Source: AUBURN UNIVERSITY submitted to
ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT OF INSECT PESTS OF SPECIALTY FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CROPS IN ALABAMA
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
TERMINATED
Funding Source
HATCH
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0222180
Grant No.
(N/A)
Project No.
ALA015-1-10030
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Program Code
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Oct 1, 2010
Project End Date
Sep 30, 2015
Grant Year
(N/A)
Project Director
Fadamiro, HE, Y..
Recipient Organization
AUBURN UNIVERSITY
108 M. WHITE SMITH HALL
AUBURN,AL 36849
Performing Department
Entomology
Non Technical Summary
The focus of this proposal is on management of major pests of important key specialty fruit crops in Alabama. Peach production is an important industry in Alabama with an estimated total annual market value of ~ $10 million (Alabama Agricultural Statistics Service, 2005). Satsuma mandarin production is an emerging industry in Alabama. About one-third of the local Satsuma mandarin crop has been sold annually to the Alabama public school system since 2003. Several arthropod pests attack fruit and vegetable crops in Alabama with the potential to cause significant economic losses to growers. Being high value crops, there is zero tolerance for insect damage. As a result growers typically rely on multiple calendar applications of conventional pesticides to produce unblemished fruits for the fresh market. Extensive use of insecticides has resulted in many drawbacks including pest resistance, food safety, and environmental pollution. Furthermore, many pesticides are being lost through government regulation (FQPA, 1996), creating an urgent need for alternative pest management strategies in fruit crops. Studies have shown that IPM potentially offers a sound alternative strategy to conventional pest control in fruit and vegetable production. For the past six years, the PI has been working with growers, extension specialists, and other stakeholders to develop IPM tactics for key pests of fruit and vegetable crops in Alabama. This Hatch project will build on the success recorded in these initial studies. Specifically, the goal of this project is to develop and implement ecologically based and cost-effective IPM practices for major and emerging pests of peaches (i.e. plum curculio, stink bugs), Satsuma citrus (i.e. leaffooted bugs) and crucifer vegetable crops in Alabama. The research will identify low-input IPM tactics that will reduce pesticide use in fruit and vegetable production, reduce human health risks, and minimize adverse environmental effects of use of toxic conventional insecticides. This proposal also addresses the goals of the National IPM Roadmap, the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA), and the EPA's Strategic Agriculture Initiative program by developing and implementing environmentally friendly IPM practices that will improve economic sustainability of Alabama farms and decrease residues of toxic pesticides on fresh market fruits. Implementation of IPM is vital to the survival and expansion of the Alabama fruit and vegetable industry.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
2111114113030%
2111199113030%
2111440113040%
Knowledge Area
211 - Insects, Mites, and Other Arthropods Affecting Plants;

Subject Of Investigation
1114 - Peach; 1440 - Cole crops; 1199 - Deciduous and small fruits, general/other;

Field Of Science
1130 - Entomology and acarology;
Goals / Objectives
The goal of this Hatch project is to develop, evaluate, and implement ecologically sound IPM tactics against major insect pests of fruit and vegetable crops in Alabama. This Hatch project will specifically focus on two fruit crops (peaches and Satsuma citrus) and crucifer vegetable crops. The specific objectives of this Hatch project are to: 1. Develop, evaluate and implement IPM tactics for managing plum curculio and stink bugs in peaches. 2. Develop and evaluate IPM strategies for key pests of Satsuma citrus with special focus on leaffooted bugs. 3. Develop, evaluate and implement conventional and organically-acceptable IPM tactics for key pests of cruciferous vegetable crops in Alabama with special focus on yellowmargined leaf beetle.
Project Methods
The proposed project will involve laboratory, greenhouse and field studies. Laboratory experiments will be conducted at the Department of Entomology & Plant Pathology, Auburn University (AU). Greenhouse studies will be conducted at the AU Plant Science greenhouse, while field experiments will primarily be conducted at the following stations: i) Chilton Research & Extension Center, Clanton (CREC; peaches), and ii) Gulf Coast Research and Extension Center, Fairhope (GCREC; Satsuma). Field studies will also be conducted at select commercial farms statewide. The PI's lab is equipped with the necessary facility for this research including analytical tools such as gas chromatography (GC), gas chromatography coupled electroantennogram detection (GC-EAD), and gas chromatography-coupled mass spectroscopy (GC-MS), behavioral and electroantennogram (EAG) systems. Experiments will utilize standard procedures and protocols previously developed by the PI.

