No abstract

Xylosandrus germanus (Blandford) has caused increasing damage in high-density New York apple orchards since 2013, resulting in tree decline and death. We documented their occurrence and timing in > 50 orchards using ethanol-baited traps from 2014 to 2016. First captures ranged from 48 to 83 degree days (base 10 °C) from 1 January. Captures were numerically higher at the orchard-woods interface than within the orchard interior, but differences were not significant in locations with lower populations. Control using insecticide trunk sprays was tested in potted, waterlogged apple trees placed in orchards and nurseries, and inside wooded areas adjacent to orchards. A verbenone repellent was used in combination with trunk sprays to improve control. Overall, insecticide sprays were inconsistent and marginal in preventing new infestations. Chlorpyrifos significantly reduced infestations versus lambda-cyhalothrin and untreated trees at one location in the 2015 orchard trials, and versus untreated trees at one location in the 2016 nursery trials, but otherwise performed no better than other treatments. The addition of verbenone to either the check or permethrin treatments resulted in significantly fewer attack sites containing brood at one orchard site in 2016. Chlorpyrifos, lambda-cyhalothrin, and permethrin significantly reduced the number of attack sites containing adults compared with untreated trees at one nursery trial location in 2016, but were otherwise ineffective in reducing numbers of trees in other locations and infestation categories. We found several fungal and bacterial species associated with X. germanus and its infestation of apples. These microbes likely play a minimal role in apple decline.

Pheromone disruptants were tested from 1989 to 1992 in western New York to determine effect on trap catch and potential use in the control of obliqueblmded leafroller. Clwristoneurct rosacearw (Harris), using polyethylene tube tie and controlled-release membrane dispensers in plots of 0.2-2.4 ha. Effectiveness of pheromone at different application rates and canopy locations was evaluated using synthetic pheromone-baited traps, molassesbaited traps, and by inspecting foliar terminals and fruit for leafroller damage. All pheromone treatments significantly reduced (by 56-97%) pheromone trap catches of male moths compared with catches in nontreated blocks. One application of a nahlral-blend formulation at 988 dispensers per hectare was better than 494/ha at dismpting trap catch of both Rights that occur during the year. However, mated female motlls were present in the orchard center as frequently as anywhere else in a pheromone-treated block, indicating either immigration from outside sources or resident females that were not prevented from mating by the pheromone. The membrane dispenser emitted the 3-component natural blend at proportions similar to those in wild female moths. Pheromone traps placed in the tops of trees in a pheromonetreated orchard always caught higher numbers of male moths than those in lower-or middlecanopy positions. Pheromonc treatment resulted in fruit damage similar to tlIat of a pheromone + insecticide treatment under low to moderate leah'oller population pressure (i.e., 3-5% fruit damage in untreated orchards); however, no control method was able to reduce damage to acceptable levels in all cases.