ARS | Publication request: Adding microencapsulated pear ester to insecticides for control of Cydia pomonella (Lepidoptera:Tortricidae) in apple

Submitted to: Pest Management Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: May 5, 2012
Publication Date: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Codling moth is the major insect pest attacking apple in the United States and is an important quarantine pest. ARS researchers at the USDA, ARS, Yakima Agricultural Research Laboratory, Wapato, WA and Albany, CA in collaboration with Trécé Inc, Adair, OK tested a microencapsulated formulation of pear ester which can be added to insecticides to improve insect control. The addition of pear ester significantly improved the effectiveness of some insecticides and was most effective when used in combination with sex pheromones for mating disruption. Results suggest that growers could apply pear ester throughout the season to improve their control of codling moth.

Technical Abstract: We evaluated whether the efficacy of various insecticides for codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.), could be improved with the addition of a microencapsulated formulation of pear ester, ethyl (2E, 4Z)-2,4-decadienoate (PE-MEC, 5% AI), in field trials from 2005 to 2009. The addition of PE-MEC (< 3.0 g AI ha-1) significantly lowered fruit injury with reduced rates of organophosphate and neonicotinoids insecticides. The addition of PE-MEC (1.48 g AI ha-1) to full rates of insecticides with moderate activity for codling moth, such as ebamectin benzoate, spinosad, and methoxyfenozide significantly improved their effectiveness. However, PE-MEC did not consistently improve full rates of either rynaxypyr or spinetoram. The addition of PE-MEC with insecticide sprays in combination with the use of sex pheromones for mating disruption provided the most effective control.