Progress 10/01/10 to 09/30/15

Outputs
Target Audience:The target audiences include conventional and organic fruit and vegetable producers and limited resource farmers in Alabama. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Specialty cropgrowers were trained through workshops, on-farm demonstrations, and direct consultation services. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results have been disseminated to stakeholders in the form of on-farm demonstrations, handbooks/slide charts or other extension publications, hands-on workshops and social network media. The PI worked with Extension personnel to organize several extension events included field days, demonstrations and presentations What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Objective 1. Develop, evaluate and implement IPM tactics for managing plum curculio and stink bugs in peaches Plum curculio Conotrachelus nenuphar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) and plant bugs are very important pest of peaches in the southeastern United States. Several studies were conducted under to develop and evaluate management strategies against these pests including: Evaluation of targeted insecticide spray program for plum curculio. Two experiments were conducted concurrently in large peach orchard blocks at the Chilton Research and Extension Center, Clanton, aimed at evaluating reduced and well-timed/targeted insecticide sprays programs to reduce indiscriminate use of insecticides in peach production. This study resulted in identification of an alternative reduced insecticide spray program which can reduce the number of insecticide sprays from 12-16 in the traditional calendar spray to 4 sprays, thereby reducing insecticide residue in fresh fruit. Effect of orchard weed management practices on the development of soil dwelling life stages of plum curculio. Four common orchard weed management practices, centipede grass understory (orchard floor covered with centipede grass), weed free understory (orchard floor with no weeds, weeds removed with herbicides), pine bark understory (orchard floor covered with pine bark), and weedy understory (natural weeds), were evaluated in plots located under peach tree canopies. Results showed that the orchard floor covered with centipede grass resulted in fewer numbers of plum curculio compared with the other treatments, suggesting that centipede grass is unfavorable to the development of plum curculio. Development and evaluation of trap crops for managing plant bugs in peaches. Studies were conducted in a peach orchard at Auburn University's E.V. Smith Research Center, Tallassee, AL, over multiple seasons (i.e. 2011-2014) to evaluate various host plants of plant bugs as summer and winter trap crops with the aim of identifying plant species which will be effective in attracting early immigration of overwintering populations leaf-footed bugs (Leptoglossus spp.) and stink bugs (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) including brown stink bugs (Euchistus spp.), and green stink bugs (mainly Nezara viridula and Acrosternum spp.). Three annual crops, oats, rye and wheat, were evaluated as winter trap crops, while sunflower, grain sorghum and pearl millet were evaluated as summer trap crops. Among the tested winter trap crops, wheat attracted significantly more insects per week compared with other crops tested. For the summer trap crops, sunflower attracted more plant bugs than pear millet or grain sorghum. In summary, the results from this study identified wheat (Triticum aestivum, hexaploide) and sunflower (Helianthus annuus) as promising trap crops for the management of plant bugs in peaches. In addition, among all the plant bug species recorded, leaf-footed bugs was predominant (80%) followed by brown stink bugs (15%), and green stink bugs (5%). Objective 2. Develop and evaluate IPM strategies for key pests of Satsuma citrus with special focus on leaffooted bugs. Identification of chemical cues mediating host location and host preference by the leaffooted bug, Leptoglossus zonatus. Laboratory experiments were conducted to compare the volatile profiles of various preferred host plants of L. zonatus with the goal of identifying the volatile chemicals mediating its host preference. The data suggested that although there were significant differences among the volatile profiles of the host plants, none of the compounds elicited significant biological activity in L. zonatus. Biological control of citrus red mite. We evaluated three species of predacious mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae), Galendromus occidentalis, Phytoseiulus persimilis and Neoseiulus californicus, as biological control agents for citrus red mite, Panonychus citri on Satsuma citrus in southern Alabama. The effects of release rate (100 vs. 200 per tree), frequency (1 vs. 2), and initial prey density (low, moderate, or high) were tested in three separate experiments. The results indicated that although all three phytoseiid species were effective in reducing P. citri densities on citrus, initial prey density is an important factor influencing their performance. Objective 3. Develop, evaluate and implement conventional and organically-acceptable IPM tactics for key pests of cruciferous vegetable crops in Alabama with special focus on yellowmargined leaf beetle. The yellowmargined leaf beetle, Microtheca ochroloma is a major pest of cruciferous crops in the Southern United States. Various studies were conducted to develop alternative pest management strategies for this pest including: Complete identification and field testing of crucifer attractants for M. ochroloma. Using cutting-edge analytical, electrophysiological and