Progress 09/15/01 to 09/14/06
Outputs
This 4-year project investigated the feasibility of eliminating organophosphate (OP) and carbamate insecticides from apple and peach IPM programs in eastern USA orchards. The use of these at-risk insecticides was reduced dramatically in these cropping systems while fruit quality remained high. The big drawback was the cost of our Reduced-Risk (RR) IPM programs. In apples there was a statistically significant higher cost for the RR (+$64.52/acre) and RR with pheromone ties (+$176.46/acre) treatments. This in turn had a statistically significant negative impact on net income of insect management costs for both RR (-$109.56/A) and RR with pheromone ties (-$195.35/acre) treatments. In peaches there was a statistically significant higher cost for the RR (+$93.76/acre) and RR with pheromone ties (+$123.46/acre) treatments. However, in some cases, RR programs cost less and the further study of the results from these systems should result in more economical ways of producing
fruit with reduced risk insect management tactics. Apples grown using sprayable pheromones appear to be better positioned to overcome the difference in income with standard spray treatments than either apples or peaches treated with both RR sprays and pheromone ties. In general, most primary and secondary pests were controlled with RR and OP-replacement products. Good control of internal worms, leafrollers, plum curculio, scarab beetles, and borers that attack peaches was observed. Stink bugs were one of the few pests that we had difficulty controlling. Some states reported that populations of phytophagous mites in apples has stabilized in RR orchards through the conservation of natural enemies. Our assumption that biological control agents would build up and provide natural control of key secondary pests was not met. Intensive scouting and monitoring was the key to the success of these new RR programs. As the investigators and growers gained confidence in these programs, certain
sprays could be eliminated from seasonal RR programs. When feasible, treating apple orchard borders versus whole blocks controlled plum curculio and apple maggot while reducing insecticide use and program costs. The costs associated with more intensive monitoring were not factored into the overall RR management costs. The US EPA granted an Experimental Use Permit in 2003 allowing indoxacarb to be applied to peaches in this study. This allowed us to manage plum curculio thus essentially eliminating OP insecticides from peach RR programs. Our results have demonstrated an approximate 80-95% reduction in the amount of pesticide active ingredients used per acre in RR programs when compared with the amounts used in conventional comparison blocks. An Environmental Injury Quotient rating demonstrated a 4-7 fold and 4-18 fold increase in environmental safety to apple and peaches, respectively, in RR programs.
Impacts
Adoption of these RR programs would allow apple and peach growers to continue to produce high quality fruit while enhancing environmental health and worker safety. These benefits would result from the reduction in the amounts of OP and carbamate insecticides and miticides used per acre. In fact, growers are already incorporating some of these new RR and OP-replacement products in their conventionally managed IPM programs either because of their efficacy or their use as replacements for products that are heavily regulated or no longer available. However, we do not anticipate near-term rapid or total adoption of these RR programs because of the costs of these RR programs are often considerably more expensive than the conventional IPM programs they are supposed to replace. It is likely that the cost of reduced-risk pesticides and management practices will decline in apples and peaches in the future, but the reliance on pheromone ties (and their higher labor requirements)
will be an economic obstacle to widespread adoption in eastern USA orchards.
Publications
- Agnello, A., Nyrop, J., Reissig, H., and Straub, R. 2004. Apple arthropod management using reduced-risk pesticide programs. New York Fruit Quarterly 12 (3): 15-17.
- Agnello, A., Nyrop, J., Reissig, H., and Straub, R. 2003. Multi-species pheromone disruption in orchards under a selective pesticide program. New York Fruit Quarterly 11 (1): 17-19.
- Atanassov, A., P. W. Shearer, and A. Rucker. 2005. Results of a 4-year risk avoidance and mitigation program (RAMP) project on peaches in New Jersey. 81st Annual Cumberland-Shenandoah Fruit Workers Conference, November 17-18, 2005. Winchester, Virginia. pp 77-85.
- Hull, L.A., D. J. Biddinger, G. Krawczyk. 2005. Growing apple and peaches in Pennsylvania with reduced-risk insect products. Great Lakes Expo., Dec. 2005, Grand Rapids, MI. http://glexpo.com/abstracts/2005abstracts/appleII.pdf.
