Source: MICHIGAN STATE UNIV submitted to NRP
NEW ARTHROPOD PEST CONTROLS AND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES FOR MICHIGAN TREE FRUIT PRODUCTION SYSTEMS
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
HATCH
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1001516
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Nov 21, 2013
Project End Date
Oct 31, 2018
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
MICHIGAN STATE UNIV
(N/A)
EAST LANSING,MI 48824
Performing Department
Entomology
Non Technical Summary
Michigan is the leading producer of tree fruits in the Midwest, with over 72,000 acres of orchards. Tree fruits are a significant contributor to Michigan's economy with a 5-year average farm level value of $210 million annually. Among the key arthropod-related challenges facing the Michigan tree fruit industries are the need for good pollination to maintain high yields and the threat from invasive and emerging pests. Furthermore, many factors acting together have heightened grower impetus to reduce chemical inputs and adopt alternative pest controls. Foremost among these is the need to reduce input costs in order to maintain economic viability. Concerns about pest resistance to insecticides and non-target impacts on natural enemies, new regulations governing pesticides, concerns about worker safety, and the public's interest in reducing the use of insecticides provide further incentive for growers to increase reliance on reduced-risk pest management practices and to seek innovative ways to apply pest controls. The overall goal of this project is to develop and deliver pest controls and management strategies that are efficacious, environmentally sound, and economical for Michigan tree fruit production systems. The objectives of the project are 1) to develop and test innovative approaches to increasing pollination, 2) to develop monitoring tools and management strategies for key invasive or emerging pests, 3) to carry out a detection program for other potential invasive pests, 4) to assess the efficacy of reduced-risk and OP replacement insecticides, 5) develop and deliver effective pheromone-based mating disruption technologies, and 6) to optimize pest management programs for MI tree fruit production systems. Experiments will be conducted in orchards at MSU AgBioResearch Centers and in commercial plantings. The development of mating disruption, other selective controls and monitoring systems will allow growers to eliminate treatments that are not warranted and thereby reduce the cost of insect pest management programs. They also will lead to greater IPM implementation and reduced exposure of humans and the environment to pesticides. The estimated cost savings of eliminating a single spray on the 37,000 acres of apples grown in Michigan will lead to an increase profit for Michigan growers of $1.5 million. Knowledge will be delivered to target audiences through publication in peer-reviewed journals, presentation at professional meetings and through extension and outreach activities, including annual presentations at horticultural society meetings and short courses, and publication of newsletter articles and in web-based information resources Increases in grower adoption of new technologies and approaches, and changes in profit and insecticide use patterns will be measured to quantify the impact of the project on the intended audience.
Animal Health Component
75%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
20%
Applied
75%
Developmental
5%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
2111110113055%
2111112113035%
2111114113010%
Knowledge Area
211 - Insects, Mites, and Other Arthropods Affecting Plants;

Subject Of Investigation
1114 - Peach; 1110 - Apple; 1112 - Cherry;

Field Of Science
1130 - Entomology and acarology;
Goals / Objectives
The overall goal of this project is to develop and deliver pest controls and management strategies that are efficacious, environmentally sound, and economical for Michigan tree fruit production systems. The specific objectives of the proposed research are: 1) To determine whether deployment of dispensers loaded with a bee pheromone or other attractant increases bee visitation and pollination of apple and cherry. 2) To develop monitoring tools and management programs for spotted wing drosophila and brown marmorated stinkbug. 3) To monitor for the presence of lightbrown apple moth and summer fruit tortrix in Michigan tree fruits for the purpose of early detection of these potential invasive pests 4) To determine the efficacy of reduced-risk and OP replacement insecticides for control of major foliar and fruit feeding pests of MI tree fruits. 5) To develop effective pheromone-based mating disruption technologies for foliar and fruit feeding pests of MI tree fruits that are practical and economical for Michigan tree fruit growers. 6) To develop, deliver and optimize pest management programs for MI tree fruit production systems that are economically and environmentally sustainable.
Project Methods
Field plots will be set up in commercial orchards to test the impact of dispensers loaded with a bee pheromone or other attractants on bee visitation and pollination. The study will be set up as a randomized complete block design with the two treatments replicated at 4-6 locations per crop. Bee activity will be evaluated near full bloom by observing them for 5 minutes at each of 12 ten-tree sampling locations in each 2-acre plot. The effect of treatments on fruit production will be determined by estimating fruit set and yield in treated and untreated plots. Analysis of variance will be performed on the data to determine treatment effects on bee abundance and fruit yield increase from bee visits. Trap comparisons and lab-field bioassays will be used to develop monitoring tools and management programs for spotted wing drosophila and brown marmorated stinkbug. A direct comparison of various traps will be conducted in locations where SWD or BMSB have already been detected One of each trap type will be deployed at each of six sites. Traps will be checked and their positions rotated weekly. SWD and BMSB insecticide efficacy tests will entail exposing lab-reared individuals to compounds using a field-based bioassay. Monitoring for the presence of lightbrown apple moth and summer fruit tortrix will entail deploying pheromone-baited traps on 5-10 fruit farms in each six Michigan fruit producing counties. Traps will be checked once every 2 weeks. If a suspected positive find is recorded, the specimen(s) will be sent to USDA-APHIS for species identification. The efficacy of reduced-risk and OP replacement insecticides will be evaluated in orchards at MSU AgBioResearch Centers and in commercial plantings. In research center trials, treatments will be applied to small plots arranged in a completely randomized block design with four replicates per treatment. Data will be subjected to ANOVA; means will be separated using Tukey's honestly significant difference test. For on-farm testing, the overall experimental design will be a direct comparison of the effectiveness of a newly or very recently registered insecticide versus other materials for control of a specific pest or complex of pests. Commercial orchards ranging in size from 10 to 30 acres will be randomly divided into 2-3 blocks and each will receive a different control material. Adult or immature densities and levels of fruit injury will be used to evaluate the effectiveness of pest control in all experiments. Efforts to develop effective pheromone-based mating disruption technologies will primarily be conducted in commercial orchards. Field plots will consist of 10-30 hectare commercial apple orchards subdivided into smaller plots. The study will be set up as a randomized complete block design with one replicate of each treatment within a given orchard plot. Mating disruption treatments to be tested will include aerosol emitters, meso dispensers, and attract-and-kill technologies. Captures of moths in traps baited with standard lures or female-equivalent lures will be the principal means of measuring treatment effects. Fruit injury at mid-season and at harvest also will be used to measure the treatment effects. A solid-set canopy delivery system (SSCDS) for traditional and/or future high-density fruit plantings has been developed with the aim of improved application efficacy and cost efficiency of agrichemical applications compared to a conventional tractor sprayer system. Applying the same treatment applications on the same day will directly compare the effectiveness of pest control using the two application systems. Pest densities and levels of fruit injury will be used to evaluate treatment effects in test plots. Knowledge will be delivered to target audiences through publication in peer-reviewed journals, presentation at professional meetings and through extension and outreach activities, including annual presentations at horticultural society meetings and short courses, and publication of newsletter articles and in web-based information resources. In addition, the Michigan Fruit Management Guide that is updated annually will have the greatest day-to-day impact on grower practices because the publication is routinely consulted during the growing season to assist in the process of management decision-making. Increases in grower adoption of new technologies and approaches, and changes in profitability and insecticide use patterns will be measured to quantify the impact of the project on the intended audience.