behavioral techniques, we have identified a blend of three volatile organic compounds released by crucifer plants as an attractant for M. ochroloma. In on-farm trials, a synthetic blend of the three compounds was shown to be highly attractive to the beetles - traps baited with attractant blend captured 3 to 4 fold more beetles compared to unbaited traps. These results have identified an attractant which can be used as a monitoring/managemen tool for M. ochroloma in both conventional and organic crucifer vegetable production systems. Evaluation of trap crops for managing M. ochroloma. Field trials were conducted over multiple seasons in Alabama to test the effectiveness of turnip as a trap crop for managing M. ochroloma in organic crucifer production. Perimeter trap cropping with turnip attracted adult beetles away from a cabbage cash crop, and also resulted in significantly lower feeding damage on the cash crop compared to the control plot. Evaluation of OMRI approved biorational insecticides for managing M. ochroloma in organic crucifer vegetable production. Studies were conducted to further evaluate promising biorational insecticides such as Entrust® (organic formulation of Spinosad) and PyGanic® (Pyrethrum) that were shown to be effective against M. ochroloma in previous years. The selected biopesticides were evaluated as stand-alone and in combination (alternation or rotation design) with Entrust®. The major goal was to limit the potential of the pest to develop resistance to season long sprays of Entrust®. Results indicated that rotation of Entrust® with other biopesticides such as Grandevo® or PyGanic® was as effective as season long application of Entrust® in suppressing M. ochroloma abundance. The lower pest population in plots treated with Entrust® or Entrust® alternated with Grandevo® or PyGanic® also resulted in significantly lower crop damage.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2011 Citation: Akotsen-Mensah, C., Boozer, R. T., and Fadamiro H. Y. 2011. Field evaluation of reduced insecticide spray programs for managing plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), in Alabama peaches. Pest Mgt. Sci. 67: 626632
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Akotsen-Mensah, C., Boozer, R. T., and Fadamiro H. Y. 2012. Influence of orchard weed management practices on soil dwelling stages of Plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Florida Entomologist. 95:882-889
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2012 Citation: Balusu, R.R., H.Y. Fadamiro. 2012. Evaluation of organically acceptable insecticides as standalone treatments and in rotation for managing yellowmargined leaf beetle, Microtheca ochroloma (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), in organic crucifer production. Pest Management Science 68: 573-579.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Fadamiro H. Y., Akotsen-Mensah, C., Xiao, Y., and Anikwe, J. 2013. Field evaluation of predacious mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) for biological control of citrus red mites, Panonychus citri (Trombidiformes: Tetranychidae). Florida Entomologist. 96: 80-91.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Majumdar. A., A. Chambliss, R.R. Balusu, H.Y. Fadamiro, and A. Randle. 2014. Alternative Vegetable IPM Recommendation Slide Chart. ACES Circular ANR-2190 https://store.aces.edu/ItemDetail.aspx?ProductID=18412
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Balusu, R.R, M. R. Elena, E. L. Oscar, and H.Y. Fadamiro. 2015. Management of Yellowmargined leaf beetle Microtheca ochroloma (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) using turnip as trap crop. Journal of Economic Entomology. 108: 2691-2701.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Majumdar, A., A. Chambliss, H. Fadamiro, R. Balusu, and A. Randle. 2014. Alternative Vegetable IPM Recommendation Slide Chart. ANR-2190. Designed and published by Datalizer Inc., Addison, IL. Information Copyright by ACES. Circulation: 4,000 copies. [Online] https://store.aces.edu/ItemDetail.aspx?ProductID=18412.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Majumdar, A., G. Gray, R. Balusu, and H. Fadamiro. 2015. Insect pest scouting for crucifer crops. Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Auburn University. ANR-2241. [Online] http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-2241/ANR-2241.pdf
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Akotsen-Mensah, C.A., H.Y. Fadamiro, R.R. Balusu, and J. Anikwe. 2014. Trap crops for managing leaf-footed and stink bug species in Alabama peaches. 88th Annual meeting of the Southeastern Branch of Entomological Society of America, Greenville, SC, March 2  5, 2014.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Balusu, R.R., and H.Y. Fadamiro. 2014. Identification of plant-based attractants for Yellowmargined leaf beetle, Microtheca ochroloma, a pest of crucifer crops. International Society of Chemical Ecology Annual meeting, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. July 8-12, 2014.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Balusu, R.R., and H.Y. Fadamiro. 2013. Trap cropping for management of Yellowmargined leaf beetle, Microtheca ochroloma in organic crucifer production. 61st Annual Meeting of Entomological Society of America, Austin, TX, November 10 1 3.
  • Type: Websites Status: Other Year Published: 2015 Citation: Balusu, R.R, M. R. Elena, E. L. Oscar, and H.Y. Fadamiro. 2015. Trap cropping may offer organic growers an alternative to pesticides. Entomology Today. Posted on August 12, 2015. [Online] http://entomologytoday.org/2015/08/12/trap-cropping-may-offer-organic-growers-an-alternative-to-pesticides/


Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14

Outputs
Target Audience: The target audiences include conventional and organic fruit and vegetable producers and limited resource farmers in Alabama. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Vegetable growers were trained through workshops (8), on-farm demonstrations (6), and direct consultation services (60). Two Extension in-service/Train-the-trainer events were conducted. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The results have been disseminated to stakeholders in the form of on-farm technology demonstrations, handbooks/slide charts or other extension publications, hands-on workshops and social network media. Several presentations were also made at professional meeting as well as producer meetings including: Balusu, R.R., A. Manundar, and R. Cave. 2014. IPM of Crucifer Crops: Focus on the Yellow-margined Leaf Beetle. eOrganics national level webinar organized by extension on December 2nd, 2014. Mensah, C.A., H.Y. Fadamiro, R.R. Balusu, and J. Anikwe. 2014. Trap crops for managing leaf-footed and stink bug species in Alabama peaches. 88th Annual meeting of the Southeastern Branch of Entomological Society of America, Greenville, SC, March 2 - 5, 2014. Balusu, R.R., and H.Y. Fadamiro. 2014. Identification of plant-based attractants for Yellowmargined leaf beetle, Microtheca ochroloma, a pest of crucifer crops. International Society of Chemical Ecology Annual meeting, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. July 8-12, 2014. Balusu, R.R., and H.Y. Fadamiro. 2013. Trap cropping for management of Yellowmargined leaf beetle, Microtheca ochroloma in organic crucifer production. 61st Annual Meeting of Entomological Society of America, Austin, TX, November 10 -1 3. Majundar. A., H.Y. Fadamiro, and R. R. Balusu. 2013. Organic insect pest control. Georgia organics 16th Annual Conference & Expo, Atlanta, GA. Balusu, R.R. 2013. Identifying and Enhancing Natural Enemies in Vegetable crops. Alabama Fruit and Vegetable Growers Conference and Tradeshow, Auburn University, Auburn, AL. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? We plan to conduct on-farm integration trials in 2015 to evaluate the efficacy and cost-efficiency effective tactics.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 1) Objective 1. Develop, evaluate and implement IPM tactics for managing plum curculio and stink bugs in peaches Major activities completed/experiments conducted: Evaluation of different trap crops for monitoring stink bugs: Studies were conducted in a peach orchard at Auburn University's E.V. Smith Research Center, Tallassee, AL, to evaluate various host plants of plant bugs as summer and winter trap crops with the aim of identifying a single species or combination of species which will be effective in attracting early immigration of overwintering populations leaf-footed bugs, brown stink bugs and green stink bugs. Three annual crops, oats, rye and wheat, were selected for evaluation as winter trap crops, whereas sunflower, grain sorghum and pearl millet were selected as summer trap crops. The winter trap crops were replaced with summer trap crops when they reached maturity. The experimental plots measuring 12 m wide and 15 m long with 1.5 m spacing between plots and 10 m away from the border rows of the peach orchard were laid out in a randomized block design replicated around the four sections of the plot. Data collected. During each sampling date, 10 plants were randomly selected and visually inspected for the presence of leaf-footed bugs, brown stink bugs and green stink bugs. In addition, ten sweeps were made in random direction in the plots and the number of adults were counted and recorded. Data were pooled and a one-way ANOVA was used to determine treatment effect. For all analyses resulting in significant differences in the number of leaf-footed bugs, brown and green stink bugs, multiple comparisons of the means were carried out by using the Tukey-Kramer HSD comparison test (P<0.05; JMP® 7.0.1, SAS Institute 2007). Among all tested winter trap crops, wheat attracted significantly more insects per week compared with crops. In addition, wheat was easy to grow in terms of its agronomic requirements. Therefore, it is a potential promising trap crop for management of stinkbugs in winter. Among all the species recorded during this season, leaf-footed bugs was predominant (79.7%) followed by brown stink bugs (14.9%), and green stink bugs (5.4%). For the summer trap crops, sunflower attracted more plant bugsthan pear millet or grain sorghum. In summary, the results from this study identified wheat and sunflower as promising trap crops for the management of these plant bugs in peaches. Key outcomes or other accomplishments realized The results showed that trap crops can be used to manage leaf-footed bugs and stink bugs particularly during the migration of the overwintered population in early spring. Leptoglossus phyllopus was the predominant plant bug species in Alabama peaches. 2) Objective 2. Develop and evaluate IPM strategies for key pests of Satsuma citrus with special focus on leaffooted bugs. This objective was completed in 2013. 3) Objective 3. Develop, evaluate and implement conventional and organically-acceptable IPM tactics for key pests of cruciferous vegetable crops in Alabama with special focus on yellowmargined leaf beetle. Major activities completed/experiments conducted: The yellowmargined leaf beetle, Microtheca ochroloma (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is the most problematic pest of organic crucifer production in the southern United States. Study was conducted to further evaluate promising biorational insecticides such as Entrust® (organic formulation of Spinosad) and PyGanic® (Pyrethrum) that were shown to be effective against M. ochroloma in the laboratory study conducted in previous year. The selected biopesticides were evaluated as stand-alone and in combination (alternation or rotation design) with Enstrust®. The major goal was to limit the potential of the pest to develop resistance to season long sprays of Enstrust®. Treatment evaluated include 1) Entrust® (spinosad) season long; 2) PyGanic® EC (PyGanic) season long; 3) Grandevo® season long; 4) Entrust® alternated with PyGanic®; 5) Entrust® alternated with Grandevo®; 6) MoltX® alternated Mycotrol O® and 7) Control (untreated). Data collected: All insecticide formulations were evaluated at field recommended rates. Plots were evaluated weekly by sampling ten randomly selected plants from each plot for M. ochroloma densities and feeding holes (damage ratings). Plants were also sampled for other key pest (e.g., flea beetles and caterpillar pests). At harvest, ten plants were selected from each plot and rated for insect damage based on a scale of 1 to 6 where 1 is light defoliation, whereas 6 is complete defoliation. Summary statistics and discussion of results: The average number of larvae and adults of M. ochroloma per plant and damage ratings were compared using ANOVA followed by Tukey Kramer honestly significant difference (HSD) test. The results showed that rotation of Entrust® with other biopesticides such as Grandevo® or PyGanic® was as effective as season long application of Entrust® in suppressing M. ochroloma abundance. The lower pest population in plots treated with Entrust® or Entrust® alternated with Grandevo® or PyGanic® also resulted in significantly lower crop damage. Key outcomes or other accomplishments realized: This study has resulted in identification of new reduced-risk insecticide, Grandevo® for management of M. ochroloma in crucifer vegetable production in Alabama.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Under Review Year Published: 2015 Citation: Akotsen-Mensah, C., R. R. Balusu, J. Anikwe, Y. Xiao, and H.Y. Fadamiro. 2015. Trap crop for management of leaf-footed and stink bug species in Alabama peaches. Journal of Economic Entomology
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Majumdar. A., A. Chambliss, R.R. Balusu, H.Y. Fadamiro, and A. Randle. 2014. Alternative Vegetable IPM Recommendation Slide Chart. ACES Circular ANR-2190 https://store.aces.edu/ItemDetail.aspx?ProductID=18412
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: High tunnel crop production handbook-training module for new & beginning farmers. ACES Circular ANR-2157