- Shearer, P.W. 2005. Changing insect management on peaches. Hort. News. NJ Hort. Soc. 85 (3): 5-8.
- Shearer, P. W. and A. Atanassov. 2005. Reduced Risk Peach Arthropod Management Programs in New Jersey. Great Lakes Expo., Dec. 2005, Grand Rapids, MI. http://glexpo.com/abstracts/2005abstracts/appleII.pdf.
- Shearer, P. W. and A. Atanassov. 2003. Eastern RAMP: Successes and impediments to implementing non-OP peach IPM programs in the east: Year 1. Abstracts of 77th Annual Western Orchard Pest and Disease Management Conference. Portland, OR. Jan. 15-17. 2003.
- Villanueva, R. T. and J. F. Walgenbach. 2005. Development, oviposition and mortality of Neoseiulus fallacis (Phytoseiidae) in response to reduced-risk insecticides. J. Econ. Entomol. 98: 2114-2120.
- Villanueva, R.T., and J.F. Walgenbach. 2006. Acaricidal properties of spinosad against Tetranchyus urticae and Panonychus ulmi. J. Econ. Entomol. 99:843-849.
- Agnello, A., Reissig, H., Nyrop, J., and Straub, R. 2006. Pest management efficacy and economics in the New York Risk Avoidance and Mitigation Program. NY Fruit Quarterly 14: 17-20.
- Agnello, A. 2006. Internal lep management efficacy and economics in the New York Risk Avoidance and Mitigation Program (RAMP). Proc. 2006 Empire State Fruit & Vegetable Expo. pp. 24-26.
- Atanassov, A., P. W. Shearer, and A. Rucker 2004. Management of key arthropod pests in NJ peach orchards with mating disruption and reduced-risk insecticides, Proc. 80th Annual Cumberland-Shenandoah Fruit Workers Conference, December 2&3, 2004, Winchester, Virginia. pp. 46-53.
- Atanassov, A. and P. Shearer. 2003. Reduced Risk Management Program for Key Pests in New Jersey Peach Orchards. Proc. 79th Annual Cumberland-Shenandoah Fruit Workers Conference, November 20&21, 2003, Winchester, Virginia.
- Atanassov, A. and P. W. Shearer. 2002. Reduced Risk Management Program for Key Pests in New Jersey Peach Orchards, Proc. 78th Annual Cumberland-Shenandoah Fruit Workers Conference, December 5&6, 2002, Winchester, Virginia. pp. 50-65.
- Biddinger, D. J., L. A. Hull, G. Krawczyk. 2006. Conservation and augmentation of the predatory mite, T. pyri, in Pennsylvania apple orchards. Proceedings of the 80th.Western Orchard Pests and Diseases Conference, January 11-13, 2006, Portland, OR.
- Biddinger, D., G. Krawczyk, and L. Hull. 2006. Conservation and augmentation of the predatory mite, Typhlodromus pyri, in Pennsylvania apple orchards. Proceedings of the 81st Cumberland-Shenandoah Fruit Workers Conference, Nov. 17-18, 2005, Winchester, VA.
- Biddinger, D. J., L. A. Hull, and G. Krawczyk. 2004. Biological mite control of spider mites in Pennsylvania apple orchards and controlling periodical cicadas with reduced-risk insecticides. Proceedings of the 80th Cumberland-Shenandoah Fruit Workers Conference, Dec. 2-3, 2004, Winchester, VA. p. 54-65.
