ARS | Publication request: Comparing mating disruption of codling moth with standard and meso dispensers loaded with pear ester and codlemone

Submitted to: Proceedings, IOBC
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: March 1, 2013
Publication Date: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Development of new techniques to improve and/or reduce the cost of using sex pheromones to manage codling moth remains an important objective in tree fruit pest management. Studies conducted by researchers at the USDA, ARS, Yakima Agricultural Research Laboratory, Wapato, WA in collaboration with researchers at Oregon State University have tested the effectiveness of dispensers loaded with either sex pheromone alone or in combination with pear ester for mating disruption of codling moth. Meso dispensers applied at one tenth the number of dispensers as most standard pheromone dispensers were shown to be effective. The addition of pear ester with the sex pheromone did not improve the Meso dispenser in this study. Use of Meso dispensers should significantly reduce the application cost for growers without affecting the level of pest control.

Technical Abstract: Studies were conducted with hand-applied combo dispensers loaded with the sex pheromone (E,E)-8,10-dodecadien-1-ol (codlemone), and the pear volatile, (E,Z)-2,4-decadienoate (pear ester) for control of codling moth, Cydia pomonella (L.) in apple, Malus domestica Bordkhausen during 2012. Two types of combo dispensers were tested and compared with dispensers loaded only with codlemone. The CM Combo dispenser was loaded with 75 and 55 mg of codlemone and pear ester, respectively; and dispensers were applied at 800 ha-1. CM Meso Combo dispensers were applied at 80 ha-1 and were loaded with 10X rates of each component in the same ratio. These two combo dispensers were compared with CM Meso dispensers loaded with 750 mg codlemone and applied at 80 ha-1. No significant differences were found among the three treatments in the mean levels of fruit injury, the mating status of trapped females, and total and female moth catches in traps baited with a codlemone and pear ester combo lure with an acetic acid co-lure in the second half of the field season. However, blocks treated with the CM Meso dispensers had significantly higher levels of unmated females and had significantly lower levels of fruit injury than the other two dispenser treatments during the first moth flight period. In addition, combo lures loaded with codlemone and either pear ester or (E)-4,8-dimethyl-1,3,7-nonatriene and used with acetic acid co-lures caught similar numbers of total and female moths in blocks treated with either combo dispenser.