Management Programs for Internal Lepidoptera in Apples Using Pheromone Mating Disruption and In-season Fruit Inspection

Abstract

During the last 5 years, severe outbreaks of two species of internal Lepidoptera (worms) have occurred in apple production regions in western NY. These outbreaks have caused severe financial losses to growers throughout this region because numerous loads of apples have been rejected for fresh or processing markets. Initial studies conducted have shown that neither the currently available organophosphate (OP)-based technology nor programs relying on more selective reduced-risk products can provide adequate, cost-effective control of these pests in high-risk commercial orchards within these outbreak areas. This escalating incidence of severe fruit damage in commercial orchards clearly poses a threat to the continued viability of the industry within the region. The objectives of this year's study were to: 1) Compare the effectiveness of three different pheromone dispensing systems for mating disruption of oriental fruit moth and codling moth in commercial apple orchards; 2) Use a repeated fruit sampling protocol and pheromone trap monitoring to determine the need for and subsequent timing of special insecticide sprays against oriental fruit moth and codling moth in both disrupted and non-disrupted orchards.