Progress 01/01/13 to 09/30/13

Outputs
Target Audience: The target audiences include conventional and organicfruit and vegetable producers and limited resource farmers in Alabama. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The results have been disseminated to the scientific community and stakeholders in form of research and Extension publications. Also, several presentations were made at professional meeting as well asproducer meetings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Change in knowledge: Training and workshops have helped crop producers to acquire improved skills in integrated pest management (IPM) tools such as pest sampling, monitoring, application of pesticides, and biological control. Surveys showed that project participants (i.e. fruit and vegetable producers and agents) increased general knowledge of IPM. Change in actions: This project has contributed to an increased adoption of IPM practices by Alabama fruit and vegetable farmers. Change in conditions: The project has contributed to a reduction in pesticide use on peaches, citrus and cruciferous vegetables in Alabama. Impacts: Implementation of IPM programs for key fruit and vegetable crops in Alabama has allowed farmers to maximize their yields and protect their crops with practices and materials that pose minimal health and environmental risks. Fewer pesticides are being applied in several crops and farmers are now using reduced-risk pesticides. Satsuma citrus and peach growers are now using IPM tactics such as pest monitoring and applications of oils and other reduced-risk pesticides. 1) Objective 1. Develop, evaluate and implement IPM tactics for managing plum curculio and stink bugs in peaches Major activities completed/experiments conducted Two experiments were conducted concurrently in large peach blocks at the Chilton Research and Extension Center, Clanton, aimed at evaluating reduced and well-timed/targeted insecticide sprays programs to reduce indiscriminate use of insecticides in peach production. The following spray programs were evaluated: 1) Reduced Spray Program A - Two Imidan 70W (Imid) sprays alternated and targeted with two Actara (Act) sprays; 2) Reduced Spray Program B – Two sprays of Rimon (Rim) alternated and targeted with 2 sprays of Actara; 3) Reduced Spray Program C – Two sprays of Rimon and Imidan tank mixed alternated and targeted with 2 sprays of Actara, and 4) Untreated control; spray was done with only water. Each insecticide treatment was applied as a foliar spray using an air-blast sprayer mounted on a tractor and delivering at 2.25 lb/a Imidan, 3.4 fl.oz/a of Actara, Arctic 3.2 EC @ 8.0 oz/a and Rimon @ 30fl.oz/a. Data collected Fruit damage assessment was done at harvest by picking 600 fruit per plot (1800 per treatment). This was used to compute percent damage data. Summary statistics and discussion of results Percent damage data was transformed and analyzed by ANOVA followed by Tukey-Kramer HSD test (P < 0.05). The results showed that spraying of 2 Imidan and 2 Actara (Reduced Spray Program A) can reduce the damage due to plum curculio. Key outcomes or other accomplishments realized An alternative reduced insecticide spray program has been identified for plum curculio and stink bugs in peaches. This can reduce the number of insecticide spray from 12-16 in the traditional calendar spray approach to 4 sprays, thereby reducing insecticide residue in fresh fruit. 2) Objective 2. Develop and evaluate IPM strategies for key pests of Satsuma citrus with special focus on leaffooted bugs. Major activities completed/experiments conducted We evaluated 3 species of predacious mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae), Galendromus occidentalis, Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot and Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor), as biological control agents for citrus red mite, Panonychus citri (McGregor) (Trombidiformes: Tetranychidae), on citrus in southern Alabama. Data collected Density of citrus red mite (Panonychus citri) was evaluated in each plot by collecting 12 randomly selected leaves (3 per tree quadrant) from each of the 6 test trees (for a total of 144 leaves per plot) at 0 and 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49, and 56 d after the first predacious mite release. Summary statistics and discussion of results For all experiments, mean numbers of P. citri eggs, and motiles per leaf per sampling date were computed for each treatment and analyzed by repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) on the 2 main factors (sampling date and treatment), with time as the repeated measures factor. In the first experiment conducted on trees with moderate initial prey densities (i.e. < 4 P. citri motiles per leaf), one single release of