Progress 11/21/13 to 10/31/18

Outputs
Target Audience:Michigan and other US apple, peach and cherry producers and the Extension Educators serving them. Other individuals associated with the production of these commodities. Professional colleagues. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Educational presentations on new insect pest management tactics and strategies were given to agricultural stakeholders at the Ridge/Belding Spring Spray Meeting, Southeast MI Spring Tree Fruit Meeting, Southwest Michigan Horticultural Days, Northwest Michigan Horticultural Show, the Michigan Fruit and Vegetable Expo. Industry field tours of research plots were held at the Trevor Nichols Research Center and the Clarksville Horticultural Research Station. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Project findings were shared through conferences, workshops, field days, trade journal articles, Extension newsletters, annual reports, and presentations at grower and scientific meetings. A total of fourteen presentations were made at the Annual meeting of the Entomological Society of America over the course of the project. Findings were presented at the International Chemical Ecology Society meetings in Hungary, Japan and Brazil and the Asian Pacific Association of Chemical Ecology Conference in the USA. Topics presented included "Accelerating the adoption of mating disruption: Matching technology with mechanism", "Predicting the success of mating disruption", "Olfactory responses of winter morph spotted wing Drosophila to volatile semiochemicals", and "Optimizing pheromone aerosol emitters for codling moth mating disruption." Scientific findings on "Mark recapture and comparison studies improve monitoring tools for spotted wing drosophila", "Plume Reach and Trapping Area of a Pheromone Baited Codling Moth (Cydia Pomonella) Trap in Orchards under Various Mating Disruption Technologies", "Attract-and-kill: Is there a future for spotted wing drosophila management?", "Winter morph spotted wing drosophila: Biology, phenology, and response to visual and olfactory cues", "Tracking the brown marmorated stink bug in Michigan - From residential nuisance to crop pest", "High dosage codling moth aerosol pheromone emitters enhance rather than disrupt attraction" and "Optimizing pheromone aerosol emitters for codling moth mating disruption in apple" were presented at the Orchard Pest and Disease Management Conference in Portland, OR. Invited presentations entitled "Monitoring and management of new invasive pests of apple and cherry" and "Mating disruption past, present and future" were presented to fruit growers and industry representatives at the Wisconsin Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Conference in Waterloo, WI. Invited presentations entitled "Solid Set Systems as a Novel Method of Delivering Chemical Inputs in Apple" and "Mating Disruption Then, Now and the Future" were presented to fruit growers and industry representatives at the Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention in Hershey, PA. Updates on the management of tree fruit insects were presented to the industry at Annual Horticultural Society meetings in Grand Rapids (over 3500 attendees), Southwest, Southeast, Northwest and West central Michigan (100-300 attendees/meeting). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Declines in the number of honey bees and some wild bees threaten tree fruit production and have prompted interest in developing methods for gaining efficiencies in pollination services. One possible approach would be to deploy attractants within the crop to increase the number of floral visits. Two dispensers loaded with a mixture of floral scent and Nasonov pheromone were evaluated for their ability to increase pollinator visitation and fruit set in apple, blueberry and tart cherry. Replicated trials were conducted in 32 fields or orchards with and without putative attractants over three growing seasons. Both formulations failed to provide a measurable increase in pollinator visits or fruit set in these crops, indicating no return on investment for either product. Future studies will focus on the use of flower plantings adjacent to orchards to increase the diversity of wild bees and their contribution to pollinating MI fruit crops. Over the past few years, exotic species have had economically severe impacts on North American fruit crop industries. The Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) and Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) are the best-documented and highest profile threats to the Michigan tree fruit industries. Invasion by either of two other exotics, the light brown apple moth (LBAM) or summer fruit tortrix (SFT), also would greatly complicate the IPM programs developed for insect management in tree fruits. Trapping for BMSB took place in each year of the project at more than 65 sites near or in tree fruit orchards spread across Michigan. Adult captures were low through July, but increased dramatically beginning in August. The majority of BMSB were captured in traps in orchards in the southern part of the state, where growers are now routinely applying insecticides to prevent damage from this pest. Trapping for SWD was carried out at more than 130 sites spread throughout Michigan's fruit production regions. SWD flies were initially captured as early as mid-May, numbers remained low for 4-5 week, but by late June to early July, fly activity was intense. Increasing SWD activity prior to cherry harvest throughout Michigan's cherry producing counties has required that growers manage this pest intensively. Pheromone-baited traps for LBAM and SFT were deployed in each year of the project at 24 fruit farms/year spread across counties spread across MI fruit production regions. No LBAM or SFT were detected in the survey. Monitoring programs for invasive and emerging pests have allowed growers to preserve extant tree fruit IPM programs and maintain environmental, consumer and worker safety. A statewide survey revealed that the weekly MSU SWD trapping reports helped nearly all respondents (92%) make management decisions on their farms and a majority of respondents (76%) altered their insecticide program based on the SWD catch in traps. The project has played an important role in helping MI cherry growers maintain their current IPM programs and avoid potentially tens of millions of dollars in damage by this pest. Maintaining a robust monitoring program in Michigan is essential to managing BMSB and avoiding the severe losses encountered elsewhere. Insecticides have been applied, in part based on project findings, to protect their crop from this pest. In the absence of good monitoring and management tools, future crop losses to BMSB could easily exceed $50 million in Michigan. Our findings were published in a timely manner in the MSU Extension News, incorporated into the Michigan Fruit Pest Management Guide and used to prepare extension bulletins on SWD and BMSB management. A series of experiments were conducted with the aim of developing new trap designs and commercial attractants for SWD and BMSB that are more effective than the current industry standards. Laboratory bioassays and field studies revealed that SWD flies were highly attracted to red, purple and black. Field experiments conducted in cherry orchards revealed a red-baited sphere trap or a red-baited sticky panel trap captured significantly more flies than a translucent deli-cup trap. The maximum dispersal distance and plume reach of a SWD trap was examined using the mark recapture technique. Flies marked with fluorescent powder were released from five distances in four cardinal directions from a trap located in the center of a 50-acre cherry orchard. A plot of the data revealed that flies dispersed about 100 meters, the plume reach was less than 3 meters, and the trapping area of an attractant-baited red panel trap was 7.5 acres. Field studies revealed that a sticky panel trap and a standard 4-foot pyramid trap captured similar numbers of BMSB when both were baited with the same commercial lure. Polyethylene screen infused with deltamethrin was tested as a tool for monitoring BMSB. The netting trap consisted of the insecticide infused fabric draped over a shepherd's crook, baited with a Trécé BMSB Dual lure, and placed on top of gardening fabric to allow the stink bugs to climb up the fabric. Significantly more BMSB were collected below the pyrethroid infused netting traps than were captured in the pyramid or panel traps. Three and six-foot high traps captured similar numbers of bugs. Pyrethroid infused traps also showed promise as a means of managing BMSB by placing traps every 40 meters along the perimeter of commercial orchards. This project has made substantial progress in developing pheromone-based mating disruption as an efficacious and economical alternative control for several tree fruit pests. A very good dosage response curve was generated revealing that aerosol-emitting devices attract males and provide mating disruption competitively. Optimum disruption was achieved at about 2 units/acre. Additionally, the amount of pheromone required for disruption could be reduced up to 8-fold by reducing the amount of AI in each unit and programming the emitter to release pheromone into the orchard less frequently. Attract-and-remove (A&R) technologies appear to offer the possibility of a superior option for disruption. A novel device has been developed that consists of a 4" x 5" fabric pouch comprised of deltamethrin impregnated nylon fabric containing a semiochemical lure. Laboratory and field studies were conducted to determine the toxicity, longevity and efficacy of the devise for controlling Oriental fruit moth and obliquebanded leafroller. Biopesticides, other reduced-risk controls and management strategies for pests of tree fruits are being developed, evaluated, and delivered. On-farm trials were conducted in more than two-dozen apple, peach and cherry orchards located throughout Michigan. On farm testing in apple primarily emphasized codling moth and apple maggot control. Replicated large plot trials were set up to evaluate the effectiveness of newly registered insecticides. Pest pressure was moderate and excellent control of both pests was only achieved with a few compounds. On farm research in cherry emphasized management programs for spotted wing drosophila. Specifically, replicated large plot trials were set up in more than 25 commercial orchards to evaluate programs relying on materials with different post-harvest intervals and timings. Standard deli-cup traps baited with Scentry lures were deployed at each site to monitor adult activity and a 3-lb fruit sample was collected one week prior to harvest, the week of harvest, and one week following harvest. Findings from this on-farm study revealed that effective SWD management was best achieved if producers 1) relied only on highly effective insecticides, especially at the critical timing of 10-14 days before harvest, 2) a final spray was applied 3 days prior to harvest, to reduce risk of infestation, and 3) did not stretch spray intervals past 7 days.