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Progress 01/01/05 to 12/31/05
Outputs
Michigan: Reduced risk apple programs resulted in fewer oriental fruit moth, codling moth and leafroller injuries, some orchards experienced greater plum curculio injury. The reduced risk programs had more San Jose scale, phytophagous and beneficial mites, and more aphid and leafminer natural enemies. The reduced risk program cost 1.5 times more than the standard program. In peaches, the reduced risk programs had fewer borers, more aphids and more aphid natural enemies, more San Jose scale and obliquebanded leafroller. Overall, the reduced risk program had more fruit injury. Reduced risk programs cost 4 times more compared with the standard program. North Carolina apple RAMP showed high levels of control of foliar pests in RAMP and conventional blocks; higher numbers of natural enemies of insect and mite pests were observed in the RAMP blocks. A slightly higher percentage of clean fruit was observed in RR (96.4%) versus the standard (95.9%) blocks. The cost per acre
for insect control in RR and standard orchards averaged $266.84 and $189.69. In peach, the biggest problem in RAMP orchards in Pennsylvania was a buildup of stinkbugs and Japanese beetles which was mostly alleviated by pyrethroids, Actara and/or Avaunt. Percent clean fruit in the RAMP orchards was slightly lower (0.2%). The cost of insecticides in the PA apple RAMP programs was higher than the conventional insecticide programs. Fruit quality in the RAMP orchards was about 1.5% higher than the conventional program. In New York apples, fruit insect damage at harvest again showed no significant differences between the RR blocks (94.4% clean) and the grower standards (93.8% clean). Insecticide costs and use patterns in the RR plots were considerably lower than in previous years because of our recommendations to implement some of the following tactics: omitting pheromones in most sites, border sprays for some plum curculio and apple maggot treatments, omitting pink bud sprays where no
threat of rosy apple aphid, spotted tentiform leafminer, or tarnished plant bug exists, omitting petal fall leafroller materials in low-pressure blocks. Costs averaged $161 per acre in the RR blocks without pheromones ($321 per acre with pheromone disruption), compared with $147 per acre in the standards. In West Virginia, average injury to apple fruit was about 3% higher in RAMP than in conventional management, with 86 and 89% clean fruit, respectively. USDA Extra fancy/fancy fruit averaged 90% in both programs. Overall incidence of foliage pests, predators and leafminer parasitism was low in both programs. Insect injury in peach was very similar in both RAMP and conventional management (averaging 97% clean fruit). RAMP programs were more expensive than conventional programs ($225 vs. $140 per acre). In New Jersey, studies were conducted in 7 peach orchards. Reduced risk tactics provided control of major arthropod pests that was equivalent to growers conventional spray programs.
Early season control of PC with indoxacarb and thiamethoham was satisfactory. Fruit quality was good in both RAMP and conventional. Average arthropod management costs were: RAMP $226, conventional $102.
Impacts
The forth year of the study demonstrated the potential feasibility of growig apples and peaches in the eastern US without organophosphate insecticides. However, alternative reduced risk tactics are expensive, do not assure the buildup of natural enemies in orchards, and, in some cases, allow some secondary pests to build up to damaging levels quickly.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs
A summary from 7 participating states follows: MI apple: Control of major internal fruit pests in reduced risk (RR) programs was comparable to standard programs with harvest injury at 3 and 2.7 percent respectively. Mite populations were 2x greater in RR than standard apple orchards. RR insecticide programs cost 2x as much as standard programs. MI peach 2004: 1.8 to 3.9 lbs a.i. more insecticides were applied in the Standard peach program vs. RR program. More catfacing injury observed in Reduced Risk (3.9%) than in Standard program (0.7%). PA: The residual activity of many of the RR and some of the conventional insecticides was shortened because of an unusually wet summer. While no RR apple orchards had loads rejected at harvest, injury levels were higher than in previous years. Reduced-risk programs continue to give equivalent or better fruit protection than conventional insecticide programs but at a significantly higher cost/acre. NJ peach: RR programs provided
control of all pests except San Jose scale. Overall fruit quality in the RR sites was as good as the conventional blocks. OPs and carbamates were mostly excluded from the RR program orchards. The major drawback of the RR program is the 1.4 to 2.7 times higher arthropod management costs. NC apple: there were fewer mite and insect problems in both RR and conventionally managed orchards compared with previous years. Generalist predators and predacious mite populations were considerable higher in reduced-risk orchards. There was a higher percentage of fruit free of insect damage observed on the RR (94.4%) vs. conventional (92.3%) orchards at harvest. The cost per acre for insect control in RR and standard orchards averaged $237.40 and $188.06, respectively. NY Apple: Studies continued in the 17 commercial orchards. In all cases, the pheromone ties suppressed trap catches of CM and OFM but also LAW, at levels at or near zero. There was an indication that the 2003 pheromone treatment
