Location: Temperate Tree Fruit and Vegetable Research
Project Number: 2092-22430-003-062-T
Project Type: Trust Fund Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Jun 1, 2024
End Date: May 31, 2025
Objective:
(1) Evaluate effects of whirligig releases on codling moth fruit damage and the abundance of pear psylla and other pest populations in apples and pears, respectively. We will collect whirligigs from non-crop habitats to release on single trees within a codling moth-infested research orchard and a pear psylla-infested commercial orchard. (2) Verify that whirligigs eat target pests in orchards. Our prior work has only evaluated the diet of whirligigs collected near potato fields and examined lab predation of orchard pests. This objective will confirm that they consume pests in orchards after release. (3) Screen non-target effects of conventional and organic pesticides on whirligigs in laboratory assays. Results from these trials will provide growers with a list of pesticides that have minimal impact on establishment of whirligigs.
Approach:
(1) Whirligig mites will be collected from natural sources and released on single trees within orchards. Populations of the pests codling moth, mites, aphids, pear psylla, and thrips will be monitored throughout the season. Results of this objective will determine whether whirligig mite releases can reduce target pests and should be evaluated on a larger scale. (2) Whirligig mites will be released on trees to target the egg and neonate (newly hatched) stages of codling moth (apples) or first and second generation psylla nymphs (pears) and will be collected within one week of releases for gut content analysis. Results of this objective will be used to verify that whirligig mites are attacking the target pests. (3) Standard bioassays will be used to examine the effect of conventional and organic pesticides on whirligig mites. Results of these trials will provide growers with a list of pesticides that have minimal impact on establishment of whirligig mites.
