Multi-Species Mating Disruption in Cranberries (Ericales: Ericaceae): Early Evidence Using a Flowable Emulsion

Abstract

Pheromone-based mating disruption has proven to be a powerful pest management tactic in many cropping systems. However, in the cranberry system, a viable mating disruption program does not yet exist. There are commercially available pheromones for several of the major pests of cranberries, including the cranberry fruitworm, Acrobasis vaccinii Riley (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and blackheaded fireworm, Rhopobota naevana (Hübner) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Previous studies have shown that mating disruption represents a promising approach for R. naevana management although carrier and delivery technologies have remained unresolved. The present study examined the suitability of Specialized Pheromone & Lure Application Technology (SPLAT; ISCA Technologies, Inc., Riverside, CA), a proprietary wax and oil blend, to serve as a pheromone carrier in the cranberry system. In 2013 and 2014, we tested a blend of pheromones targeting A. vaccinii and R. naevana in field-scale, replicated trials. Pheromones were loaded into SPLAT and the resulting “SPLAT BFW CFW” formulation was deployed in commercial cranberry marshes. We compared moth trap-catch counts within SPLAT-treated blocks to those of conventionally managed blocks. In 2013, applications of SPLAT BFW CFW resulted in highly successful disruption of R. naevana and promising, though inconsistent, disruption of A. vaccinii. To improve disruption of A. vaccinii, the pheromone load was increased in 2014, providing 92% and 74% reductions in trap-catch for R. naevana and A. vaccinii, respectively. Importantly, larval infestation rates in SPLAT-treated blocks were lower than those of conventionally managed blocks. These results suggest that a multispecies mating disruption system (SPLAT BFW CFW) may represent an effective pesticide-alternative for serious pests of cranberries.

Advances in cranberry insect pest management: A literature synthesis

“…Mating disruption for A. orientalis has also been evaluated in cranberries (Wenninger and Averill, 2006), although it has yet to be implemented likely because other grub species are more important pests. However, the efficacy of mating disruption can be inconsistent, like in the case of A. vaccinii (Steffan et al, 2017a). Other times they have not even been attempted because of sufficient tolerance to the pest, as in the case of H. equina, which has an effective pheromone lure Weber et al, 2005).…”

The use of disorientation of the plum moth in the conditions of chemical protection of the orchard

“…Therefore, the use of drugs with ovicidal action and the control in the phase of the pest's imago still have great research prospects. The largest number of works on the use of control during the flight of imago is associated with the use of pheromones [15,16,17In general, the method appeals to the agricultural service, both due to the duration of action and the economy of use, and recent studies have already made it possible to develop a bait with a sufficiently long period of action that allows the use of single-use dispensers for the plum moth for the entire period of crop protection [18].…”