Uladag University in Turkey have developed and tested the combined use of a sprayable pheromone formulation and insecticides. Effective control of codling moth was obtained with reduced rates of insecticides using this approach. These results support our ongoing efforts to developed integrated programs which maintain effective control of this key pest while reducing growers’ use of insecticides.

Technical Abstract: Field trials were conducted to evaluate the potential of an "attract-and-kill" approach for control of codling moth by adding half-rates of microencapsulated (MEC) lambda-cyhalothrin or acetamiprid to a sex pheromone formulation in Turkey and the USA in 2006. Two apple orchards were divided into six 1 ha blocks treated with the following rates applied in a conventional spray volume (635 liters water ha -1) via standard fan sprayer in Turkey: half or full-rate of sprayable pheromone alone, half or full-rate of lambda-cyhalothrin alone, half rate of pheromone + half-rate of insecticide, and half rate of pheromone and a full-rate of insecticide. Small-plot studies with 8 replicates each using 0.15 ha plots in the USA used a full rate of pheromone only, a half rate of acetamiprid, and both together applied in low volume sprays (12 liters water ha -1) via an ATV-mounted sprayer. The efficacy of treatments was evaluated by monitoring adult catches in pheromone traps and fruit injury assessments. The pheromone and insecticide mixture reduced trap catches as well as fruit damage. Overall, the combination of sex pheromone and half-rate sprays of insecticides improved codling moth control by 50% compared with half and full-rate applications of sprayable pheromone alone.