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Submitted to: Annual Cumberland Shenandoah Fruit Workers Conference
Publication Type: Proceedings Publication Acceptance Date: 1/30/2002 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: The plum curculio (PC), Conotrachelus nenuphar is a major pest of both apples and peaches in the mid-Atlantic region. Currently, organophosphate insecticides (OP) azinphosmethyl and phosmet, and to a lesser degree the synthetic pyrethroids (SP) permethrin and esfenvalerate, are the only labeled materials that provide an acceptable level of PC control, although several new materials, notably thiamethoxam and indoxacarb (on apples) and kaolin clay (on apples and peaches) have recently been labeled for use against PC. In the mid-Atlantic, PC is generally managed by OP or SP sprays directed at the lepidopteran pest complex on apple or the lepidopteran/hemipteran complex on peach. However, limited-spectrum strategies and chemistries have begun to supplant seamless applications of OPs and SPs for control of key insect pests in both crops. As reliance on OPs and SPs is alleviated, it is likely that secondary pests (such as PC in nthe mid-Atlantic) will emerge as an increasing annual threat. In order to effectively manage PC in a narrow-spectrum, reduced-spray environment, it is imperative that treatments for PC be triggered by detection of increases in PC abundance or activity. Aside from inspecting fruit for evidence of fresh egglaying scars, which is particularly difficult on peaches, there exists no effective means for monitoring levels of PC activity in orchards. In this study, the intent was to advance development of an effective trap- based monitoring system for mid-Atlantic PCs through assessment of trapping protocols used to date in other regions and identification of potential shortcomings of current trapping strategies. |