P. persimilis or G. occidentalis at a rate of 100 or 200 per tree effectively prevented the prey from exceeding the economic threshold (5 motiles/leaf) for the entire duration (35 d) of the experiment. The result of the second experiment on trees with high initial prey densities (i.e. ≥ 5 motiles per leaf) showed that 2 releases of P. persimilis or G. occidentalis at a rate of 100 or 200 per tree per release could not provide adequate suppression of P. citri below the economic threshold. The third experiment conducted in large plots on trees with low initial P. citri densities (i.e. < 1 motile per leaf) showed that 2 releases of N. californicus or P. persimilis at a rate of 200 per tree per release effectively maintained P. citri at low densities (< 1.5 motiles per leaf) throughout the duration (56 d) of the experiment. These results showed that all 3 phytoseiid species were effective in reducing P. citri densities on citrus. However, initial prey density may be an important factor influencing their performance. Key outcomes or other accomplishments realized The results demonstrated that releases of predacious mites could provide effective suppression of citrus red mites. 3) Objective 3. Develop, evaluate and implement conventional and organically-acceptable IPM tactics for key pests of cruciferous vegetable crops in Alabama with special focus on yellowmargined leaf beetle. Major activities completed/experiments conducted The yellowmargined leaf beetle, Microtheca ochroloma (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), is a key pest of organic crucifer production in the southern United States. The susceptibility of larvae and adults of M. ochroloma to some botanical and microbial insecticide formulations was evaluated using laboratory leaf-dip bioassays. Insecticides evaluated included OMRI (Organic Material Review Institute) approved formulations of PyGanic® (pyrethrum), Entrust® (spinosad), Mycotrol O® (Beauveria bassiana strain GHA), and NOFLY® (Isaria fumosoroseus strain FE 9901). Others were MBI-203 (experimental organic formulation of Chromobacterium subtsugae) and BotaniGard® 22WP (conventional formulation of Beauveria bassiana strain GHA). Data collected All insecticide formulations were evaluated at field recommended rates (i.e., single concentration assays) for efficacy against M. ochroloma larvae and adults. A group of 20 1st instar larvae or adults from the same batch was placed in a Petri dish containing a treated leaf disc. The experiment was replicated 5 times per insecticide over time. Insect mortality was recorded daily for 14 days (or until pupation of larvae).. Summary statistics and discussion of results Mortality data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis non-parametric test (P < 0.05) with the means separated using the Tukey Kramer honestly significant difference (HSD) test. At the field recommended rates, all tested formulations were toxic to the M. ochroloma larvae compared to the untreated control, whereas only Entrust® and PyGanic® were effective against the adults. Entrust® and PyGanic® caused 100% mortality to the larvae and adults after just 24 h of exposure. The LC50 values of Entrust® and PyGanic® were 200 x and 15 x less than the field recommended rates, respectively. MBI-203 was effective against the larvae but not against the adults. The entomopathogenic fungal formulations, Mycotrol®, NOFLYv, and BotaniGard®, were much less toxic with LT50 values of 10, 12, and 9 days, respectively. Key outcomes or other accomplishments realized This study has identified some effective reduced-risk insecticides for managing M. ochroloma.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Fadamiro, H.Y., C. Akotsen-Mensah, Y. Xiao, and J. Anikwe. 2013. Field evaluation of predacious mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae) for biological control of citrus red mite, Panonychus citri (Trombidiformes: Tetranychidae). Florida Entomologist 96: 80-91.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Sharma, K., and H.Y. Fadamiro. 2013. Fire ant alarm pheromone and venom alkaloids act in concert to attract parasitic phorid flies, Pseudacteon spp. Journal of Insect Physiology 59: 1119-1124.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Balusu, R., and H.Y. Fadamiro. 2013. Susceptibility of Microtheca ochroloma (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) to botanical and microbial insecticide formulations. Florida Entomologist 96: 914-921.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Das, P., and H.Y. Fadamiro. 2013. Species and sexual differences in antennal lobe architecture and glomerular organization in two parasitoids with different degree of host specificity, Microplitis croceipes and Cotesia marginiventris. Cell & Tissue Research 352: 227-235.


