Location: Commodity Protection and Quality Research
Project Number: 2034-43000-042-024-A
Project Type: Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Mar 1, 2019
End Date: Dec 31, 2020
Objective:
Evaluate and ameliorate the effects of storage, handling and transportation on moth quality; determine moth distribution and competitive ability following aerial release into orchards; quantif effective overflooding ratios; and develop mark-recapture methods and improve trapping of irradiated moths following release.
Approach:
Use laboratory experiments to examine marking techniques, and conduct an extensive series of mark-release-recapture experiments in isolated small orchards (2-5 acres) in order to establish the importance of strain, radiation, and handling techniques on ability to recapture navel orangeworm (as proxy for sexual competitiveness)