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Kirkpatrick, D.M., L.J. Gut and J.R. Miller. 2018. Development of a novel dry, sticky trap design incorporating visual cues for Drosophila suzukii. (Diptera: Drosophilidae). J. Econ. Entomol. 111 (4): 1775-1779.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Kirkpatrick, D.M., H. L. Leach, K Dong, R Isaacs, and L. J. Gut. 2018. Comparative antennal and behavioral responses of summer and winter Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) to ecologically-relevant volatiles. Environ. Entomol. 47(3): 764-772.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Williamson, J., C.G. Adams, R. Isaacs and L.J. Gut. 2018. Evaluation of Nasonov pheromone dispensers for pollinator attraction in apple, blueberry, and cherry. J. Econ. Entomol.111 (4): 1658-1663.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Kirkpatrick, D. M., L. J. Gut and J. R. Miller. 2018. Estimating monitoring trap plume reach and trapping area for Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in Michigan tart cherry. J. Econ. Entomol. 111(3):12851289.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Wise, J.C., A. H. VanWoerkom, C.E. Wheeler and L. J. Gut. 2018. Control of woolly apple aphid, 2017 43 (1): doi: 10.1093/amt/tsy064.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Wise, J.C., A. H. VanWoerkom, C.E. Wheeler and L. J. Gut. 2018. Control of pear psylla in pear, 2017 43(1): doi: 10.1093/amt/tsy062.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Wise, J., L.J., Gut, R. Isaacs, A. M. C. Schilder, B. Zandstra, E. Hanson & B. Shane. 2018. Michigan Fruit Management Guide. Michigan State University Extension Bulletin E-154.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Wilson, J., R. Isaacs and L. Gut. 2018. Spotted wing Drosophila update  Its a much later season for spotted wing Drosophila. MSU AgNews, June 19, 2018.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Wilson, J., R. Isaacs and L. Gut. 2018. Spotted wing Drosophila catches increase sharply in southwest Michigan. MSU AgNews, June 26, 2018.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Wilson, J., R. Isaacs and L. Gut. 2018. Spotted wing Drosophila update  SWD are still active, though traps caught low numbers due to the heat; ripening fruit must be protected against infestation. MSU AgNews, July 3, 2018.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Wilson, J., R. Isaacs and L. Gut. 2018. Spotted wing Drosophila update  Cooler weather last week coincided with a big jump in the number of SWD caught in traps; ripening fruit must be protected against infestation. MSU AgNews, July 10, 2018.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Wilson, J., R. Isaacs and L. Gut. 2018. Spotted wing Drosophila update  Levels of SWD in traps continue to rise in southern Michigan, are leveling off mid-state, and dipping a bit in the north. MSU AgNews, July 17, 2018.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Wilson, J., R. Isaacs and L. Gut. 2018. Spotted wing Drosophila catches are continuing. Keep protecting fruit through harvest season. MSU AgNews, July 24, 2018.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Wilson, J., R. Isaacs and L. Gut. 2018. Cooler weather means more SWD activity; blueberry and other berry crops must be protected against infestation. MSU AgNews, July 31, 2018.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2018 Citation: Haas, M. and L. Gut, L. 2018. 2017 research update on managing brown marmorated stink bugs in U.S. specialty crops. MSU Extension News for Agric. Feb 1.


Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17

Outputs
Target Audience:Michigan and other US apple, peach and cherry producers and the Extension Educators serving them. Other individuals associated with the production of these commodities. Professional colleagues. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Educational presentations on new insect pest management tactics and strategies were given to agricultural stakeholders at the Ridge/Belding Spring Spray Meeting, Southeast MI Spring Tree Fruit Meeting, Southwest Michigan Horticultural Days, Northwest Michigan Horticultural Show, the Michigan Fruit and Vegetable Expo. Industry field tours of research plots were held at the Trevor Nichols Research Center and the Clarksville Horticultural Research Station. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Project findings were shared through conferences, workshops, field days, trade journal articles, Extension newsletters, annual reports, and presentations at grower and scientific meetings. Findings were presented at the International Chemical Ecology Society meeting in Kyoto, Japan on the topics of "Predicting the success of mating disruption" and "Olfactory responses of winter morph spotted wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) to volatile semiochemicals." Scientific findings on "Mark recapture and comparison studies improve monitoring tools for spotted wing drosophila" and "Plume Reach and Trapping Area of a Pheromone Baited Codling Moth (Cydia Pomonella) Trap in Orchards under Various Mating Disruption Technologies" were presented in January at the Orchard Pest and Disease Management Conference in Portland, OR. Invited presentations entitled "Monitoring and management of new invasive pests of apple and cherry" and "Mating disruption past, present and future" were presented to fruit growers and industry representatives at the Wisconsin Fresh Fruit & Vegetable Conference in Waterloo, WI. Updates on the management of tree fruit insects were presented to the industry at Annual Horticultural Society meetings in Grand Rapids (over 3500 attendees), Southwest, Southeast, Northwest and West central Michigan (100-300 attendees/meeting). What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Research and education in each of the six objectives will continue.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Monitoring programs for invasive and emerging pests have allowed growers to preserve extant tree fruit IPM programs and maintain environmental, consumer and worker safety. The value of tart cherry industry in Michigan is over $54 million and SWD has the potential to inflict substantial losses. A statewide survey revealed that the weekly MSU SWD trapping reports helped nearly all respondents (92%) make management decisions on their farms and a majority of respondents (76%) altered their insecticide program based on the SWD catch in traps. The project has played an important role in helping MI cherry growers maintain their current IPM programs and avoid potentially tens of millions of dollars in damage by this pest. Maintaining a robust monitoring program in Michigan is essential to managing BMSB and avoiding the severe losses encountered elsewhere. Insecticides have been applied, in part based on project findings, to protect their crop from this pest. In the absence of good monitoring and management tools, future crop losses to BMSB could easily exceed $50 million in Michigan. Our findings were published in a timely manner in the MSU Extension News, incorporated into the Michigan Fruit Pest Management Guide and used to prepare extension bulletins on SWD. BMSB and BSB management. Trapping for brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) using pheromone-baited traps was carried out at more than 65 sites near or in tree fruit orchards spread across Michigan. Sites were monitored with a double-sided clear sticky panel traps mounted on a wooden stake and baited with a Trécé BMSB Dual lure. To date, over 750 stink bug nymphs and adults have been captured. However, only a single BMSB has been detected across 20 sites in Northwest Michigan (ecoregion 50) and in West central Michigan (the northwestern corner of ecoregion 56). In addition, we directly compared the efficacy of the sticky panel trap and a standard 4-foot pyramid trap at six sites. Both traps were baited with Trécé lure. Three of each trap type were placed near a woodlot along the perimeter of an apple orchard. Similar numbers of adults and nymphs have been captured in the two trap types. Polyethylene screen infused with deltamethrin was tested as a tool for monitoring and managing BMSB. The netting trap consisted of the insecticide infused fabric draped over a shepherd's crook, baited with a Trécé BMSB Dual lure, and placed on top of gardening fabric to allow the stink bugs to climb up the fabric. Pyrethroid infused traps were placed every 40 meters along the perimeter of commercial orchards where BMSB has been captured in the past. We also compared BMSB captures in a trapping system based on the pyrethroid infused netting versus baited pyramid and clear panels. The study was replicated at three sites. The netting traps were highly effective at killing BMSB. Many more BMSB were collected below the pyrethroid infused netting traps than were captured in the pyramid or panel traps. Trapping for spotted wing drosophila (SWD) was carried out at more than 130 sites spread throughout Michigan's fruit production regions. Growers were kept abreast of SWD activity through weekly updates in the MSU Extension news. SWD flies were initially captured in mid-May, more than 2 weeks earlier than in previous years. By the end of July, flies had been captured in 97% of the monitoring traps, with a total of nearly 6000 flies caught. Increasing fly activity occurred prior to cherry harvest throughout Michigan's cherry producing counties and growers managed this pest intensively. A series of experiments were conducted to compare new trap designs and commercial attractants to that of the current industry standard in an effort to improve SWD monitoring tools. An experiment conducted in cherry orchards revealed a red-baited sphere trap and a red-baited sticky panel trap captured significantly more flies than a translucent deli-cup trap when all were baited with the same commercial lure. In a field comparison study, red panel traps and combination