Irrigation and Fertilization Effects on Nantucket Pine Tip Moth (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) Damage Levels and Pupal Weight in an Intensively-Managed Pine Plantation2

Abstract

The widespread application of intensive forest management practices throughout the southeastern U S . has increased loblolly pine, Pinus taeda L., yields and shortened conventional rotation lengths. Fluctuations in Nantucket pine tip moth, Rhyacionia frustrana (Comstock), population density and subsequent damage levels have been linked to variations in management intensity. We examined the effects of two practices, irrigation and fertilization, on R. frustrana damage levels and pupal weights in an intensively-managed P. taeda plantation in South Carolina. Trees received intensive weed control and one of the following treatments: irrigation only, fertilization only, irrigation + fertilization, or control. Mean whole-tree tip moth damage levels ranged from <1 to 48% during this study. Damage levels differed significantly among treatments in two tip moth generations in 2001, but not 2000. Pupal weight was significantly heavier in fertilization compared to the irrigation treatment in 2000, but no significant differences were observed in 2001. Tree diameter, height, and aboveground volume were significantly greater in the irrigation + fertilization than in the irrigation treatment after two growing seasons. Our data suggest that intensive management practices that include irrigation and fertilization do not consistently increase R. frustrana damage levels and pupal weights as is commonly believed. However, tip moth suppression efforts in areas adjacent to our study may have partially reduced the potential impacts of R. frustrana on this experiment.

Ecosystem Services of Woody Crop Production Systems

“…A leafhopper, Erythroneura lawsoni Robinson, had very high populations in sycamore, and while little foliar feeding injury occurred, higher numbers of leafhoppers were generally captured in non-fertilized plots [66]. In loblolly pine, irrigation and fertilization did not consistently impact Nantucket pine tip moth damage levels or pupal weight [64]. Cottonwood leaf beetle (Chrysomela scripta F.), cottonwood leafcurl mite, and poplar leaf rust (Melampsora medusa Thüm) incidence and damage were monitored on 31 Populus clones over 3 years in South Carolina [34].…”

A Review Of Sampling Procedures Available For Ipm Decision-Making Of Forest And Shade Tree Insects In North America

“…Recently, research efforts have focused on the development of sampling techniques for regeneration weevils, Hylobius spp., and tip moths, Rhyacionia spp., in forest and Christmas tree plantations. The pest status of these two genera has increased with the advent of intensive forest management (Fettig and Salom 1998;Fettig et al 2001;Asaro et al 2003;Coyle et al 2003) z As defined and reported by Fettig et al (2001). y Number (percentage of total number of publications within feeding group).…”

Dryland management regimes alter forest habitats and understory arthropod communities

“…A rare exception by Coyle et al . () investigated irrigation and fertilisation in a loblolly pine plantation and found that fertilisation increased tree growth and herbivore performance, although only in 1 year of the 2 years of the study. In any case, the majority of research examining forest management impacts on arthropods comes from temperate forest systems (Woodcock et al, ; Coyle et al, ; Fuller et al, ), which may extrapolate poorly to dryland forest systems.…”