Progress 01/01/11 to 12/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Large scale field demonstration projects were conducted with collaborators in the University of California Cooperative Extension. All trials were conducted on commercial properties so as to maximize public involvment and access. The results were reported in grower meetings, within research conferences, and within more general reports to the grower communities. These results have also been shared with the private sector involved with pheromone mating disruption programs such that two passive pheromone dispensing systems have been recently developed from our data. A second commercial entity entered the market for management of codling moth in walnuts using aerosol pheromone emitters as a consequence of the collective results of our research team. PARTICIPANTS: Carolyn Pickel, UC Cooperative Extension, co-pi Joe Grant, UC Cooperative Extension, co-pi Pacific Biological Control, pheromone mating disruption products Suterra Inc, pheromone mating disruption products Pear Advisory Board Walnut Advisory Board Frances Cave, Staff Research Associate TARGET AUDIENCES: Walnut, pear, almond, and apple growers Commodity Boards respresenting these cropping systems Scientific community Private sector companies PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
Research on development of a cost-effective, logistically feasible program for controlling key pests in pears and walnuts were continued in 2011. Pheromone mating disruption programs for control of the key pest in walnuts and pears were examined as possible alternative to standard insecticide programs. Using indirect plume imaging approaches, pheromone plumes were contrasted for a series of concentrations relative to their impact on plume size and shape after delivery from high-volume aerosol emitters. Using trap suppression as a proxy for damage suppression of codling moth, Cydia pomonella, in walnuts, no clear rate response was observed between pheromone load rates ranging from 10-100% of full pheromone load rates per acre of ca. 350 mg ai per day per acre. Hence, opportunities for significant reductions in the cost of the active ingredient, codlemone, were demonstrated. A second delivery device using similar delivery parameters was developed by a second commercial entity and tested in 2011. The reduced rates of codlemone per acre were evaluated on a preliminary basis for damage reduction in 211 with overall positive results. These studies will be replicated in 2012. Using releases of marked sterilized codling moth, upwind movement of codling moth towards the high dose point sources was evaluated, yet support for this behavior as a significant mode of action for this pheromone mating disruption program was not supported. Two alternative passive pheromone emitters using 18-20 emitters per acre with intermediate release rates were evaluated for damage suppression of codling moth in walnuts with success comparable to traditional hand applied pheromone emitters at 400 units per acre. A preliminary effort to evaluate the efficacy of pheromone mating disruption of the navel orangeworm, Amyelois transitella, on damage suppression of walnuts was also conducted. Significant trap suppression of navel orangeworm traps baited with virgin females suggested a broad impact from the aerosol emitters. Damage suppression data was more variable and the results for damage suppression were less conclusive.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/10 to 12/31/10
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Pheromone mating disruption trials for codling moth and navel orangeworm were continued in 2010 as possible alternatives to conventional insecticide applications. Large scale field trials were coupled with lab based behavioral assays to try and understand the mechanisms that result in successful mating suppression under field conditions. Two approaches were evaluated: a) use of aerosol pheromone emitters that actively emit pheromone bursts every 15 minutes and b) passive devices from which the pheromone diffuses constantly from a reservoir system. The effective area of influence of the pheromone plume from the aerosol emitters were contrasted for the length and width of suppression of traps for different concentrations of pheromone. The active area of influence of the plumes was evaluated for 100%, 50%, and 10% of the conventional loading rates compared to untreated areas within apple and pear orchards. Similarly, the efficacy of passive pheromone emitters using reduced number of point sources at 20 units per acre was compared to traditional hand applied programs at 160-200 units per acre. These results have been presented to agricultural stakeholders within presentations organized by the University as well as the private sector. Similarly, the results have been published as reports by two commodity groups, pear and walnut, and provided to their own stakeholders. PARTICIPANTS: Participants included a variety of personnel from the University of California including UC Cooperative Extension. Cooperative Extension personnel included Joe Grant, Carolyn Pickel, Robert Van Steenwyk, Carolyn DeBuse, Rick Buckner, and Rachel Elkins. Primary staff hired at UC Berkeley included Frances Cave, Daniel Casado, plus an array staff hired on short-term employment status. Collaborating groups included the California Walnut Board, California Pear Advisory Board, as well as USDA ARS scientists, Joel Siegel. TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences included pest management consultants, growers, relevant scientific communities involved in developing pest management systems, as well as California citizens who benefit from the more selective programs. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.
