Control of Occasional Insect Pests in Organic Blueberries. Oscar E. Liburd. Entomology and Nematology Department University of Florida

Transcription

1 Control of Occasional Insect Pests in Organic Blueberries Oscar E. Liburd Entomology and Nematology Department University of Florida

2 Blueberry insect pests Blueberry maggot Blueberry gall midge Blueberry bud mite Flower thrips cranberry fruitworm Flea beetle Finn 2003, Liburd & Arévalo 2005, Isaacs 2006

3 Blueberry maggot

4 Organic Insecticides PyGanic --- Botanical pesticide derived from chrysanthemums. It contains 1.4% pyrethrin and is OMRI Listed. Use 2 quarts per acre for blueberry maggot control. REI is about 12 hours Entrust 80 W ---- is a natural product derived from the fermentation of a bacterium Saccharpolyspora spinosa. Use 0.28 oz per acre. REI is approximately 12 h post application. There is a 3 days PHI on the product.

5 Blueberry gall midge, Dasineura oxycoccana (Johnson) Female Male

6 Floral Buds Infested with 3 rd Larval Instars PyGanic 2 quarts per acre Entrust 80 W applied at oz per acre Agroneem 1.5 lbs per acre Larvae are lodged between bud scales Necrotic lesions Buds become deformed and fail to develop

7 Cranberry Fruitworm, Acrobasis vaccinii Riley Larvae are light green with a dark head capsule Mature larvae are about ½ inch in length Control Bacillus thuringiensis ("Bt") Entrust 80 W applied at oz per acre Silk webbing Deformed berries Confirm 2F, 16 fl per acre

8 Thrips Injury fruits Ovipositional Injury Travel along wind currents Multiple generations per year

9 Size of thrips populations in relation to flower phenology 250 Percentages of opened flowers Average # of Thrips captured x column 1 vs y column 1 Col 1 vs Col 2 PyGanic 2 quarts per acre Entrust 80 W applied at oz per acre Agroneem 1.5 lbs per acre Days after blooming

10 Leaf-footed bugs, Leptoglossus spp. Usually brown in color with their hind legs resembling a leaf PyGanic 2 quarts per acre Entrust 80 W applied at oz per acre Agroneem 1.5 lbs per acre

11 Blueberry bud mite, Acalitus vaccinii (Keifer) The mite is whitish, elongate and very small (1/125 of an inch long) Feeds under the bud scales on the developing leaf and floral buds Control Summer oils, pruning old canes

12 Blueberry flea beetle, Altica sylvia Malloch

13 Evaluation of organic products for control of flea beetles in blueberries All products are labeled by OMRI for use on organic farms Products were applied at rates recommended by their manufacturers Agroneem, D-earth Entrust Pyganic H.A. Arevalo- UF- 2006

14 Evaluation of selected insecticides for control of flea beetles in southern highbush blueberries methodology H.A. Arevalo- UF- 2006

15 Effect of selected insecticides on flea beetle population in southern highbush blueberries 5 beetles per replicate (20 per trt) H.A. Arevalo- UF- 2006

16 Effect of organic products on flea beetle population in southern highbush blueberries 6 hours post treatment 2 a a a a b Level of activity Control Agroneem D-Earth Entrust Pyganic Treatment F = 6.92; df = 4, 14; P =

17 Effect of organic products on flea beetle population in southern highbush blueberries 12 hours post treatment 2 a b a a b Level of activity Control Agroneem D-Earth Entrust Pyganic Treatment F = 5.80; df = 4, 14; P = 0.005

18 Effect of organic products on flea beetle population in southern highbush blueberries 24 hours post treatment 2 a No. of flea beetles b c c b 0 Control Agroneem D-Earth Entrust Pyganic Treatment F = 35.64; df = 4, 14; P <

19 Effect of organic products on flea beetle population in southern highbush blueberries 48 hours post treatment No. of flea beetles a b b b b Control Agroneem D-Earth Entrust Pyganic Treatment F = 49.97; df = 4, 14; P <

20 Investigating treatment effects Beetles covered with D-earth H.A. Arevalo- UF H.A. Arevalo- UF- 2006

21 Investigating treatment effects Mortality with Entrust 48 hrs post-treatment H.A. Arevalo- UF- 2006

22 Control vs. Entrust 48 h H.A. Arevalo- UF H.A. Arevalo- UF- 2006

23 Control vs. D-Earth 48 h H.A. Arevalo- UF H.A. Arevalo- UF- 2006

24 Control vs. Pyganic 48 h H.A. Arevalo- UF H.A. Arevalo- UF- 2006

25 Control vs. Agroneem 48 h H.A. Arevalo- UF H.A. Arevalo- UF- 2006

26 Conclusion All of the organic pesticides evaluated reduced flea beetle population after 48 hrs Pyganic was the first organic insecticide to reduce flea beetle population (6 hrs post trt) Entrust had a lag time of 24 hrs before reducing flea beetle population. D-earth significantly reduced the mobility of flea beetles

27 Acknowledgements