Publication 360, Fruit Production Recommendations: Using Mating Disruption in Fruit Crops

Publciation 360, Fruit Production Recommendations > Chapter 2, Pest Management > Using Mating Disruption in Fruit Crops

Excerpt from Publication 360, Fruit Production Recommendations 2010-11,
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Using Mating Disruption in Fruit Crops

Introduction

Insect pheromones commercially developed to reduce populations of certain pests are considered biopesticides by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency.

Many female insects emit volatile chemicals known as sex pheromones to attract males of the same species. Mating disruption products release large quantities of synthetically produced sex pheromone into the crop atmosphere, which confuses male insects and interferes with mate location. Mating is either delayed or prevented because the probability of males finding females is reduced. Consequently, fewer larvae develop and crop damage is reduced.

Managing insects using mating disruption is very different from using insecticides. Mating disruption products are highly specific, targeting a single or few very closely related insect pests. They do not kill the target pest, nor will they control immigration of mated females from untreated or poorly managed areas. Mating disruption products must be applied before adults begin to fly. Late applications allow some mating to occur, with subsequent damage to the affected crop. Where pest populations are moderate to high, some mating will occur due to random chance encounters between males and females. Mating disruption works most effectively where the target pest populations are low.

When applied to a block over multiple years, mating disruption products reduce overall population pressure so that insecticides may be reduced or, in some cases, eliminated.

The many advantages of using mating disruption include improved safety to humans and non-target organisms, resistance management, and no re-entry or pre-harvest intervals.

Limitations include a requirement for large regularly shaped blocks, low to moderate pest pressure, and the need for insecticides for other orchard or vineyard pests.

Wild or unsprayed hosts (i.e. wild grapes, abandoned orchards) within 300 m of areas where mating disruption is used can be major sources of mated female moths. Moths moving from these untreated areas into treated areas may significantly reduce the level of control achieved.

To overcome this problem:

Treat entire blocks with pheromones or practise area-wide management to reduce border effects.
Treat infestation sources with a registered insecticide or with appropriate mating disruption product (e.g. treat a strip at least 50 metres wide nearest the treated field).
Treat border rows of the pheromone-treated block with insecticide.

There are several mating disruption products available for use in orchards and vineyards. While general use strategies remain similar for each, some are more effective than others at keeping damage at or below economically acceptable thresholds. As with insecticides, mating disruption programs are not stand-alone strategies for all pests. Every orchard has different pest pressures, which affects the successful integration of mating disruption into IPM programs.

For more information, see OMAFRA Factsheet, Mating Disruption for Management of Insect Pests, Order No. 03-079.

Using mating disruption to control oriental fruit moth (Isomate-M Rosso and Isomate-M 100)

These products can be used to manage oriental fruit moth (OFM) in peaches and apples in Ontario when applied to large areas with low target pest populations.

If using mating disruption products for the first time or in areas of high pest pressure, use an insecticide to manage the first generation of OFM.
Monitor treated blocks with OFM pheromone traps to ensure moths are not being captured - a sign indicating some level of failure or weakness in the mating disruption program.
Routinely look for signs of damage from OFM.
If unacceptable levels of damage have occurred, use insecticides until the source of the failure has been determined and addressed.
For late-harvest varieties located near untreated areas or host crops, application of insecticides may be required.

For more information: OMAFRA Factsheet, Mating Disruption for Management of Oriental Fruit Moth in Stone and Pome Fruit, Order No. 04-029.

Using mating disruption to control codling moth and oriental fruit moth (Isomate-CFM/OFM TT)

Mating disruption alone will not provide adequate control of codling moth (CM) in most commercial orchards. When mating disruption is used together with existing IPM programs, pest populations and pesticide use can be reduced over a number of seasons. Depending on site pest pressure and monitoring, insecticides for one or both generations of codling moth are recommended to avoid unacceptable damage at harvest.

During the first year of using mating disruption for codling moth, follow a standard spray program for both generations and monitor extensively for this pest.
In the second year, and where populations are low, limit insecticides to the first generation.
In subsequent years, use results from monitoring and damage assessments to determine if insecticide applications can be reduced further.

Many of the new reduced-risk products and the biopesticide Virosoft (granulosis virus) work very effectively together with mating disruption to help reduce codling moth populations to levels where insecticide use may be reduced in subsequent years. Timing of insecticides must be based on a biofix determined at a point outside the treated orchard.