continued to effect continued trap shutdown into the spring of 2004. Fruit damage at harvest caused by internal Lepidoptera was uniformly low across all treatments. VA apple: The RR programs provided better control of internal worms in Yorks from both Grower locations. Leafrollers were problematic in Yorks from all orchards but worst in STD blocks. Late season damage from stink bugs was high in RR blocks. The RR programs at the Grower 1 and 2 locations cost 67.4% and 64.6% more, respectively, than the corresponding STD programs. WV apple and peach: Average injury to apple fruit was about 4% higher in RR than in conventional management. Average injury in the RAMP program was higher for codling moth, oriental fruit moth, leafrollers, plum curculio, San Jose scale and stink bugs, but lower for tarnished plant bug, European apple sawfly and green fruitworms. Clean fruit averaged 88 and 92% for RR and conventional management programs. Insect injury in peach was very similar in both RR and
conventional orchards, with an average of 97 and 98% clean fruit, respectively. RR programs averaged $40/acre more than conventional programs.
Impacts
Our reduced-risk RAMP IPM programs have virtually eliminated OP and carbamate insecticide use in apple and peach study sites in 7 eastern states. The final year (2005) will provide additional information on sustained success of these programs. However, costs of these programs are excessively high ranging up to twice as high as conventional apple programs and 2.5 times more for peaches. These high costs could negatively impact adoption. An additional concern is that insecticide resistance will probably occur in RR orchards because of the limited number of allowable products that can be rotated into a resistance management program.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
Year two of the project revealed that reduced-risk (RR) RAMP IPM programs have adequately managed most apple and peach pests with dramatic reductions in conventional pesticide use. However, cost of RR programs are 1.5-2.5 times higher than conventional programs meaning adoption is unlikely unless costs can be reduced. The following are brief summaries from cooperating states. MI: RR apple maggot management practices protected fruit as well as the conventional management materials. Feeding damage from Japanese beetle was higher in the RR peach program. NC: The NC RAMP program adequately controlled indirect pests at all locations and their abundance was similar in reduced risk (RR) and conventional treatments. Fruit damage caused by direct pests was slightly higher in RR versus conventional orchards. NJ: The NJ RAMP program controlled pests at all 8 peach sites. OPs and carbamate insecticides were virtually eliminated from the RR test sites. Fruit quality was high in
both RR and conventional comparison sites. NY: Fruit damage to apple at harvest caused by internal Lepidoptera was uniformly low across all blocks and treatments. The orchards used in this trial were assumed to be relatively clean at the initiation of this multi-year project. If the selective pesticide program tested here does exhibit any shortcomings in the control of CM, OFM, or LAW, we would expect to see evidence of this over time as local populations are given the chance to increase beyond levels that are economically acceptable. PA: The biggest challenge for the PA RAMP program in apple was a buildup of apple maggot in several sites. Fruit quality in the reduced risk orchards was comparable to fruit from the conventional sites. In peach, the biggest problem in the RR orchards appears to be a buildup of stinkbugs feeding on the fruit close to harvest. Injury from Japanese beetles caused significant crop losses and they were not adequately controlled with Provado. Fruit quality
was superior in the RR sites over the standard programs. VA: In 2003, the RR program was based on DD timings and on trap thresholds that resulted in fewer sprays were applied than in 2002. The cold, wet and windy season in 2003 may have worked in our favor by lowering internal worm pressure generally. Despite heavy RAA pressure this year, 6 gal oil at HIG followed by Provado at PF made RAA insignificant in the RR blocks. The main concerns remain effective control of OFM and CM. WV: Five apple growers and one peach grower are participating in RR programs compared with conventional pest management programs. Apple fruit injury was lower from codling moth, oriental fruit moth, and leafrollers; higher for tarnished plant bug and San Jose scale; and similar for plum curculio, European apple sawfly and apple maggot in RAMP compared with conventional management. Incidence of spirea aphid, white apple leafhopper, and spotted tentiform leafminer was lower; rosy apple aphid was higher; and
European red mite was similar in RAMP and conventional blocks. Insect injury in peach was very similar between RAMP and conventional programs.
