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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Wapato, Washington » Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #121441

Title: AREA WIDE MANAGEMENT OF CODLING MOTH AND LEAFROLLERS WITH DUAL SEX PHEROMONE DISPENSERS: BREWSTER FLATS 1998-2000

Author
item Knight, Alan
item Christianson Jr, Brad
item COCKFIELD, STEVE - WSU
item JOHN, DUNLEY - WSU

Submitted to: Good Fruit Grower
Publication Type: Trade Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/2001
Publication Date: 6/10/2001
Citation: Knight, A.L., Christianson Jr, B.A., Cockfield, S., John, D. 2001. Area wide management of codling moth and leafrollers with dual sex pheromone dispensers: Brewster Flats 1998-2000. Good Fruit Grower. 52:31-33.

Interpretive Summary: The areawide use of dispensers releasing the sex pheromone of codling moth and leafrollers, two important pests feeding on apple fruit, was evaluated in a 400-acre project farmed by 12 growers. The study site was situated near Brewster, Washington and the results were compared with a 2,000-acre project where only the sex pheromone of codling moth was released from dispensers. Levels of codling moth fruit injury were low in both sites all three years. However, leafroller injury was 50% lower in orchards treated with the dual dispenser versus orchards treated with only the codling moth dispenser. Growers using the dual dispenser also reduced their use of insecticides for leafrollers compared with growers in the other project. These results demonstrate the success of using a dual dispenser to manage both pests and may speed grower adoption of this technology.

Technical Abstract: The use of a plastic, hand-applied dispenser loaded with the sex pheromones of both codling moth, Cydia pomonella,and the obliquebanded leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana was evaluated for three years in 400 contiguous acres of apple farmed by 12 growers near Brewster, Washington. Moth catches in pheromone- baited sticky traps, fruit injury at harvest, and the seasonal use of insecticides were compared between this site and another 2,000 acre site farmed by 33 growers and treated with dispensers only releasing the sex pheromone of codling moth. Levels of fruit injury from codling moth were similar in both sites and averaged <0.2% across all three years. Fruit injury by the obliquebanded leafroller was much higher than for codling moth, however, injury was >50% lower in the dual dispenser-treated versus the codling moth pheromone dispenser-treated site. Growers using the dual dispenser also had reductions in their use of insecticides targeted for leafrollers.