Impacts
Outcomes for the project have included the development of 2 commercially produced "meso" pheromone dispensers that are deployed at fewer units per acre, but release at higher emissions rates. Both products were based on the data developed from our laboratory and field trials. One product from Pacific Biocontrol Corporation has already completed the registration process and will be available to growers in 2011. The second product from Suterra Corporation has been submitted for registration, but is not currently available for commercial sales. Multiple large scale pheromone mating disruption programs for codling moth have been implemented using aerosol based emitters with some projects now in their 6 year of demonstration. Adoption of pheromone mating disruption of codling moth in walnuts has been estimated at ca. 15,000 acres up from less than 1000 acres approximately 5 years ago. Newer research has focused on the behavioral mechanisms of mating disruption and the area of influence of pheromone plumes from aerosol based emitters. Reductions up to 50% in the active ingredient per "puff" from the emitters did not show any significant decline in the size or shape of plume for suppressing traps baited with either virgin females or synthetic lures.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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Progress 01/01/09 to 12/31/09
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Results have been translated to the target constituencies through a variety of communication channels including written annual reports to the Walnut Marketing Board and the Pear Pest Management Fund, an affiliate with the Pear Advisory Board. These reports are published annually and distributed at regional meetings by the various boards. In addition, these results are available on respective web sites of each agency. In addition, the results are presented orally at Extension based meetings with target constituencies in attendance: growers, pest control advisors, or regional researchers, or Cooperative Extension farm advisors. These meetings were held in different locations throughout California (e.g. Yuba City to the Southern San Joaquin Valley) to ensure a more broad distribution. In addition, results were communicated in participated in Cooperative Extension sponsored field days in which our results are shown in a more local and direct approach. Finally, results have been presented within professional meetings including national and regional meetings of the Entomological Society of America as well as in more focused groups such as the Western Orchard Disease and Pest Management Conference. PARTICIPANTS: Participants included a variety of University of California academics including Stephen Welter, Professor, UC Berkeley, Robert Van Steenwyk, Cooperative Extension Specialist, UC Berkeley, Carolyn Pickel, Joseph Grant, Carolyn Debuse, UC Cooperative Extension, a series of excellent pest management consultants, state and national funding agencies (UCIPM, EPA and USDA), as well as industry participation either as individual growers or industry consortiums (Walnut Marketing Board or the Pear Advisory Board) TARGET AUDIENCES: Target audiences included pest management consultants, growers, relevant scientific communities involved in developing pest management systems, as well as California citizens who benefit from the more selective programs. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
The project continues to make significant advances in delivery of more selective pest management alternatives in orchard systems with a focus on pheromone mating disruption of the lepidopterous pests, codling moth and navel orangeworm. New pheromone emission devices were developed and evaluated that increased the release rates per emitter yet reduced the number of emitting sources per acre. A significant decrease in the time required for application (ca. 80%) is expected to yield an equally significant reduction in labor costs associated with the hand-applied dispensers. Two commercial products have now been submitted for registration to the Environmental Protection Agency by 2 companies based on the principals developed in our work. In addition, continued progress has been made in the large scale implementation of pheromone mating disruption in walnut orchards in CA through the use of low rate deployment of aerosol based emitters. Between 5-10 large scale demonstration projects are currently underway and have recently undergone expansion in the size of most of the programs for codling moth. Large scale evaluation of pheromone mating disruption for navel orangeworm was implemented in 2009 with good results. In addition, preliminary efforts to understand the movement of navel orangeworm between almonds and walnuts was continued as part of a larger effort to understand potential obstacles to landscape level implementation of pheromone mating disruption of navel orangeworm. Newer efforts started at the end of 2009 attempt to combine pheromone mating disruption with newer, more selective chemistries that have proven less disruption of natural enemies in other cropping systems.
Publications
- Weddle, PW, S. C. Welter, and D. Thomson. 2009. History of IPM in California pears: 50 years of pesticide use and the transition to biologically intensive IPM. Pest Management Sci. 65 (12): 1287-1292.
- Welter, S. C. and F Cave. 2008. Development of an alternative pheromone mating disruption system for codling moth management in California Pears. IX Inter. Pear Symposium. Peniche, Portugal. ISHS Acta Horticulturae. 800: 857-867.
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