ARS | Publication request: Combining Pear Ester with Codlemone Improves Management of Codling Moth

Submitted to: IOBC/WPRS Bulletin (Abstract for Conference Proceedings)
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: February 15, 2009
Publication Date: December 22, 2011
Citation: Knight, A.L., Haworth, J., Lingren, B., Hebert, V. 2011. Combining Pear Ester with Codlemone Improves Management of Codling Moth. IOBC/WPRS Bulletin (Abstract for Conference Proceedings). IOBC/wprs Bulletin 72:145-149.

Interpretive Summary: Codling moth is the key pest of apples and pears and world-wide markets require that it is managed at very low population levels. Adoption of mating disruption as part of an integrated program for this pest has increased dramatically but further improvements are needed to reduce the disruptive effects of supplemental insecticide sprays that are often applied. ARS researchers at the USDA, ARS, Yakima Agricultural Research Laboratory, Wapato, WA developed a lure that combines sex pheromone and a pear volatile to more effectively monitor this pest and demonstrated the use of a microencapsulated formulation of pear ester that can be tank-mixed with insecticides to increase spray effectiveness. The pear ester spray improved the performance of insecticides in pheromone-treated orchards. These new methods provide safer but effective technology for growers to use to manage insect pests.

Technical Abstract: Several management approaches utilizing pear ester combined with codlemone have been developed in the first 10 years after the discovery of this ripe pear fruit volatile’s kairomonal activity for larvae and both sexes of codling moth. These include a lure that consistently outperforms other high load pheromone lures within pheromone-treated orchards, and the use of a microencapsulated formulation that can improve both mating disruption and the effectiveness of insecticide sprays. Field-aged combo lures caught significantly fewer moths than new lures after 2 weeks. The emission rate of pear ester was much higher than codlemone from lures. Emission rates declined sharply for two weeks and then levelled off. Adding a microencapsulated formulation of pear ester to five insecticide sprays significantly reduced levels of fruit injury, especially in combination with sex pheromone dispensers.