Mating disruption to control codling moth and torticid moths TF223 (Project lead, Rob Saville)

Transcription

1 Mating disruption to control codling moth and torticid moths TF223 (Project lead, Rob Saville) Michelle Fountain and NIAB EMR team Chris Nicolson/Harriet Roberts and ADAS team

2 Pest Damage

3 Chemical approach Background Codling moth most important pest of apple Most insecticide sprays Generally 2-3 sprays against 1 st gen with additional sprays for partial 2 nd Timing of sprays is critical target hatching larvae Aim for <0.3% fruits damaged (1) populations not reduced to level that spraying reduced in subsequent years (2) adverse effects on natural enemies (3) resistance development (e.g. southern and central Europe) (4) residues at harvest

4 Natural enemies

5 Codling Cydia Pomonella Summer Fruit Tortrix Adoxophyes orana Fruit Tree Tortrix Archips podana RAK 3+4 Sex pheromone mating disruption for codling and tortrix moths used in most other countries in Europe Use of alternative methods could decrease codling and tortrix moth populations over the long term - population suppression boost natural enemy populations in orchards reducing the need to control of other pests

6 Farms in West Midlands, South East Focus on Farm 1 SE (second year) Additional farm SE (third year) Farms divided, 6 ha RAK 3+4 treated Methods

7 Deploy & Assess Applied before first moth flights April 500 units / ha Top third tree Selective sprays for other pests e.g. Mainman, Runner, Gazelle Pheromone/plant volatile combi traps Assessments 2 years Natural enemy numbers Codling and tortrix moth and other pest damage

8 Trap catches

9 Trap catches 1 st gen flight CM >4 moths /trap (threshold) 9 June conventional side 2 nd gen flight CM >3 moths /trap (threshold) 14 July conventional side MD side of farm on average below threshold Reached threshold in two individual orchards = Coragen SFT numbers low, but caterpillars in leaf rolls in spring Parasitoids Capex

10 Trap catches FTT higher in 2016 (~ 50 at peak) than 2015 (<20 at peak) Above threshold late June and early July on conventional side of the farm Second (smaller) peak in early September Only 5 FTT moths in total on MD On all farms RAK3+4 effective at disrupting male moth pheromone detection However not complete trap shut down

11 2015 Tap sample harvest assessments 2016 Tap sample harvest assessments

12 Site 3, Yr 3 only Before AHDB project Year 3 of RAK 3+4 Pheromone placement Drift No CM or tortrix sprays applied upwind

13

14 % damage at harvest, Site 1 Codling sting+de Tortrix Blastobasis Braeburn Gala Gala Gala Braeburn Early Windsor Gala Bramley Cox Gala Braeburn

15 % damage at harvest, Site 1 Codling sting+de Tortrix Blastobasis Braeburn Gala Gala Gala Braeburn Early Windsor Gala Bramley Cox Gala Braeburn

16 % damage at harvest, Site 1 Codling sting+de Tortrix Blastobasis Braeburn Gala Gala Gala Braeburn Early Windsor Gala Bramley Cox Gala Braeburn

17 % damage at harvest, Site 1 Codling sting+de Tortrix Blastobasis Braeburn Gala Gala Gala Braeburn Early Windsor Gala Bramley Cox Gala Braeburn

18 Economic assessment - preliminary Cost/ha ( ) RAK3+4 Conventional Cost Person hours 2 1 (as part of fungicide round) Cost of labour Monitoring Minimum, 8.20/hour (inc. NI&AL) Coragen? (per spray) Runner? (per spray) > (chemicals only)

19 Conclusions 1/2 MD gave comparable control of CM as conventional spray programme CM, MD = %, Conv = % (excl. vulnerable varieties) More CM damage early ripening, Early Windsor and Bramley in both years Reduced numbers of moths locating pheromone trap, but not trap shutdown Close monitoring Additional sprays CM pressure over thresholds SFT in leaves in spring Capex Spradic pests detected e.g. Blastobasis

20 Conclusions 2/2 Few observable differences in natural enemies between the first and second year or third year of RAK3+4 Earwigs single generation each year - study not long enough? Higher incidence of WAA on the MD side of Site 1 particulary where lower numbers of earwigs Notable damage at Site 1 and 3 in 2016 on MD side from Blastobasis Would normally be controlled with insecticides targeted at CM and tortrix Application of RAK3+4 needs to be coupled with close monitoring for incidental pests and natural enemies

21 Growers who hosted the trials Thanks