IMPROVED PECAN INSECT AND MITE PEST MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: HATCH
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0184521
• Multistate No.: S-293
• Project Start Date: Oct 1, 1999
• Project End Date: Sep 30, 2004
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
AUBURN UNIVERSITY
108 M. WHITE SMITH HALL
AUBURN,AL 36849

Performing Department
ENTOMOLOGY

Non Technical Summary
The nature of pecan production, dealing with a native perennial crop system, makes development of adequate IPM systems for individual pests difficult. The entire system and inter-relationships of all orchard arthropods must be addressed for any facet to be successful. To Improve systems of management for pecan insect and mite pests.

Animal Health Component

60%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

10%

Applied

60%

Developmental

30%

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
211	1219	1130	25%
214	1219	1130	10%
215	1219	1130	25%
216	1219	1130	40%

Knowledge Area
214 - Vertebrates, Mollusks, and Other Pests Affecting Plants; 211 - Insects, Mites, and Other Arthropods Affecting Plants; 215 - Biological Control of Pests Affecting Plants; 216 - Integrated Pest Management Systems;

Subject Of Investigation
1219 - Edible tree nuts, general/other;

Field Of Science
1130 - Entomology and acarology;

Keywords

pecans

carya illinoensis

cydia caryana

acrobasis nuxvorella

curculio caryae

euschistus servus

diversification

integrated pest management

insect flight

orchards

beneficial insects

insect predators

biological control (insects)

risk management

pesticide usage

pesticide resistance

insect surveys

profiles

crop yields

trap crops

insect damage

Goals / Objectives
1. Improve monitoring and chemical control techniques for hickory shuckworm, pecan nutcasebearer, pecan weevil, and brown stink bug. 2. Develop biointensive IPM through habitat diversification, host plant resistance, and biological control, and integrate these technologies into an overall pest management program. 3. Develop pesitcide resistance management strategies to conserve and optimize the efficacy of insecticides.

Project Methods
1. Monitor Hickory shuckworm moth flights and damage prior to shell hardening; Pecan nut casebearer monitoring and control; Measuring and correlating trap captures, damage, and emergence time for different cultivars; Pecan weevil monitoring and control; Region wide management; Monitoring and control of dernel feeding hemipterans including development and intergation of trap crop technology. 2. Integrate recently introduced predators for pecan aphid control; control secondary predators of beneficials; integrate reduced-risk, target-specific pesticides into IPM programs for control of primary fruit feeding pests, allowing natural suppression of foliar pests to develop and be maintained without disruption by broad-spectrum materials. 3. Develop and implement pesticide resistance strategies to conserve and optimize efficacy in conjunction with no. 2; Program evaluation surveys (cooperatively) and crop profile development.

Progress 10/01/99 to 09/30/04

Outputs
PI has retired.

Impacts
The low-impact pecan IPM program is well received by producers and in the second year of integration. This program has resulted in fewer applications for control of both fruit pests and foliar pests.

Publications

• No publications reported this period

Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02

Outputs
Orchard monitoring was continued at 14 locations to increase the database and population parameters. A completed developmental low-impact approach to pecan IPM was incorporated into the Statewide Pecan IPM Program. This approach relies on newer, "green" chemistries for management of direct pests and narural populations of beneficial arthropods for management of foliar pests. Insecticide trials utilizing new and candidate materials were conducted for the aphid complex, the hickory shuckworm, and the pecan nut casebearer. A study entered its second year of effort to identify preferred "trap crops" for use in a management program for kernel-feeding hemiptera. The study is ongoing.

Impacts
The low-impact pecan IPM program is well received by producers and in the first year of integration, and resulted in fewer applications for control of both fruit pests and foliar pests. Producers will begin to rely more on target specific materials and less on broad spectrum pesticides. Development of trap crops for kernel-feeding hemiptera will allow for directed controls to the trap cropping system and fewer to the tree canopy, resulting in less distruption of beneficial populations in the pecan agroecosystem.

Publications

• No Publications in 2002

Progress 01/01/01 to 12/31/01

Outputs
Orchard monitoring was continued at 14 locations to increase the database on pest incidence and population parameters. A developmental study on a low-impact approach to pecan IPM was completed. The new program, based on low-impact, "green" chemistries, was found to be superior to the standard IPM program which relied more on broad spectrum materials applied as needed for all pest situations except in those orchards with heavy pecan weevil pressure. Insecticide trials utilizing new and candidate materials were conducted for the aphid comples (1 trial), the hickory shuckworm (1 trial), the pecan nut casebearer (1 trial0, pecan phylloxera (1 trial), the pecan leaf scorch mite (1 trial), and for fire ant control in orchard situations (1 trial). A study was initiated to identify potential trap crops for use in a management program for kernel-feeding hemiptera and preliminary data will be used to refine this approach.

Impacts
The low-impact pecan IPM program has been announced to the state's producers and is being well received. It is expected that a large reduction in the use of broad-spectrum insecticides will result and producers will be able to rely more on natural enemies for control of foliar pests.

Publications

• McVay, J. R. 2001. Low-Impact Pecan Insect Management: Another Fork in the IPM HIghway. in, IPM Program in the Southern Region. B. Pass, ed.

Progress 01/01/00 to 12/31/00

Outputs
Orchard monitoring was conducted at 14 locations to increase the database on pest incidence and population parameters. Insecticide control trials utilizing new and candidate materials were conducted for the aphid and mite complex, the hickory shuckworm and pecan nut casebearer. A fourth year of data was completed on the development of a low impact IPM system for pecan insect pests. The new program, utilizing only green chemistries and target specific materials for pest management and relying on naturally occurring beneficial arthropod populations for suppression of foliar pests proved superior to the standard IPM system utilizing coventional pesticides in cost of program, management of pests (nut and foliar) and value of crop produced. Further development will continue on alternate management of the pecan weevil as the low impact program is now suited for orchards with little or no weevil infestations only.

Impacts
The low impact approach to pecan insect IPM is operational in Alabama orchards with little or no pecan weevil infestation (ca. 40% of acreage). Data and information has been shared with other states and the program is ideal for the Western areas of production where pecan weevil is not a problem. Producers will be able to better manage insect pests with less cost and in a more environmentally sound manner.

Publications

• McVay, J. R. 2000. A Biointensive approach to pecan insect management. Proc. Western Pecan Growers Assn., Las Cruces, NM