Location: Commodity Protection and Quality Research
Project Number: 2034-43000-043-010-T
Project Type: Trust Fund Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Oct 1, 2019
End Date: Sep 30, 2024
Objective:
This proposal focuses on one component of control strategy, application improvement combined with refined spray timing, and is a multiyear project (estimate is 2-3 years) with recurring costs. This proposal uses data from previous research in pistachios and almonds to establish a foundation to improve insecticide efficacy by improving application coverage. This proposal has four objectives 1. Decrease the amount of time needed to treat an orchard, either by reducing water or effectivley applying insecticide by air, or both.
2. Improve insecticide coverage in the upper canopy through the use of adjuvants.
3. Establish a standard for application efficacy based on my field application research, and then conduct a three county survey to determine the percentage of orchards that meet the standard.
4. Use this information from the research above to assess insecticide efficacy and optimize rotation strategies.
Approach:
1. Determine if it is possible to reduce the amount of water used in airblast spray application using organosilicone adjuvants.
2. Determine if organosilicone adjuvants used at 100 gpa consistently improve insecticide coverage in the upper canopy (14+ feet) for ground sprays.
3. Quantify the difference between at least three categories of adjuvant with regard to improved coverage in the upper canopy and duration of control for ground sprays, using contact toxicity bioassays and chemical residue analysis.
4. Quantify the relationship between the amount of insecticide used and coverage of pistachios, using bioassay and chemical analysis of residue, for ground and air application.
5. Contrast the efficacy of airblast and electrostatic ground applications using both contact toxicity bioassay and residue analysis.
6. Survey selected operations in three counties using the contact toxicity bioassay to determine the percentage of successful applications made.
7. Develop objective criteria, using contact toxicity bioassay, to establish the standard for a successful insecticide application by ground and air.
