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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Wapato, Washington » Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #291030

Title: New traps and lures for tree fruit pests

Author
item Knight, Alan

Submitted to: Good Fruit Grower
Publication Type: Popular Publication
Publication Acceptance Date: 1/4/2013
Publication Date: 2/28/2013
Citation: Knight, A.L. 2013. New traps and lures for tree fruit pests. Good Fruit Grower. 64(3):56-57.

Interpretive Summary: Effective, low-cost monitoring of pests is an important component of developing integrated programs using action thresholds and semiochemicals which can minimize risk. Researchers at the USDA, ARS, Yakima Agricultural Research Laboratory, Wapato, WA have developed and tested new trap and lures to monitor some of the key pests attacking tree fruits. Improved lures and traps that allow female moths to be monitored during the season have been developed. In addition, the factors affecting catch of adult spotted wing drosophila have been determined. These new tools allow growers to better assess pest densities, estimate risk of infestation, and select control tactics in order to minimize the use of insecticides that can disrupt biological control of secondary pest problems, and environmental externalities.

Technical Abstract: Studies conducted at the USDA, ARS Laboratory in Wapato, WA to develop new monitoring tools for key pests of tree fruits in the western United States are reviewed. Traps baited with pear ester, and acetic acid caught low numbers of tortricid leafrollers and these counts were well correlated with local infestations of this pest. Ajar bait traps were developed to catch both sexes of oriental fruit moth. The use of the bait plus host plant volatiles and sex pheromone was shown to be effective for codling moth, oriental fruit moth, and leafrollers. Factors affecting the catch of spotted wing drosophila in vinegar traps were studied and a new red and black trap was developed.