Impacts
Our reduced-risk RAMP IPM programs have virtually eliminated OP and carbamate insecticide use in apple and peach study sites in 7 eastern states. The next two years will provide additional information on sustained success of these programs. However, costs of these programs are excessively high ranging up to twice as high as conventional apple programs and 2.5 times more for peaches. These high costs could negatively impact adoption. An additional concern is that insecticide resistance will probably occur in RR orchards because of the limited number of allowable products that can be rotated into a resistance management program.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02
Outputs
Apple and peach orchards in 6 states were used to evaluate non-organophosphate (OP) and carbamate pest management programs, termed RAMP programs. The eight peach RAMP orchards in NJ needed OP rescue treatments to prevent plum curculio (PC) damage from reaching serious levels. However, control of other pests in NJ peach RAMP orchards was equivalent to that observed in adjacent conventional orchards. Nine apple farms and 6 peach farms were evaluated in MI. Codling moth (CM) and Oriental fruit moth (OFM) activity was high and resulted in greater internal fruit injury in RAMP versus comparison apple blocks. Management of other pests in RAMP programs was equal or better than comparison programs. MI peaches sustained high levels of fruit loss due to early freeze injury. MI RAMP orchards sustained greater internal lepidoptera fruit injury while external injury was less. Nine apple sites were studied in NC. Three of the 9 sites under RAMP regime received one organophosphate
spray due to grower decisions. The European red mite was the most abundant indirect pest; chemical was required in 2 RR and 3 conventional blocks. Aphids were present between mid-May and the first week of July, but densities did not differ between treatments. However, generalist predator populations were more abundant in RAMP compared with conventional blocks. Overall direct insect damage was slightly higher in RAMP (5.1% damage) compared with conventional blocks (4.4%). PC damage was most abundant insect damage while small amounts (<1%) of damage were caused in all blocks by plant bugs, internal leps (CM and OFM). Apple maggot infestations exceeded 1% in two orchards, with damage in RAMP greater than conventional blocks at both locations. RAMP programs were evaluated in 6 West Virginia orchards, 5 apple and one peach. RAMP programs provided control of direct pests that was comparable to or better than conventional programs in all but one orchard. Levels of indirect pests were lower
in the RAMP. RAMP programs resulted in greater than a 4 lb a.i. per acre average reduction in insecticide use compared with conventional programs. PA had 7 apple study sites. Their only failures for apple were for apple maggot at one site and a site with European apple sawfly. Internal lep control with Ramp was better than the standard. Leafroller control was comparable in both Ramp and conventional blocks. Only 1 Ramp site received a miticide whereas the majority of the standards had at least one spray. The 5 PA peach Ramp sites were very successful except for cost/A. An initial cost analysis, that includes some missing data, shows that labor and materials of RAMP systems averaged across states were more than twice as high as standard programs for apples, and more than 3 times as high for peaches. In some cases, RAMP uses fewer sprays, in other cases it uses more. RAMP chemicals are more expensive per area sprayed than conventional chemicals. The labor for applying pheromone
dispensers is more expensive than one spray application. We expect that monitoring costs for RAMP orchards will be higher than conventional orchards.
Impacts
We expect to make changes in early season peach programs to reduce potential damage from plum curculio. In this case, we will revert to early season organophosphate sprays until new plum curculio products are registered or made available for use. A majority of apple pests are controlled with new insecticides or mating disruption products but we need to find ways of reducing RAMP program costs. It will be difficult for growers to adopt our current RAMP programs until costs and risks of pest outbreaks are reduced. However, the investigators are addressing these issues.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 09/15/01 to 12/31/01
Outputs
Plans are underway to implement this project in 6 states starting in the 2001 growing season.
Impacts
We expect to determine the feasibility and economics of growing orchard crops without organophosphate and carbamate insecticides.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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