sphere and panel traps captured significantly more SWD than green panel traps, white panel traps, and deli-cup traps when all were baited with the same commercial lure. The maximum dispersal distance and plume reach of a SWD trap was again examined using the mark recapture technique. Flies marked with fluorescent powder were released from five distances in four cardinal directions from a trap located in the center of a 50-acre cherry orchard. A plot of the data confirmed the 2016 findings that flies dispersed about 100 meters, the plume reach was less than 3 meters, and the trapping area of an attractant-baited red panel trap was 7.5 acres. Most research to date on trapping SWD has focused on the damaging summer morph, with little research on the overwintering morph. While summer morphs are readily captured in baited monitoring traps, catches of winter morphs, even as temperatures rise in the spring, are generally low. Thus, we compared antennal response of winter and summer morphs to six ecologically-relevant odorants using electroantennography. Assays revealed morph-specific sensitivity to three of the compounds tested, geosmin, isoamyl acetate and acetic acid. Our results provide insights into how the different morphs of this invasive insect respond to environmental and chemical cues, with implications for season-long monitoring of this pest. Insecticide bioassays for black stem borer (BSB) control were conducted at sites with substantial populations as determined by beetle captures in trap. The assay entailed treating apple bolts baited with ethanol to attract beetles. Bolts were placed on the edge of the woods bordering an apple orchard in a randomized complete block design with 6 reps. The number of entry holes in the sides of the bolts over the course of 21-days post-treatment was used to determine treatment differences. Pyrethroid insecticides that are registered for control of wood boring pests appear to be the best candidates for controlling black stem borer. Warrior II with Zeon Tech. (2.56 fl oz/ac), PermUp 3.2EC (10 fl oz/ac) and Bifenture 2EC (12.8 fl oz/ac) significantly reduced BSB damage compared to the untreated control. Attract and kill is being evaluated as a potential control tactic for SWD. Three devices were tested in 2017. A plastic trap baited with an attractant lure and treated on the inside surface with deltamethrin was deployed in small plots at densities of 20 and 40 units per acre. Although this attract and kill device captured and killed over 15,000 flies, SWD populations and fruit injury were not significantly reduced compared to an untreated control. Another design tested was a plastic bag treated with deltamethrin on the outside surface. The bag was filled with an SWD attractant and holes were present in the upper part of the bag to allow flies to enter and drown in the attractive solution. This device when deployed at a density of 210/acre captured large numbers of flies and significantly reduced SWD densities compared to an untreated control. In the last couple of years, our team has developed a novel, simple, attract-and-kill device--a fabric pouch impregnated with deltamethrin and baited with an attractant. In the laboratory, nearly 100% mortality was recorded after flies were forced to contact the pouch for only 2 seconds. In a wind tunnel bioassay where flies could voluntarily contact the device baited with a wine/vinegar mixture, over 50% of the flies were killed within an hour whereas only 2% mortality was recorded in the control. Unfortunately, deployment of as many as 450 pouches/acre failed to significantly reduce SWD in small-plot field trial. Field studies in larger orchards are planned for next year in an effort to minimize movement of flies between plots.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Kirkpatrick, D.M., P.S. McGhee, L.J. Gut and J.R. Miller. 2017. Improving monitoring tools for spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii. Entomol. Exp. et Appl. 156:87-92.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Huang, J., L.J. Gut., and M. Grieshop. 2017. Evaluation of food-based attractants for spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae). Environ. Entomol. 46:878-884.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Adams, C. G., P. S. McGhee, J. H. Schenker, L. J. Gut, J. Brunner, and J. R. Miller. 2017. Line-trapping. of Codling Moth, Cydia pomonella, (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae): a novel approach to improving the precision of capture numbers in traps monitoring pest density. J. Econ. Entomol. 110:1508-1511.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Gibbs, J. J.K. Neelendra, J. K. Wilson, N.L. Rothwell, K. Powers, M. Haas, L. Gut, D.J Biddinger and R. Isaacs. 2017. Does Passive Sampling Accurately Reflect the Bee (Apoidea: Anthophila) Communities Pollinating Apple and Sour Cherry Orchards? Environ. Entomol. 46:579-588.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Adams, C. G., J. H. Schenker, P. S. McGhee, L. J. Gut, J. Brunner, and J. R. Miller. 2017. Maximizing Information Yield from Pheromone-Baited Monitoring Traps: Estimating Plume Reach, Trapping Radius, and Absolute Density of Codling Moth (Cydia pomonella) in Michigan Apple. J. Econ. Entomol. 110:305-318.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Wise, J., L.J., Gut, R. Isaacs, A. M. C. Schilder, B. Zandstra, E. Hanson & B. Shane. 2017. Michigan Fruit Management Guide. Michigan State University Extension Bulletin E-154.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Wise, J.C., A. H. VanWoerkom and L. J. Gut. 2017. Drosophila suzukii control in tart cherries, 2016 42 (1): doi: 10.1093/amt/tsx065.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Wise, J.C., A. H. VanWoerkom and L. J. Gut. 2017. Two-spotted spider mite control in tart cherry, 2016 42 (1): doi: 10.1093/amt/tsx063.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Wise, J.C., A. H. VanWoerkom and L. J. Gut. 2017. Plum curculio control in sweet cherry, 2016 42 (1): doi: 10.1093/amt/tsx059.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Wise, J.C., A. H. VanWoerkom and L. J. Gut. 2017. Control of woolly apple aphid, 2016 42 (1): doi: 10.1093/amt/tsx066.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Wise, J.C., A. H. VanWoerkom and L. J. Gut. 2017. Control of rosy apple aphid, 2016 42 (1): doi: 10.1093/amt/tsx062.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Wise, J.C., A. H. VanWoerkom and L. J. Gut. 2017. Control of pear psylla in pear, 2016 42 (1): doi: 10.1093/amt/tsx061.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Wise, J.C., A. H. VanWoerkom and L. J. Gut. 2017. European red mite control on apple, 2016 42 (1): doi: 10.1093/amt/tsx060.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Wise, J.C., A. H. VanWoerkom and L. J. Gut. 2017. Control of San Jose scale in apple, 2016 42 (1): doi: 10.1093/amt/tsx058.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Wise, J.C., A. H. VanWoerkom and L. J. Gut. 2016. Drosophila suzukii Control in Tart Cherries, 2015. Arthropod Management Tests 41 (1): doi: 10.1093/amt/tsw102.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Wise, J.C., A. H. VanWoerkom and L. J. Gut. 2016. Control of Oriental Fruit Moth and Plum Curculio in Peach, 2015. Arthropod Management Tests 41 (1): doi: 10.1093/amt/tsw104.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Wise, J.C., A. H. VanWoerkom and L. J. Gut. 2016. Season-long control of apple pests, 2015. Arthropod Management Tests 41 (1): doi: 10.1093/amt/tsw105.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Wilson, J. R, Isaacs and L. Gut. 2017. Michigan spotted wing Drosophila report for Aug 1, 2017. MSU Extension News for Agric. Aug 1.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Wilson, J. R, Isaacs and L. Gut. 2017. Michigan spotted wing Drosophila report for July 18, 2017. MSU Extension News for Agric. July 18.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Wilson, J. R, Isaacs and L. Gut. 2017. Michigan spotted wing Drosophila report for July 25, 2017. MSU Extension News for Agric. July 25.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Wilson, J. R, Isaacs and L. Gut. 2017. Michigan spotted wing Drosophila report for July 11, 2017. MSU Extension News for Agric. July 12.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Wilson, J. R, Isaacs and L. Gut. 2017. Michigan spotted wing Drosophila report for June 27, 2017. MSU Extension News for Agric. June 27.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Wilson, J. R, Isaacs and L. Gut. 2017. Michigan spotted wing Drosophila report for June 20, 2017. MSU Extension News for Agric. June 20.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Jones, D. and Gut, L. 2017. Management considerations for peach orchards with edge damage from oriental fruit moth. MSU Extension News for Agric. June 27.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Gut, L. and M. Haas. 2017. Black stem borer management in spring. MSU Extension News for Agric. May 9.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Gut, L. and M. Haas. 2017. Managing Oriental fruit moth using mating disruption. MSU Extension News for Agric. April 4.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Wise, J., R. Isaacs and L. Gut. 2017. 2017 fruit insecticide registration update. MSU Extension News for Agric. March 28.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Wilson, J., L.J., Gut, M. Haas, M. Grieshop, K. Poley and W. Shane. 2016. Managing Brown Marmorated Stink Bug in Michigan Tree Fruits.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Haas, M., J. Wilson and L.J., Gut. 2016. Managing Black Stem Borer in Michigan Tree Fruits.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Wilson, J. L. Gut, N. Rothwell, M. Haas, E. Pochubay, K. Powers, M. Whalon and J. Wise. 2016. Managing Spotted Wing Drosophila in Michigan Cherry. http://www.ipm.msu.edu/uploads/files/SWD/SWDManagementGuideCherries.pdf.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Wilson, J. R, Isaacs and L. Gut. 2017. First spotted wing Drosophila weekly report. MSU Extension News for Agric. June 6.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Rothwell, N., E. Pochubay, L. Gut and J. Wise 2017. Michigan spotted wing Drosophila in cherries at harvest time. MSU Extension News for Agric. July 12.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2017 Citation: Rothwell, N., E. Pochubay, L. Gut and J. Wise 2017. Potential for spotted wing Drosophila in dropped cherries. MSU Extension News for Agric. June 29.


Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16

Outputs
Target Audience:Michigan and other US apple, peach and cherry producers and the Extension Educators serving them. Other individuals associated with the production of these commodities. Professional colleagues. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Educational presentations on new insect pest management tactics and strategies were given to agricultural stakeholders at the Ridge/Belding Spring Spray Meeting, Southeast MI Spring Tree Fruit Meeting, Southwest Michigan Horticultural Days, Northwest Michigan Horticultural Show, the Michigan Fruit and Vegetable Expo. Industry field tours of research plots were held at the Trevor Nichols Research Center and the Clarksville Horticultural Research Station. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Project findings were shared through conferences, workshops, field days, trade journal articles, Extension newsletters, annual reports, and presentations at grower and scientific meetings. Findings were presented at the International Chemical Ecology Society meeting in Igaussu Falls, Brazil on the topic of "Maximizing information yield and improving the precision of pheromone-baited monitoring traps" and at the IOBC 9th International Conference on Integrated Fruit Production in Thessaloniki, Greece on the topic of "Optimizing pheromone aerosol emitters for codling moth mating disruption." Scientific findings on "Evaluation of a novel attract and kill device for critical insect pests of fruit" - "Improving Trap Efficiency and Retention for Spotted Wing Drosophila" - Interpreting catch of codling moth (Cydia pomonella) in sex pheromone baited monitoring traps and "Long-line trapping of codling moth: A novel approach to increasing the precision of insect captures in monitoring traps" were presented in January at the Orchard Pest and Disease Management Conference in Portland, OR. Invited presentations entitled "Solid Set Systems as a Novel Method of Delivering Chemical Inputs in Apple" and "Mating Disruption Then, Now and the Future" were presented to fruit growers and industry representatives at the Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention in Hershey, PA. Updates on the management of tree fruit insects were presented to the industry at Annual Horticultural Society meetings in Grand Rapids, Southwest, Southeast, Northwest and West central Michigan. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Research and education in each of the six objectives will continue.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Monitoring traps baited with sex pheromones play a critical role in revealing where and when insect pests are active. Using codling moth (CM) as a model organism, we documented how novel methods of data analysis can be used to interpret catch data from single-trap multiple-release trapping grid experiments to reveal 1) the attractant plume reach from the trap, 2) the maximum dispersive distance of a population of responders, and 3) the proportion of the population in the trapping area caught. For CM responding to a standard pheromone-baited trap the proportion caught was .01-.02, the dispersive distance was 260 m, the plume reach was less than 5 m, and the trapping area was ca 50 acres. Recognizing the inherent weakness of using a single trap for CM management decisions while seeking to minimize the time and labor required to visit multiple traps distributed throughout an apple block, we conducted field experiments to quantify the benefits of a novel approach to monitoring that we have termed line trapping. The approach entails deploying 5 standard CM traps on 5 adjacent trees at the center of a large orchard block. Field experiments directly comparing the precision of a single trap versus line trapping for CM revealed that mean catch in a line of 5 traps was very similar to that for a single trap. Furthermore, variation in mean catch in the line of traps was substantially reduced over that for a single trap. This fundamental knowledge of how to space traps and interpret catch numbers will enable pest mangers to make more precise projections of damage and therefore more precise and reliable decisions on whether insecticide applications are justified. Trapping with BMSB pheromone-baited traps was carried out at more than 80 sites spread across 21 Michigan counties using pyramid or Rescue style traps baited with commercial lures. First captures were recorded in August and steadily increased into September. A total of 236 brown marmorated stink bug nymphs and adults have been captured in 16 traps spread across 13 sites. In addition, we directly compared the efficacy of the various commercially available BMSB lures. Trapping for spotted wing drosophila (SWD) was carried out at more than 150 sites. SWD flies were captured in all cherry producing counties. A total of 39 flies were captured from 18 out of the 152 traps during the week prior to June 21. By July 8, 38% of the traps had captured at least one fly. Catches continued to climb each week. By July 21, 74% of the traps had captured at least one fly. In general, increasing fly activity occurred just prior to harvest in the southern regions, but several weeks before harvest in the northwest. Growers were kept abreast of BMSB and SWD activity through weekly updates in the MSU Extension news. Methods for trapping SWD have not yet been optimized. Laboratory bioassays quantifying rates of SWD alightment on odorless sticky disks of various colors showed that red, purple, and black disks captured the most flies. Similar patterns of captures were seen in a field study with sticky baited sphere traps of various colors; red and black sphere traps captured the most SWD. When the standard clear deli-cup trap was compared to the sphere trap in the field, sticky baited sphere traps captured 3-6 times more flies than the deli-cup trap baited with the same lure, and 3-4 times more flies than the deli-cup trap baited with yeast-sugar bait. Flies marked with fluorescent powder were released from five distances in four cardinal directions from a central trap to examine maximum dispersal distance and plume reach of a SWD trap. Initial results indicated that flies dispersed at least 100 meters and the trapping area of an attractant-baited red panel trap was about 12 acres. Trapping, supplemented with direct counts of signs of their presence and beetles in galleries, were used to identify areas of Black Stem Borer activity and improve our understanding of the beetle's biology in Michigan. Adult flight was monitored at 20 sites spread across the southwest, ridge, and west central apple production regions using a bottle trap baited with ethanol. Beetles have been collected in 15 of the 20 trapping sites. The highest catch was recorded at a southeast site, with nearly 300 beetles collected in late May. Peak activity for the first flight occurred in late-May. Insecticide efficacy trails were conducted at 2 sites where damaging populations have been detected. We directly compared warrior, mustang max and Bifenture, either applied by airblast sprayer or as a trunk drench. All treatments provided equivalent levels of control. Biopesticides, other reduced-risk controls and management strategies for pests of tree fruits are being developed, evaluated, and delivered. On farm research in cherry emphasized management programs for spotted wing drosophila. Specifically, replicated large plot trials were set up to evaluate programs in which sprays were based on fly captures in traps. Excellent control of spotted wing drosophila was obtained in southwest Michigan sites where