Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/466321
www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER MARCH 1, 2015 37 In his summary of strengths and weaknesses, Wise lists "slow application time" first on the list of disadvantages. Direct pests of fruit have proved hardest to control. He's intrigued by the potential advan- tages: elimination of spray drift, reduced worker exposure, reduced pesticide impact on natural enemies, reduced total pesticide use, and the ability to use this method along with other methods, such as mating disruption and attract-and-kill. It may, in fact, contribute to resistance management. "Maybe we can do it spa- cially rather than temporally," he said. Instead of alternating materials from one spray application to the next, mate- rials could be alternated tree to tree—"a mosaic of materials in the orchard." If the method works, there are still hurdles—like finding effective rates and developing new product labels. Attract and kill Last spring, Good Fruit Grower reported that Grieshop, working with Dr. Larry Gut and postdoctoratal scientist Dr. Juan Huang, had developed an attract- and-kill device that draws Oriental fruit moths to a tiny pheromone lure contained inside an insecticide-treated pouch. When they touch the pouch, they die. (See "Attract and kill" in the March 1, 2014, issue.) The device is moving toward a commercial release. Grieshop thinks this will be a great improvement over using pheromones for mating disruption. Using phero- mones in large quantities to hide female insects inside a perfume cloud so males can't find them is expensive, he said. "It distracts the male for a limited time and shortens his already-short mating life," he said. "But killing the insect uses all of his available mating life span." Grieshop likes the system because it requires much less pheromone to lure an insect than to hide one in a cloud, it requires much less insecticide to treat a trap than to spray a tree, and it is highly selective, targeting only those insects "All of our wind machines are Orchard-Rite ." "All of our wind machines are Orchard-Rite ® ." —BOB BAILEY Orchard View Farms The Dalles, Oregon )*"()**( &)$*#* ")&&%)$*%'"* %!*( "%!)$*$&)(*#'*#)&**%)$** *#*#&*%!*( "%!)$*(&)*& "(&%') %'"*'")*'#'(&'*)('&)*")*#*$#'$* %!*#&*#& "(&$*#')!*(&*(!*'")*'#*'(&' "($*'()!*(*#*'")*)$$*#&*#'*# &#') '%!*'"#$)*(&)($* '#*'(&'*%$*&)%()* (!*$()$*) ")*$)&% )*)*)' &#* ($ ()*%! ( "%!)*)&% )*%$ &)('* ($ ()*%! ( "%!)*)&% )*%$*( $#%* #(!*") "()*'")*$()*)#) )(&*%!*(!*)(&*#' "% "*()$*%'*)($*'# #*$%!)$$*'#)'")&* ))*)*"()*(*&)(' #&%!*&)('%#!$"% $$++(!) )!())++*#% '#*&$$&' ( )+(!(+(!+)+%' ) +'#*&"%&"*" %$%'++(! ( (++**# '#*&"'&*%*$ +! )+)+%%" ) +'#*&*"'&#"$ Wind Machine Service For your nearest representative: www.orchard-rite.com Cascade RICHARD LEHNERT/GOOD FRUIT GROWER MSU entomologist Larry Gut holds the attract-and-kill lure Matt Grieshop, Juan Huang, and he developed. that are attracted to the lure. In field tests in 2013, he found that 50 traps per acre, using one thousand times less pheromone as needed for mating disruption, were effective for Oriental fruit moth. There are also no insecticide residues on the fruit. To be effective, however, the insect has to be drawn to a phero- mone. "You need a good attractant," he said. That is the case with codling moths, leafrollers, Oriental fruit moths, and Japanese beetles. It may also work with brown marmorated stinkbugs, he said, and possibly spotted wing drosophila. SSCD Work with the solid-set canopy delivery system is continuing in Michigan, Washington, New York, and now in Italy. Dr. Alberto Dorigoni is working with Dr. Art Agnello, from Cornell, to try the system in the South Tyrol growing region. The system consists of irrigation lines and spray nozzles per- manently installed in an orchard and a pumping station where spray materials are forced into the lines with air pressure. Grieshop heads the multi-university cooperative project. He likes it because there is less drift, there are no tractors and spray- ers, weather is less limiting, and the whole orchard is sprayed rap- idly, in 15 seconds or so. This allows critical sprays, like fungicides and thinners, to be applied at optimal times. The key drawback so far is that the forced air from airblast sprayers creates a swirling effect to provide more complete cov- erage of the foliage. With the SSCD, a few poorly placed leaves can block the spray from a nozzle. In tests so far, however, insect and disease control has been equal to control blocks where airblast sprayers were used, Grieshop said. •