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

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Objective 1. Develop, evaluate and implement IPM tactics for managing plum curculio and stink bugs in peaches. On-farm evaluation of reduced and well-timed/targeted insecticide sprays programs based on pest phenology model has identified promising reduced spray programs for management of plum curculio and stink bugs in peaches. The effective targeted spray programs include 2 sprays of Imidan (Phosmet) alternated with 2 sprays of Actara (Thiamethoxam), 2 sprays of Rimon (Novaluron) alternated with 2 sprays of Actara, and 2 sprays of Rimon and Imidan tank-mixed alternated with 2 sprays of Actara. The results showed that 4 well-timed/targeted insecticide sprays can provide effective control of plum curculio and sting bugs in peaches and represent cost-effective alternatives to the conventional weekly spray program of 6-12 sprays per season. Objective 2. Develop and evaluate IPM strategies for key pests of Satsuma citrus. Three species of predacious mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae), Galendromus occidentalis, Phytoseiulus persimilis and Neoseiulus californicus, were evaluated as biological control agents for citrus red mite, Panonychus citri (Acari: Tetranychidae), Satsuma in southern Alabama. A study conducted in large plots on trees with low initial P. citri densities (i.e. < 1 motile per leaf) showed that two releases of N. californicus or P. persimilis at a rate of 200 per tree per release effectively maintained P. citri at low densities (< 1.5 motiles per leaf) throughout the duration (56 days) of the experiment. These results showed that all three phytoseiid species were effective in reducing P. citri densities on Satsuma. Objective 3. Develop, evaluate and implement conventional and organically-acceptable IPM tactics for key pests of cruciferous vegetable crops in Alabama with special focus on yellowmargined leaf beetle. On farm trials were conducted in 2012 at the E.V. Smith research center (Shorter, AL) to evaluate trap cropping technique against yellowmargined leaf beetle, Microtheca ochroloma on crucifers. The host plant, turnip (Brassica rapa variety rapa) was tested as trap crop and cabbage (B. oleraceae variety capitata) as main crop. Experimental plots consisted of seven raised beds of 40 ft by 2.5 ft size, covered with white plastic and irrigated through drip. The two outer most beds were planted with trap crop two weeks in advance to main crop. Experiment was replicated three times using randomized complete block design. Results showed that turnip is an effective trap crop for managing yellowmargined leaf beetle on crucifers. Conferences attended: i) Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Branch of Entomological Society of America, Little Rock, AR March 3-8, 2012; ii) 7th International IPM Symposium, Memphis, TN, March 27-29, 2012 (presented 2 papers); iii) 95th Florida Entomological Society Annual meeting, Jupiter, FL, July 22-25, 2012 (presented 2 papers); iv) 60th Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America, Knoxville, TN, November 11-14, 2012 (presented 3 papers from my program). PARTICIPANTS: Individuals: Clement Akotsen-Mensah (postdoctoral researcher - assisted with data collection) Rammohan Balusu (postdoctoral researcher - assisted with data collection) Simon Zebelo (postdoctoral researcher- assisted with data collection) Yuanyuan Song (postdoctoral researcher - assisted with data collection) Prithwiraj Das (graduate student - assisted with data collection) Kate Nangle (graduate student - assisted with data collection) Tolulope Morawo (graduate student - assisted with data collection) Jill Piorkowski (graduate student - assisted with data collection) Joseph Disi (graduate student - assisted with data collection) TARGET AUDIENCES: Fruit and vegetable growers, extension agents. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Change in knowledge: This project has resulted in increased general knowledge of integrated pest management (IPM) by fruit and vegetable farmers in Alabama. Evaluation of IPM tactics has resulted in the availability of new and effective IPM methods and technology to farmers. Training and workshops have helped farmers to acquire improved skills in IPM tools such as pest sampling, monitoring, application of pesticides, use and conservation of biological control agents, etc. Change in actions: This project has resulted in increased application of IPM knowledge and adoption of IPM methods and techniques by Alabama fruit and vegetable farmers. Change in conditions: Project has resulted in reduced pesticide use in some fruit crops in Alabama. Impacts: Implementation of IPM programs for key fruit and vegetable crops in Alabama has allowed farmers to maximize their yields and protect their crops with practices and materials that pose minimal health and environmental risks. Fewer pesticides are being applied in several crops and farmers are now using reduced-risk pesticides. Satsuma citrus and peach growers are now using IPM tactics such as pest monitoring and applications of oils and other reduced-risk pesticides.

Publications

  • Chen, L., S. Ochieng, X. He, and H.Y. Fadamiro. 2012. Comparing electroantennogram and behavioral responses of two Pseudacteon phorid fly species to body extracts of black, red, and hybrid imported fire ants, Solenopsis spp. Journal of Insect Physiology 58: 1360-1367.
  • Ngumbi, E., M. Jordan, and H.Y. Fadamiro. 2012. Comparison of associative learning of host-related plant volatiles in two parasitoids with different degrees of host specificity, Cotesia marginiventris and Microplitis croceipes. Chemoecology 22: 207-215.
  • Ngumbi, E., and H.Y. Fadamiro. 2012. Species and sexual differences in behavioral responses of a specialist and generalist parasitoid species to host-related volatiles. Bulletin of Entomological Research 102: 710-718.
  • Chen, L., Y. Lu, Q. Hu, and H.Y. Fadamiro#. 2012. Similarity in venom alkaloid chemistry of alate queens of imported fire ants: implication for hybridization between Solenopsis richteri and S. invicta in the Southern United States. Chemistry & Biodiversity 9: 702-713.


