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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Corvallis, Oregon » Horticultural Crops Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #105830

Title: UPDATE ON VINE WEEVIL RESEARCH AT THE USDA/ARS, HORTICULTURAL CROPS RESEARCH LABORATORY

Author
item Fisher, James
item UMBLE, JON - OSU GRADUATE STUDENT

Submitted to: Proceedings of the Oregon Horticultural Society
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/30/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: This is a proceedings paper detailing current research on Otiorhynchid weevils (vine and root weevils) at the USDA, ARS, Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory in Corvallis Oregon. It details the three approaches being taken at this time; mass rearing, artificial infestation of field plots and nursery pots, and prediction modeling of life events. Mass rearing investigations include the use of finishing larvae that have been collected in the field or from nursery pots, rearing insects in pots and using artificial media. Eggs of strawberry root weevil are being placed in strawberry plots in measured numbers per plant. The eggs are suspended in a agar solution and mixed as one would a particulate; i.e. a given number of eggs per milliliter of agar solution. From this procedure we are measuring the amount of eggs (larvae) needed to cause economic damage, if plants have a carrying capacity for a population of insects. Future work will be aimed at pest management with reduce to no chemical treatments. There are no methods of predicting life stages of these weevils so that there can be timely applications of conventional or 'green' pesticides. We have developed a model of adult emergence in strawberries for the strawberry root weevil. After two seasons of testing we have found it to have an error of no more than 7 days. Other models being developed are egg hatch and egg laying models that are run by daily high-low temperatures.

Technical Abstract: This is a proceedings paper detailing current research on Otiorhynchid weevils (vine and root weevils) at the USDA, ARS, Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory in Corvallis Oregon. It details the three approaches being taken at this time; mass rearing, artificial infestation of field plots and nursery pots, and prediction modeling of life events. Mass rearing investigations include the use of finishing larvae that have been collected in the field or from nursery pots, rearing insects in pots and using artificial media. Eggs of strawberry root weevil are being placed in strawberry plots in measured numbers per plant. The eggs are suspended in a agar solution and mixed as one would a particulate; i.e. a given number of eggs per milliliter of agar solution. From this procedure we are measuring the amount of eggs (larvae) needed to cause economic damage, if plants have a carrying capacity for a population of insects. Future work will be aimed at pest management with reduce to no chemical treatments. There are no methods of predicting life stages of these weevils so that there can be timely applications of conventional or 'green' pesticides. We have developed a model of adult emergence in strawberries for the strawberry root weevil. After two seasons of testing we have found it to have an error of no more than 7 days. Other models being developed are egg hatch and egg laying models that are run by daily high-low temperatures.