Skip to main content
ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Wapato, Washington » Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #162415
Title: MONITORING CODLING MOTH IN FOUR PEAR CULTIVARS WITH THE PEAR ESTER

Author
item Knight, Alan
item VAN BUSKIRK, P - OREGON STATE UNIV
item HILTON, R - OREGON STATE UNIV
item ZOLLER, B - THE PEAR DOCTOR
item Light, Douglas

Submitted to: Acta Horticulturae
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/10/2004
Publication Date: 4/30/2005
Citation: Knight, A.L., Van Buskirk, P., Hilton, R.J., Zoller, B.G., Light, D.M. 2005. Monitoring codling moth in four pear cultivars with the pear ester. Acta Horticulturae. 671:565-570.

Interpretive Summary: A compound characteristic of ripe pears (pear ester) can be used to monitor both sexes of codling moth. Pear ester lures have been very successful in walnut and apple, but it was not clear if it could be used in pear orchards. Competition between the lure and ripening fruit for codling moth could affect the number of moths caught in sticky traps. However, the pear ester was found to be an effective lure in several important cultivars of pear when used in orchards treated with sex pheromone. The pear ester did not perform well in pear orchards with codling moth fruit injury perhaps due to precocious ripening of the fruit.

Technical Abstract: The pear ester, ethyl (2E,4Z)-2,4-decadienoate can be an effective attractant for codling moth, Cydia pomonella, in pear orchards treated with sex pheromones. Differences in the attractiveness of the pear ester relative to a sex pheromone lure were found within pear cultivars. The pear ester outperformed high-load sex pheromone lures in 'Bartlett', 'D'Anjou', and 'Comice' but not in 'Bosc' orchards. The pear ester lure performed poorly in 'Bartlett' orchards with high levels of codling moth, > 20 moths per trap per season and occurrence of fruit injury. In general, the pear ester lure caught significantly more males than female moths. More than 70% of females captured in traps baited with the pear ester were mated.