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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Parlier, California » San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center » Commodity Protection and Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #303934

Title: Olive fruit fly adult response to attract-and-kill bait stations in greenhouse cages with weathered bait spray and a commercial table olive orchard

Author
item Yokoyama, Victoria

Submitted to: Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/5/2014
Publication Date: 7/31/2014
Citation: Yokoyama, V.Y. 2014. Olive fruit fly adult response to attract-and-kill bait stations in greenhouse cages with weathered bait spray and a commercial table olive orchard. Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology. 17:717-721.

Interpretive Summary: California is the sole producer of canned olives in the U.S. and olive fly is an insect pest with potential to devastate olives grown for canning and olive oil---the newest and fastest growing agricultural product in the state. A novel trap was designed to attract and kill olive fly adults with an environment-friendly insecticidal bait. In lab and field tests, the trap was more effective in controlling the pest than application of the insecticide to olive foliage, and caused a reduction in pest numbers in a commercial orchard from spring to mid-summer. Implementation of the unique control device will help olive growers reduce the amount of insecticides applied in the orchard environment and cut costs for olive fly pest management programs.

Technical Abstract: An attract-and-kill trap for olive fruit fly, Bactrocera oleae (Rossi) adults, and olive foliage sprayed with insecticidal bait spray were evaluated for efficacy after 1-4 weeks in outdoor weather. Adults caged for 1-3 days with weathered material on foliage and traps in the greenhouse resulted in highest mortality with fresh bait spray and an increase in mortality with an increase in insect exposure time. Mortality decreased as bait spray weather exposure increased. Mortality was higher on treated traps than on olive foliage, and treated foliage showed little toxicity after 4 weeks in weather. The efficacy of the trap determined by captures of adults on yellow panel traps was evaluated in a commercial olive orchard. Day temperatures were slightly higher on the underside of the trap than top from 2 May to 10 July, similar on the top and underside 11 July to 7 August, and slightly lower on the underside from 8 August to 4 September. Fruit length increased from 0.4 on 16 May to 3 cm on 24 September and on 30 May attained 1 cm, the minimum size to produce one adult. No larvae or adults emerged from collected fruit. More adults were captured in an untreated row than a row with traps until 22 August and significantly so for the period ending on 11 July. Maximum adult captures occurred during 2 weeks prior to 19 September. Use of the attract-and-kill trap would help reduce insecticidal bait applications and costs for production of table olives.