Progress 01/01/11 to 12/31/11

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Objective 1. Develop, evaluate and implement IPM tactics for managing plum curculio and stink bugs in peaches. Experiments were conducted in two peach orchards to evaluate the effects of some common orchard weed management practices on the development of the soil dwelling life stages of plum curculio. Four common orchard weed management practices (treatments) were evaluated in plots located under peach tree canopies: centipede grass understory; weed free understory; weedy (natural weeds) understory; and pine bark understory. Fewer numbers of adult plum curculio emerged from the centipede grass understory plots compared with weed free, weedy or pine bark treated understories. Objective 2. Develop and evaluate IPM strategies for key pests of Satsuma citrus. We evaluated three species of predacious mites (Acari: Phytoseiidae), Galendromus occidentalis, Phytoseiulus persimilis and Neoseiulus californicus, as biological control agents for citrus red mite, Panonychus citri on Satsuma citrus in southern Alabama. The effects of release rate (100 vs. 200 per tree), frequency (1 vs. 2), and initial prey density (low, moderate, or high) were tested in three separate experiments. These results showed that all three phytoseiid species were effective in reducing P. citri densities on citrus, however initial prey density is an important factor influencing their performance. Objective 3. Develop, evaluate and implement conventional and organically-acceptable IPM tactics for key pests of cruciferous vegetable crops in Alabama with special focus on yellowmargined leaf beetle. Field trials were conducted in spring 2011 at the E.V. Smith research center (Shorter, AL) to evaluate effectiveness of trap cropping technique for managing yellowmargined leaf beetle, Microtheca ochroloma on crucifers. Two host plants, turnip (Brassica rapa variety rapa) and napa cabbage (B. rapa subsp. pekinensis) were tested as trap crops and cabbage (B. oleraceae variety capitata) as main crop. Experimental plots consisted of seven rows of 35 ft long with outer most rows as trap crop. Trap crops were transplanted two weeks in advance to main crop. Experiment was replicated three times using a randomized complete block design. Results showed that trap crop successfully trapped &#8776;80 per cent of beetles compared to main crop. Conferences attended: i) Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Branch of Entomological Society of America, San Juan, Puerto Rico, March 19-22, 2011; ii) Annual Meeting of SERA 3/Southern IPM Coordinator, San Juan, Puerto Rico, March 23, 2011(Presented 1 paper); iii) 2011 meeting of the International Society of Chemical Ecology, Vancouver, Canada, July 24-28, 2011(Presented 2 papers); iv) 4th European Whitefly Symposium, Rehovot, Israel, September 11-16, 2011 (Presented 1 paper); v) Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America, Reno, Nevada, November 13-16, 2011 (Presented 3 papers from my program). PARTICIPANTS: Clement Akotsen-Mensah (postdoctoral researcher - assisted with data collection) Rammohan Balusu (postdoctoral researcher - assisted with data collection) Kavita Sharma (postdoctoral researcher- assisted with data collection) Esther Ngumbi (graduate student - assisted with data collection) Prithwiraj Das (graduate student - assisted with data collection) Kate Nangle (graduate student - assisted with data collection) Tolulope Morawo (graduate student - assisted with data collection) TARGET AUDIENCES: Fruit and vegetable growers, extension agents. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
Change in knowledge: This project has resulted in increased general knowledge of integrated pest management (IPM) by fruit and vegetable farmers in Alabama. Evaluation of IPM tactics has resulted in the availability of new and effective IPM methods and technology to farmers. Training and workshops have helped farmers to acquire improved skills in IPM tools such as pest sampling, monitoring, application of pesticides, use and conservation of biological control agents, etc. Change in actions: This project has resulted in increased application of IPM knowledge and adoption of IPM methods and techniques by Alabama fruit and vegetable farmers. Change in conditions: Project has resulted in reduced pesticide use in some fruit crops in Alabama. Impacts: Implementation of IPM programs for key fruit and vegetable crops in Alabama has allowed farmers to maximize their yields and protect their crops with practices and materials that pose minimal health and environmental risks. Fewer pesticides are being applied in several crops and farmers are now using reduced-risk pesticides. Satsuma citrus and peach growers are now using IPM tactics such as pest monitoring and applications of oils and other reduced-risk pesticides.

Publications

  • Sharma, K., R. Vander Meer, and H.Y. Fadamiro. 2011. Phorid fly, Pseudacteon tricuspis, response to alkylpyrazine analogs of a fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, alarm pheromone. Journal of Insect Physiology 57: 939-944.
  • Akotsen-Mensah, C., R. Boozer, and H.Y. Fadamiro. 2011. Field evaluation of reduced insecticide spray programs for managing plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar in Alabama peaches. Pest Management Science. 67: 626-632.
  • Nafziger, T., and H.Y. Fadamiro. 2011. Suitability of some farmscaping plants as nectar sources for the parasitoid wasp, Microplitis croceipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae): effects on longevity and body nutrients. Biological Control 56: 225-229.
  • Onagbola, E.O., and H. Y. Fadamiro. 2011. Electroantennogram and behavioral responses of Pteromalus cerealellae to odor stimuli associated with its host, Callosobruchus maculatus. Journal of Stored Products Research 47: 123-129.
  • Akotsen-Mensah, C., R. Boozer, A. Appel, and H.Y. Fadamiro. 2011. Seasonal phenology and development of a degree-day model for predicting activity of plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar in Alabama peaches. Annals of Entomological Society of America 104: 192-201.
  • Onagbola, E.O., and H. Y. Fadamiro. 2011. Response of Pteromalus cerealellae to conspecific odor: Evidence for female- and male-produced pheromones Journal of Stored Products Research 47: 393-398.
  • Das, P., K. Sharma, L. Chen, and H.Y. Fadamiro. 2011. Abundance of antennal chemosensilla in two parasitoid wasps with different degree of host specificity, Microplitis croceipes and Cotesia marginiventris may explain sexual and species differences in their response to host