02/03/06 Pheromones, Coddling Moth, results?

U.S.D.A.'s Agricultural Research Service funded a five year, three state, study on the effectiveness of pheromones and mating disruption on coddling moth populations in tree fruit orchards on an area wide basis. So what did the research reveal? Jay Brunner of Washington State University's Tree Fruit Research and Extension Center says one point is pheromones disrupts mating without injury to the pest, yet does reduce populations over time. However, Brunner notes that pheromones are most useful in low level populations. And it did reveal that such mating disruption was less effective in the small blocks and border areas, compared to the center of the projects. BRUNNER: There was a concurrent decline in the use of supplemental use of insecticides. Before the project started, there was about three insecticides per coddling moth per acre per year. And down to less than a half of insecticide application per year. But the decline in supplemental pesticide use also had a side effect, the increase of other pests such as leaf rollers. BRUNNER: Once growers became use to the idea that leaf rollers may have become a more important problem, they adapted their control programs to adapt with that. And despite the decline in supplement pesticides, Brunner says soft and selective pesticides used with pheromones as part of an integrated program increased effectiveness in coddling moth prevention, and reduced the amount of total pesticides used.