Monitoring for codling moth flight

Codling moth flight can be monitored using special "super lures" (10× lures, CM DA lures) loaded with high rates of pheromones that capture males even in disrupted blocks.
Traps should be placed in the upper portion of the canopy in disrupted blocks.
Check traps at least once every week, preferably twice.
Use a minimum of one trap per hectare, with traps located near high risk areas and borders (5-6 rows in).
Thresholds for the application of insecticides are based on the number of moths captured per trap per week in disrupted blocks. As a general guideline, 3-5 moths per trap per week indicates a need for caution. More than 5 moths per trap per week indicates the need for insecticides to supplement control from mating disruption.

Damage assessments

Conduct in-season visual assessments for fruit damage toward the end of each generation and whenever moths are caught in traps.
Fruit damage can occur even when no moths are caught in traps.
At the end of the first CM generation, examine a minimum of 500 fruit from throughout the orchard as well as in high risk and border areas.
If damage exceeds 0.5%, insecticides are required for the next generation. Where damage is localized, insecticides may be directed to those areas and along borders.
Continue to assess damage weekly (200 fruit) throughout the season, to ensure the pheromones are working and to allow for timely intervention with insecticides, if required.

Apply Isomate-CFM/OFM TT prior to codling moth emergence in the spring. Set dispensers in the upper third of the canopy, in a uniform a grid. In older orchards interplanted with small numbers of replacement trees, bias the application to adjacent larger trees. In sections with large numbers of interplanted rows, insecticides may be required to supplement control from mating disruption.

The dispenser is designed to provide activity for the entire season for CM. Codling moth drives application timing of Isomate-CFM/OFM TT. While some OFM may have emerged prior to deployment of the dispensers, several petal fall insecticides for other insects have activity against OFM. Dispensers release sufficient pheromone to control OFM for up 90 days. Insecticides may be needed in late varieties when high OFM populations exist or when immigration from untreated blocks late in the season may occur. See Using mating disruption to control oriental fruit moth (Isomate-M Rosso and Isomate-M 100), for additional information on monitoring for OFM in disrupted blocks.

Using mating disruption to control grape berry moth (Isomate-GBM Plus)

Mating disruption works best in vineyards with low grape berry moth (GBM) populations. Avoid using mating disruption next to vineyards with known high populations of grape berry moth. Vineyards should be at least 2 ha in size.

To use Isomate-GBM Plus, place the recommended rate of pheromone dispensers uniformly through the vineyard prior to, or at the onset of, first flight of moths in spring. Delayed application results in increased mating and reduced control.

Attach dispensers securely to the upper training wire close to the vines.
Wear gloves when you apply pheromone dispensers to avoid cross-contamination with other pheromone products.

Conduct damage assessments throughout the season to ensure that GBM are adequately controlled. Monitor for other sporadic pests such as leafhoppers, mites and spring feeding caterpillars to determine if insecticides are needed.

Monitoring for grape berry moth

Use five pheromone traps for vineyards up to 5 ha in size.
Place traps along a line that transects the vineyard or at the four corners of the vineyard. Place at least one extra trap along the windward edge of the vineyard. Where vineyards are located adjacent to wooded areas, place traps within the border area at least 40 m apart.
Bait the traps with commercial lures. Replace lures every 6 weeks or as directed by manufacturer.
Inspect traps twice weekly on the same days each week and record the number of moths.
Captures of moths in pheromone traps should be very low to zero in vineyards using MD.

Damage assessments

Closely inspect fruit weekly in the outer five panels and rows for infestation, especially on the windward side.
If more than 5% of the grape clusters in this outer area are infested with grape berry moth larvae, continue sampling another five rows and panels in.
If more than 5% of the grape clusters in the outer five rows but less than 5% of grape clusters in the inner five rows are infested, then apply an insecticide to the border of the vineyard. If more than 5% of grape clusters in the inner five rows are infested, apply an insecticide to the entire block.

Mating disruption technology prevents mating of grape berry moth adults. However, if mated female moths are present in unsprayed vineyards or wild grapevines within 100 m, they can migrate into the pheromone-treated vineyard and reduce the level of control achieved.

To prevent migration of mated females into pheromone-treated blocks, do one of the following:

Treat the entire vineyard, not just sections, with pheromones.
Treat sources of infestation with pheromone dispensers before moth flight(s).
Treat sources of infestation with an insecticide for grape berry moth.
Treat edges of the vineyard with insecticides for grape berry moth.

See OMAFRA Factsheet, Mating Disruption for Management of Insect Pests, Order No. 03-079, for more information.

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