pest densities were low until just prior to harvest. Control programs were less effective in northwest Michigan where spotted wing drosophila numbers increased several weeks prior to harvest. In the last couple of years, our team has developed a novel, simple, inexpensive, and long lasting attract-and-kill device--a fabric pouch impregnated with deltamethrin and baited with a semiochemical lure. This device has proven to be effective in killing tree fruit insect pests including Oriental fruit moth, codling moth, obliquebanded leafroller, and Japanese beetle. Attract-and-kill pouches are applied as distinct "point sources" in the fruit crop in contrast to widely broadcasted insecticide sprays delivered via air blast or tower sprayers, thus reducing insecticide residues on fruit. Currently, we are testing this device for control of SWD. In the laboratory, both male and female flies died after being forced to contact the pouch for 2 seconds. In a wind tunnel bioassay where flies could voluntarily contact the device baited with a wine/vinegar mixture, over 50% of the flies were killed within an hour whereas only 2% mortality was recorded in the control. Thus, our attract-and-kill pouch may provide a promising alternative for controlling this invasive species. Project outputs have enabled tree fruit growers and consultants to incorporate new tactics into their IPM programs in ways that ensure environmental quality, grower profitability, and sustainability. An estimated 40% of Michigan's apple acreage is now treated with the environmentally friendly codling moth control termed mating disruption. Our research on aerosol emitting devices has led to an increase in the adoption of this labor saving disruption technology. The development of disruption, other selective controls and excellent monitoring systems have allowed growers to eliminate treatments that are not warranted and thereby reduce the cost of insect pest management programs. The estimated cost savings of eliminating a single spray on the 37,000 acres of apples grown in Michigan would amount to an increase in profit of close to $2.0 million for Michigan growers. This project plays a substantial role in carrying out detection programs for invasive pests. The BMSB monitoring program his allowed growers to preserve extant tree fruit IPM programs and maintain environmental, consumer and worker safety. In the absence of good monitoring and management tools, future crop losses to BMSB could easily exceed $50 million in Michigan. This research provides the foundation for annual pest management recommendations published in E-154, the primary source of information for MI fruit growers.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: McGhee, P.S., J.R. Miller, D.R. Thomson and L.J. Gut. 2016. Optimizing aerosol emitters for mating disruption of codling moth, Cydia pomonella L. J. Chem. Ecol. 42:612-616
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Raja, Z., C. Vandervoort, L. Gut, M. Whalon and J. Wise. 2016. Lethal time of insecticides on the predator mite Neoseiulus fallacis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) following topical exposure. Can. Entomol. 148:353-360
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Kirkpatrick, D.M., P.S. McGhee, S.L. Hermann, L.J. Gut and J.R. Miller. 2016. Alightment of spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) on odorless disks varying in color. Environ. Entomol. 45:185-191.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Pote, J., A. Nielsen, L.J. Gut, & M.J. Grieshop. 2015. Organic management of the apple flea weevil, a re-emerging pest of commercial apples. J. Organic Agric., August, 1-11. http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13165-015-0129-z
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Wise, J., L.J., Gut, R. Isaacs, A. M. C. Schilder, B. Zandstra, E. Hanson & B. Shane. 2016. Michigan Fruit Management Guide. Michigan State University Extension Bulletin E-154.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Wise, J.C., A. H. VanWoerkom and L. J. Gut. 2015. Control of Codling Moth in Apple, 2014. Arthropod Management Tests 40 (1): A7?doi: 10.1093/amt/tsv007.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Wise, J.C., A. H. VanWoerkom and L. J. Gut. 2015. Plum Curculio Control in Sweet Cherry, 2014. Arthropod Management Tests 40 (1): B1?doi: 10.1093/amt/tsv008.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Wise, J.C., A. H. VanWoerkom and L. J. Gut. 2015. Control of a Broad Spectrum of Insect Pests in Peach, 2014. Arthropod Management Tests 40 (1): B2?doi: 10.1093/amt/tsv009.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Gut, L., J. Huang, P and P. McGhee. 2015. A Novel Mating Disruption System Designed for Rapid Deployment of Reservoir Pheromone Dispensers. New York Fruit Quarterly 23 (3): 10-13.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Wise, J.C., A. H. VanWoerkom and L. J. Gut. 2015. Spotted Wing Drosophila Control in Tart Cherries, 2014. Arthropod Management Tests 40 (1): B3?doi: 10.1093/amt/tsv010.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Wilson, J. R, Isaacs and L. Gut. 2016. Michigan spotted wing Drosophila report for Aug 26, 2016. MSU Extension News for Agric. Aug 26.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Wilson, J. R, Isaacs and L. Gut. 2016. Michigan spotted wing Drosophila report for Aug 19, 2016. MSU Extension News for Agric. Aug 19.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Wilson, J. R, Isaacs and L. Gut. 2016. Michigan spotted wing Drosophila report for Aug 12, 2016. MSU Extension News for Agric. Aug 12.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Wilson, J. R, Isaacs and L. Gut. 2016. Michigan spotted wing Drosophila report for Aug 5, 2016. MSU Extension News for Agric. Aug 5.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Wilson, J. R, Isaacs and L. Gut. 2016. Michigan spotted wing Drosophila report for July 29, 2016. MSU Extension News for Agric. July 29.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Wilson, J. R, Isaacs and L. Gut. 2016. Michigan spotted wing Drosophila report for July 22, 2016. MSU Extension News for Agric. July 22.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Wilson, J. R, Isaacs and L. Gut. 2016. Michigan spotted wing Drosophila report for July 15, 2016. MSU Extension News for Agric. July 15.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Wilson, J. R, Isaacs and L. Gut. 2016. Michigan spotted wing Drosophila report for July 8, 2016. MSU Extension News for Agric. July 8.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Wilson, J. R, Isaacs and L. Gut. 2016. Michigan spotted wing Drosophila report for June 28, 2016. MSU Extension News for Agric. June 28.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Wilson, J. R, Isaacs and L. Gut. 2016. Michigan spotted wing Drosophila report for June 15 2016. MSU Extension News for Agric. June 15.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Wise, J., R. Isaacs and L. Gut. 2016. Miticide options for controlling mites in fruit. April 26.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Gut, L., J. Wilson and M. Haas. 2016. Time to start monitoring for black stem borer. MSU Extension News for Agric. April 12.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Wise, J., R. Isaacs and L. Gut. 2016. 2016 fruit insecticide registration update. MSU Extension News for Agric. April 4.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2016 Citation: Isaacs, R., E. Pochubay, N. Rothwell, L. Gut and J. Wilson. 2015. First spotted wing drosophila detected for 2015  traps should be out already. June 16.


Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15

Outputs
Target Audience:Michigan and other US apple, peach and cherry producers and the Extension Educators serving them. Other individuals associated with the production of these commodities. Professional colleagues. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Findings were presented to grower and industry groups at the major MI grower meetings including the Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable, and Farm Market (GLFVFM) Expo (over 3500 attendees/year), and West Central, Southwest, and Southeast regional horticulture meetings with 50-300 attendees per meeting/year. Industry field tours of research plots were held at the Trevor Nichols Research Center and the Clarksville Horticultural Research Station. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Project findings were shared through conferences, workshops, field days, trade journal articles, Extension newsletters, annual reports, and presentations at grower and scientific meetings. Findings were presented at the National meeting of the Entomological Society of America on the topics of "Pheromone-based technologies for managing tree fruit pests: A forty year journey" - "High-dosage codling moth, Cydia pomonella L., aerosol pheromone emitters enhance rather than disrupt attraction" and "Plume reach and trapping radius of codling moth (Cydia pomonella) " were presented in November at the National meeting of the Entomological Society of America in Portland, Oregon. Scientific findings on "Optimizing pheromone aerosol emitters for codling moth mating disruption in apple" - "MESO pheromone dispensers for effective disruption of codling moth in apple" and "A new attract and kill tactic for the Oriental fruit moth" were presented in January at the Orchard Pest and Disease Management Conference. An invited seminar entitled "Mating disruption for the 21st century: Matching technology with mechanism" was presented to students and faculty of the Department of Biology at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada. Updates on the management of tree fruit insects were presented to the industry at Annual Horticultural Society meetings in Grand Rapids, Southwest, Southeast, Northwest and West central Michigan. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Research and education in each of the six objectives will continue.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Biopesticides, other reduced-risk controls and management strategies for pests of tree fruits are being developed, evaluated, and delivered. On-farm trials were conducted in more 60 apple, peach and cherry orchards located throughout Michigan. On farm research in apple emphasized management programs for obliquebanded leafroller, oriental fruit moth, codling moth and apple maggot. Specifically, replicated large plot trials were set up to evaluate the effectiveness of reduced-risk insecticides, including, cyazypyr, rynaxypyr and spinetoram. Pest pressure was moderate and excellent control of most pests was achieved. The major exception was obliquebanded leafroller, with problematic densities and damage detected at some sites despite multiple insecticide sprays. Sulfloxaflor was tested for control of wooly apple aphid. This newly registered insecticide reduced pest numbers as well as, or better, than currently registered comparison materials. Attract-and-remove technologies appear to offer the possibility of a superior option for disruption. A novel device has been developed that consists of a 4" x 5" fabric pouch comprised of deltamethrin impregnated nylon fabric containing a semiochemical lure. Field trials were conducted for control of codling moth, obliquebanded leafroller and Japanese beetle using this technology. Many factors acting together have made it difficult for growers to achieve the desired levels of pollination in apple and cherry. Innovative approaches are needed to meet the challenges of a shrinking beekeeping industry and higher honey bee rental fees. Studies are ongoing to determine the diversity of wild pollinators in Michigan apple and cherry orchards. Native species of bees were abundant during bloom in commercial cherry orchards, but fairly scarce in apple orchards. In addition, this project is conducting research on the potential use of flower plantings adjacent to cherry orchards to increase the diversity of wild bees and their contribution to pollinating this important Michigan crop. Among the 10-15 invasive species that potentially attack apple or cherry, the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug (BMSB) and Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) are the greatest threats to the Michigan industries. Another invasive, the Black Stem Borer, has also become problematic for MI tree fruit growers. Thus, a major effort of this project was to conduct surveys and develop management plans for these and other potential invasive or emerging pests.Trapping with BMSB pheromone-baited traps was carried out at more than 60 sites spread across 19 Michigan counties. In addition, we directly compared the efficacy of the various commercially available BMSB lures. First captures were recorded in August and steadily increased into September. The highest captures were recorded in two sites in Berrien County (one urban site and one apple orchard) and at one site in Kent County (an urban site). Trapping for spotted wing drosophila (SWD) was carried out at more than 105 sites. In addition, we directly compared the efficacy of the various commercially available SWD baits and lures. SWD flies were captured in all cherry producing counties, with numbers increasing just prior to harvest. Despite responding with insecticide sprays, several cherry growers in Northwest Michigan suffered losses from SWD infestation at harvest. Growers were kept abreast of BMSB and SWD activity through weekly updates in the MSU Extension news. Trapping, supplemented with direct counts of signs of their presence and beetles in galleries, were used to identify areas of Black Stem Borer activity and improve our understanding of the beetle's biology in Michigan. Adult flight is being monitored at 20 sites spread across the southwest, ridge, west central and northwest apple production regions using a bottle trap baited with ethanol. Beetles have been collected from each of the four production regions and in 15 of the 20 trapping sites. The highest catches have been recorded in the southwest and fruit ridge areas. Catches have been very low in northwest orchards. Peak activity for the first flight occurred in mid-May. Insecticide efficacy trails were conducted at 3 sites where damaging populations have been detected. The first treatments were applied in early to mid-May. Synthetic pyrethroids appear to be the most effective option for control of this beetle. Project outputs have enabled tree fruit growers and consultants to incorporate new tactics into their IPM programs in ways that ensure environmental quality, grower profitability, and sustainability. An estimated 35% of Michigan's apple acreage is now treated with the environmentally friendly codling moth control termed mating disruption. The development of disruption, other selective controls and excellent monitoring systems have allowed growers to eliminate treatments that are not warranted and thereby reduce the cost of insect pest management programs. The estimated cost savings of eliminating a single spray on the 37,000 acres of apples grown in Michigan would amount to an increase in profit of close to $2.0 million for Michigan growers. This project plays a substantial role in carrying out detection programs for invasive pests. The BMSB monitoring program his allowed growers to preserve extant tree fruit IPM programs and maintain environmental, consumer and worker safety. In the absence of good monitoring and management tools, future crop losses to BMSB could easily exceed $50 million in Michigan. This research provides the foundation for annual pest management recommendations published in E-154, the primary source of information for MI fruit growers.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Miller, J.R. and L.J. Gut. 2015. Mating disruption for the 21st century: Matching technology with mechanism. Environ. Entomol. 44:427-453.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Huang, J., L.J. Gut., and M. Grieshop. 2015. Development of a new attract-and-kill technology for Oriental fruit moth control using insecticide-impregnated fabric. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 154:102-109.
  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Gut, L., J. Brunner, M. Reinke, J. Huang, P. McGhee, M. Haas and J. Miller. 2014. Novel mating disruption technologies and strategies for managing codling moth. IOBC/wprs Bulletin 99: 13-15.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Epstein, D., L. Gut and G. Sundin. 2014. A Pocket Guide for IPM Scouting in Michigan Apples, 4th Edition. Michigan State University Extension Bulletin E-2720, 74 pp.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Wise, J., L.J., Gut, R. Isaacs, A. M. C. Schilder, B. Zandstra, E. Hanson & B. Shane. 2015. Michigan Fruit Management Guide. Michigan State University Extension Bulletin E-154.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Wise, J., R. VanderPoppen and L. Gut. 2014. CONTROL OF SAN JOSE SCALE, 2013. Arthropod Management Tests 39: A3.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Wise, J., R. VanderPoppen and L. Gut. 2014 TWOSPOTTED SPIDER MITE CONTROL ON APPLE, 2013. Arthropod Management Tests 39: A4.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Wise, J., R. VanderPoppen and L. Gut. 2014. CONTROL OF ROSY APPLE APHID, 2013. Arthropod Management Tests 39: A5.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Wise, J., R. VanderPoppen and L. Gut. 2014. PLUM CURCULO CONTROL IN CHERRY, 2013. Arthropod Management Tests 39: B3.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Grieshop, M., L. Gut, J. Wise, P. Owen-Smith, G. Sundin, S. Miller, J. Flore, G. Lang and R. Perry. 2015. Development of solid set delivery systems for high density apples. New York Fruit Quarterly 23: 16-20.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Grieshop, M., J. Huang and L. Gut. 2014. Development of an attract and kill device for orchard pests. New York Fruit Quarterly 22: 11-14.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Wise, J. and L. Gut. 2015. Codling moth back to normal in 2015. MSU Extension News for Agric. May 28.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Wise, J., R. Isaacs and L. Gut. 2015. Miticide options for controlling mites in fruit. MSU Extension News for Agric. May 4
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Wise, J., R. Isaacs and L. Gut. 2015. 2015 fruit insecticide registration update. MSU Extension News for Agric. April 1.


