Control of Occasional Insect Pests in Organic Blueberries Oscar E. Liburd Entomology and Nematology Department University of Florida
Blueberry insect pests Blueberry maggot Blueberry gall midge Blueberry bud mite Flower thrips cranberry fruitworm Flea beetle Finn 2003, Liburd & Arévalo 2005, Isaacs 2006
Blueberry maggot
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.
Blueberry gall midge, Dasineura oxycoccana (Johnson) Female Male
Floral Buds Infested with 3 rd Larval Instars PyGanic 2 quarts per acre Entrust 80 W applied at 0. 28 oz per acre Agroneem 1.5 lbs per acre Larvae are lodged between bud scales Necrotic lesions Buds become deformed and fail to develop
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 0. 28 oz per acre Silk webbing Deformed berries Confirm 2F, 16 fl per acre
Thrips Injury fruits Ovipositional Injury Travel along wind currents Multiple generations per year
Size of thrips populations in relation to flower phenology 250 Percentages of opened flowers 1 10 70 90 20 Average # of Thrips captured 200 150 100 50 0 x column 1 vs y column 1 Col 1 vs Col 2 PyGanic 2 quarts per acre Entrust 80 W applied at 0. 28 oz per acre Agroneem 1.5 lbs per acre 0 5 10 15 20 25 Days after blooming
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 0. 28 oz per acre Agroneem 1.5 lbs per acre
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
Blueberry flea beetle, Altica sylvia Malloch
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
Evaluation of selected insecticides for control of flea beetles in southern highbush blueberries methodology H.A. Arevalo- UF- 2006
Effect of selected insecticides on flea beetle population in southern highbush blueberries 5 beetles per replicate (20 per trt) H.A. Arevalo- UF- 2006
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 1.5 1 0.5 0 Control Agroneem D-Earth Entrust Pyganic Treatment F = 6.92; df = 4, 14; P = 0.0023
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 1.5 1 0.5 0 Control Agroneem D-Earth Entrust Pyganic Treatment F = 5.80; df = 4, 14; P = 0.005
Effect of organic products on flea beetle population in southern highbush blueberries 24 hours post treatment 2 a No. of flea beetles 1.5 1 0.5 b c c b 0 Control Agroneem D-Earth Entrust Pyganic Treatment F = 35.64; df = 4, 14; P < 0.0001
Effect of organic products on flea beetle population in southern highbush blueberries 48 hours post treatment No. of flea beetles 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 a b b b b Control Agroneem D-Earth Entrust Pyganic Treatment F = 49.97; df = 4, 14; P < 0.0001
Investigating treatment effects Beetles covered with D-earth H.A. Arevalo- UF- 2006 H.A. Arevalo- UF- 2006
Investigating treatment effects Mortality with Entrust 48 hrs post-treatment H.A. Arevalo- UF- 2006
Control vs. Entrust 48 h H.A. Arevalo- UF- 2006 H.A. Arevalo- UF- 2006
Control vs. D-Earth 48 h H.A. Arevalo- UF- 2006 H.A. Arevalo- UF- 2006
Control vs. Pyganic 48 h H.A. Arevalo- UF- 2006 H.A. Arevalo- UF- 2006
Control vs. Agroneem 48 h H.A. Arevalo- UF- 2006 H.A. Arevalo- UF- 2006
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
Acknowledgements