Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/263110
www.goodfruit.com GOOD FRUIT GROWER MARCH 1, 2014 23 the toxicant. A droplet is a very small surface for the moth to contact, and there is a risk that the moths' sensory sys- tems will be overwhelmed and they won't even touch the formulation, he said. The device the MSU team developed uses very low rates of pheromone, making it cheaper to use. The rate is about a one-thousandth of that found in the twist-tie dis- pensers used in mating disruption. Moreover, it appears that 50 lures per acre will be enough, a quarter of what orchardists use in mating disruption. On the other side, the insecticide used to treat the pouch is less diluted—about ten times as potent as dilute spray material. In the tests, this resulted in 100 percent knockdown or kill within an hour of contact. Grieshop, who runs the Organic Pest Management Laboratory at MSU, says this technique probably doesn't meet organic standards. The insecticide he used is del- tamethrin, a synthetic pyrethroid that is a neurotoxin with fast knockdown activity. It remains potent in the pouch for a full year. While it's not organic,no insecticide is sprayed onto trees or fruit. There are no insecticide residues on fruit. The lure is highly selective, so it's safer for natural ene- mies and nontarget species. And, he said, "Just because current NOP-compliant insecticides are not good candi- dates for this technology does not mean that future NOP insecticides might not fit the bill." "We're pretty excited about this," he told growers at the Northwest Michigan Orchard and Vineyard Show in Traverse City, Michigan, in January. He wants to conduct large-scale field trials on oriental fruit moth this year and proceed to commercialize the device. At the same time, he wants to try it out on other spe- cies. Japanese beetles, obliquebanded leafrollers, and codling moths are likely candidates because they have good pheromone attractants. "Insects must exhibit contact behavior in response to a semiochemical," he said. He'd like to go after spotted wing drosophila, but a better semiochemical is needed for that, he said. • PHOTO COURTESY OF JUAN HUANG The MSU researchers developed a device consisting of a lure inside an insecticide-soaked pouch. Oriental fruit moth males that contact the pouch are killed after seconds of contact. Fortunately, so are our crop insurance agents. Like everyone else at Northwest Farm Credit Services, our crop insurance agents live and breathe agriculture. They're immersed in it every day. That's a tremendous advantage when you consider the nature of complex, ever-changing insurance programs. Fact is, risks abound – from adverse weather to a drop in market prices – and you need an insurance partner with expertise, knowledge and commitment, every step of the way. Give us a call today. Your only risk is waiting. nor thwestfcs.com | 800.743.2125 THE ARE GREAT PERILS Tim Hulett Insurance Agent This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.