Progress 11/21/13 to 09/30/14

Outputs
Target Audience: Michigan and other US apple, peach and cherry producers and the Extension Educators serving them. Other individuals associated with the production of these commodities. Professional colleagues. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Educational presentations on new insect pest management tactics and strategies were given to agricultural stakeholders at the Ridge/Belding Spring Spray Meeting, Southeast MI Spring Tree Fruit Meeting, Southwest Michigan Horticultural Days, Northwest Michigan Horticultural Show, the Michigan Fruit and Vegetable Expo. Industry field tours of research plots were held at the Trevor Nichols Research Center and the Clarksville Horticultural Research Station. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Project findings were shared through conferences, workshops, field days, trade journal articles, Extension newsletters, annual reports, and presentations at grower and scientific meetings. Scientific findings on “Use of solid-set canopy delivery systems to reduce pesticide inputs” were presented in October at the IOBC-WPRS pome and stone fruit working groups meeting in Vienna, Austria. Scientific findings on “Development of an attract and kill tactic for Oriental fruit moth” - “How codling moth disruption is achieved using aerosol emitters” - “Evaluation of an aerosol dispenser cycling between on & off compared to one on all the time” and “Estimating population density by calculating trap interception radius from the single-trap multiple-release configuration” were presented in January at the Orchard Pest and Disease Management Conference in Portland, Oregon. Posters were presented at the National meeting of the Entomological Society of America on the topics of “The effect of Polynate on the foraging behavior of honey bees (Apis mellifera) and other important pollinators of apple, blueberry and cherry” and “Field testing a solid set canopy delivery system in Michigan apples.” What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Research and educational efforts iun each of the six objectives will continue.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Biopesticides, other reduced-risk controls and management strategies for pests of tree fruits were developed, evaluated, and delivered. On-farm trials were conducted in more than two-dozen apple, peach and cherry orchards located throughout Michigan. On farm testing primarily emphasized codling moth and apple maggot control. Specifically, replicated large plot trials were set up to evaluate the effectiveness of the newly registered insecticide, cyazypyr. Pest pressure was moderate and excellent control of both pests was achieved. Additionally, sulfloxaflor was tested for control of wooly apple aphid and potato leafhopper. It reduced pest numbers as well as, or better, than currently registered comparison materials. A solid-set canopy delivery system (SSCDS) for traditional and/or future high-density fruit plantings was developed with the aim of improved application efficacy and cost efficiency of agrichemical applications compared to a conventional tractor sprayer system. The effectiveness of pest control using the two application systems was directly compared in field tests. The level of fruit protection in the SSCD-applied program was very good and equivalent to that achieved using a standard airblast sprayer. An average of 12.8% of the fruit were damaged by internal feeding worms in the unmanaged check plots, while the SSCD and airblast plots incurred 1.5% or 2.8% damage, respectively. This project has made substantial progress in developing pheromone-based mating disruption as an efficacious and economical alternative control for several tree fruit pests. Field trials were conducted in commercial orchards to determine the mode of action and effectiveness of low-density disruption formulations for codling moth control. A very good dosage response curve was generated revealing that aerosol-emitting devices attract males and provide mating disruption competitively. Furthermore, optimum disruption was achieved at about 2 units/acre. Attract-and-remove technologies appear to offer the possibility of a superior option for disruption. A novel device has been developed that consists of a 4” x 5” fabric pouch comprised of deltamethrin impregnated nylon fabric containing a semiochemical lure. Laboratory and field studies were conducted to determine the toxicity, longevity and efficacy of the devise for controlling Oriental fruit moth and obliquebanded leafroller. Many factors acting together have made it difficult for growers to achieve the desired levels of pollination in apple, cherry and blueberry. Innovative approaches are needed to meet the challenges of a shrinking beekeeping industry and higher honey bee rental fees. Thus, field trials were conducted to determine whether deployment of dispensers loaded with a bee pheromone could increase bee visitation and pollination of apple, highbush blueberry and cherry. Among the 10-15 invasive species that potentially attack apple or cherry, the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug and Spotted Wing Drosophila are the greatest threats to the Michigan industries. Thus, a major effort of this project is to conduct surveys and develop management plans for these and other potential invasive or emerging pests. Michigan growers kept abreast of BMSB activity through weekly updates in the MSU Extension news. Only one BMSB was captured in traps through mid August. BMSB captures rose substantially beginning in the second week of September. However, except for two instances of suspected fruit damage by BMSB, in Berrien County and eastern Ottawa County, this pest was not detected in fruit orchards. Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) flies were captured in all cherry producing counties, with numbers increasing during harvest. Traps baited with a commercial lure proved as effective as the commonly deployed yeast or apple cider baited traps. Project outputs have enabled tree fruit growers and consultants to incorporate new tactics into their IPM programs in ways that ensure environmental quality, grower profitability, and sustainability. An estimated 30% of Michigan’s apple acreage is now treated with the environmentally friendly codling moth control termed mating disruption. The development of disruption, other selective controls and excellent monitoring systems have allowed growers to eliminate treatments that are not warranted and thereby reduce the cost of insect pest management programs. The estimated cost savings of eliminating a single spray 37,000 acres of apples grown in Michigan it would amount to an increase in profit of $1.5 million for Michigan growers. This project plays a substantial role in carrying out detection programs for invasive pests. The BMSB monitoring program his allowed growers to preserve extant tree fruit IPM programs and maintain environmental, consumer and worker safety. In the absence of good monitoring and management tools, future crop losses to BMSB could easily exceed $50 million in Michigan. In response to the detection of SWD activity prior to cherry harvest in some locations, alerted growers did apply a single spray to control this pest. I am not aware of any SWD detections in harvested cherries. This research provides the foundation for annual pest management recommendations published in E-154, the primary source of information for MI fruit growers.

Publications

  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: McGhee, P.S., L.J. Gut and J.R. Miller. 2014. Aerosol emitters disrupt codling moth, Cydia pomonella, competitively. Pest Manag. Sci. 70: DOI: 10.1002/ps.3732.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Reinke, M.D., P. Y. Siegert, P.S. McGhee, L.J. Gut and J.R. Miller. 2014. Pheromone release rate determines whether sexual communication of Oriental fruit moth is disrupted by competitive or non-competitive mechanisms. Entomol. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applica 150:1-6.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Smith, J.J., T.H.Q. Powell, L. Teixeira, W.O. Armstrong, R.J. McClowry, R. Isaacs, G.R. Hood, J.L. Feder and L.J. Gut. 2013. Genetic structure of cherry fruit fly (Rhagoletis cingulata) populations across managed, unmanaged, and natural habitats. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 150:157-165.
  • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Huang, J., L.J. Gut and J.M. Miller. 2013. Separating the attractant from the toxicant improves attract-and-kill of codling moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). J. Econ. Entomol. 106:2144-2150.
  • Type: Book Chapters Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Gut, L. and P. McGhee. 2014. Internal-feeding tortricids: Codling moth. In: Compendium of Apple and Pear Diseases and Pests, T.B. Sutton, H.S. Aldwinckle, A.M.Agnello and J.F. Walgenbach (eds), pp. 33-36, API Press, MN.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Wise, J., L.J., Gut, R. Isaacs, A. M. C. Schilder, B. Zandstra, E. Hanson & B. Shane. 2014. Michigan Fruit Management Guide. Michigan State University Extension Bulletin E-154.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Wise, J., R. VanderPoppen and L. Gut. 2013. APPLE: Malus domestica Borkhausen, 'Smothee' CONTROL OF ROSY APPLE APHID, 2012. Arthropod Management Tests 38: A15.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Wise, J., R. VanderPoppen and L. Gut. 2013. APPLE: Malus domestica Borkhausen, 'Delicious' EUROPEAN RED MITE CONTROL ON APPLE, 2012. Arthropod Management Tests 38: A14.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Wise, J., R. VanderPoppen, N. Rothwell and L. Gut. 2013. CHERRY (TART): Prunus cerasus L. 'Montmorency' CONTROL OF TWOSPOTTED SPIDER MITES ON TART CHERRY, 2012. Arthropod Management Tests 38: B3.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Wise, J., R. VanderPoppen and L. Gut. 2013. PEACH: Prunus persica L. 'Red Haven' MITE CONTROL IN PEACHES, 2012. Arthropod Management Tests 38: B12.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Wise, J., R. Isaacs and L. Gut. 2014. 2014 fruit insecticide registration update. MSU Extension News for Agric. April 1.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Wilson, J., L. Gut, R. Isaacs and E. May. 2014. Minimizing pesticide exposure to bees in fruit crops. MSU Extension News for Agric. April 29.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Wise, J and L. Gut. 2014. Codling moth is back with a vengeance in 2014. MSU Extension News for Agric. June 3.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Wilson, J. and L. Gut. 2014. Michigan brown marmorated stink bug report for July 10. MSU Extension News for Agric. July 10.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Haas, M. and L. Gut. 2014. Brown marmorated stink bug spring update 2014. MSU Extension News for Agric. March 26.