Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/56260
HOW TO CONSERVE BENEFICIALS while fighting stinkbug P David Biddinger has advice for growers on how to control stinkbug. enn State University entomologist Dr. David Bid- dinger provided some rules of thumb growers can apply so as not to destroy all natural enemies and the integrity of integrated pest management programs as they go about controlling the brown marmorated stinkbug. Insecticide selection—Choose the product least harm- ful to natural enemies, but also keep in mind preharvest intervals and rate limitations on the label. Insecticide timing—Only apply a highly effective insec- ticide for stinkbugs when they are in your orchard. This requires vigilant monitoring of the blocks and surrounding habitat (woods, corn, or soybean fields). The stinkbug is most active at night. Dosage—The toxicity of any chemical compound is directly related to its dose. Always apply the lowest effective dose possible to conserve beneficials. Application techniques—Frequent low-dose applica- tions by the alternate-row-middle technique has worked for some pests in Penn- sylvania orchards in the past. With continual invasions of the orchards from surrounding habitat, frequent applications by these contact materials may give and still develop IPM programs that included biocontrol of secondary pests. Still, these IPM programs were fragile, a hybrid system, he said. "They typically have a greatly reduced natural enemy complex compared to situations where no pesticides are used," he said. "Most pests are controlled by a complex of many different species attack- ing different life stages at different times of the year. Relying on only a single species of biocontrol is not stable." better continual residual control than complete sprays with longer intervals. The alternate-row-middle technique works better to conserve mobile predators like lady beetles than for less mobile predatory mites. Selective placement/border sprays—Since the stinkbug is likely to move into orchards from the surrounding landscape or from overwintering sites in build- ings, restricting applications of broad-spectrum insecticides to border rows will likely conserve many natural enemies. Hope for biological control—Native stinkbugs do some fruit damage, but have been controlled for many years by a number of natural enemies. One, which attacks eggs, may adapt to attack brown marmorated stinkbug. Other predators may adapt as well. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is evaluating the possibil- ity of introducing egg parasitoids of the brown marmorated stinkbug from Asia. Biological control does not have to give 99 percent control of a pest like a biopesticide such as Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) does, Biddinger said. A number of natural enemies, each giving a relatively small level of control of multiple stages of the stinkbug, can greatly decrease the overall population levels that develop outside of the orchards. Given the broad host range and the mobility of the stinkbugs, the best hope is to achieve control everywhere in the environment, not just in the orchards, he added. —R. Lehnert "The IPM system based on resistant beneficial biocontrol agents that took decades to develop proved to be rather fragile and began to fail in Pennsylvania orchards in the mid-1990s," he said. "Then, most of our moth pests began to KEEP DEER OUT! GUARANTEED! No Sprays No Fences No Nets KEEP DEER OUT for as little as $135 an acre When a deer senses danger it calls to the rest of the herd, alerting them and causing them to flee. Deer Shield harnesses this natural warning system to effectively repel deer from crops and vineyards. Natural sounds of frightened deer, plus hostile and territorial deer sounds are played through weather- resistant speakers. When deer hear the sounds they flee the area and find somewhere else to eat. Birds live in an interdependent social structure where they use audible calls to signal danger from one member to the larger flock. Bird Gard uses the birds own language and natural instincts to effectively repel them. Digital recordings of distressed, injured and alarmed birds, along with the sounds of their natural predators trigger a primal fear and flee response. Bird Gard protects millions of acres of crops, orchards and feedlots around the world! Electronic Deer Control from the makers of www.DeerShieldTech.com www.goodfruit.com 888-332-2328 www.BirdGard.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER MARCH 1, 2012 11 KEEP BIRDS OUT for as little as $120 an acre develop resistance to organophosphate and carbamate insecticides, and higher doses or mixtures were required for pest control." There was also a shift due to the Food Quality Protection Act. KEEP BIRDS OUT! TRY ANY BIRD GARD OR DEER SHIELD PRODUCT FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR. IF YOU ARE NOT COMPLETELY SATISFIED WITH THE RESULTS SIMPLY RETURN IT FOR A FULL REFUND OF YOUR PURCHASE PRICE.