Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/643470
www.goodfruit.com Good Fruit Grower MARCH 1, 2016 15 However, Michigan has struggled with borer since the 1970s, said Dr. David Biddinger, an entomologist with Pennsylvania State University Fruit Research and Exten- sion Center in Biglerville. He wrote his 1985 thesis on the moth after it had been "devastating" Michigan cherry trees for 12 years or so. In a self-deprecating email, Biddinger describes him- self as "probably the world's expert on this pest, but that is not saying much outside of Michigan." He blamed most of Michigan's problems on the advent of mechani- cal harvesting of tart cherries. The plum borer gets under the tree's bark through wounds — in Michigan's case, caused by the harvester's clamps — to feed on the cambium just beneath. "In mechanically harvested tart cherries in Michigan, we figure it reduced the life of an orchard by about one- third," Biddinger said. "They can girdle a scaffold limb in only two to three seasons and an entire tree in five to seven years depending on the age of the trees when attacked and the pest pressure. (American plum borers) prevent wounds on fruit trees from healing and enlarge them so that diseases can enter for secondary infections." The borer has two generations per year in northern states, three in the South, Biddinger said. The overwin- tering larvae pupate in early spring and emerge as adults right before bloom. The second generation comes out just after harvest, attracted to the fresh harvester wounds. "For you guys, I think it's just going to be a nuisance," Biddinger said. In the Northwest, sweet cherries are picked by hand, not machines. Still, field representatives aren't sure what to expect or what to do, though they advise pulling out dead trees and spot spraying with some registered chemicals, Hubbard said. Growers in other states have used long-lasting insec- ticides at the site of wounds and crotches of young trees, Shearer said. Websites of Penn State and Cornell Uni- versity in New York suggest timing treatments around petal fall. University of California-Davis pest manage- ment guidelines mention the use of Lorsban Advanced (chlorpyrifos), Diazinon 50W (diazinon) and Sevin 4F (carbaryl). Observation will be job one, Hubbard said. "To a cer- tain degree, it's going to be a lot of monitoring this year to keep watching." • "In mechanically harvested tart cherries in Michigan, we figure it reduced the life of an orchard by about one-third." —David Biddinger In northern states, the borer has two generations per year, with the first adults emerging right before bloom. © 2016, Trécé Inc., Adair, OK USA • TRECE, PHEROCON and CIDETRAK are registered trademarks of Trece, Inc., Adair, OK USA TRE-0862 PLEASE: ALWAYS READ THE LABEL DECREASES DAMAGE! 40% Average Reduction Compared to Insecticide Alone. * INSEC T PHEROMONE & KAIROMONE SYSTEMS INCORPORATED ® Your Edge – And Ours – Is Knowledge. CIDETRAK ® DA MEC ™ contains a novel, patented kairomone in a micro-encapsulated liquid formulation that inuences the behavior of adult and larval Codling Moth, resulting in significant enhancement of the control of Codling Moth larvae when tank mixed with various insecticides. Additionally, Codling Moth adult control is signicantly enhanced when mixed indirectly with airborne Codling Moth pheromone applied as a mating disruption treatment. • What it does: Disrupts oviposition. Changes larval behavior: Stops/delays locating fruit; stops/delays fruit entry and reduces damage. • How to use it: Simply tank mix with each insecticide application. • Longevity: More than 14 days following application. Contact your local supplier and order now. Visit our website: www.trece.com or call 1- 866 -785-1313. ENHANCED CODLING MOTH LARVAL CONTROL MICRO-ENCAPSULATED SPRAYABLE! *Based on USDA analysis global data base. Available in 10, 20 and 40 acre container sizes! CIDETRAK DA MEC ad for GFG.indd 1 2/2/16 4:20 PM