Evaluation of Alternative Pheromone Dispensing Technologies for Codling Moth

Two new types of hand-applied pheromone dispensers, “meso-emitters”, were developed in collaboration with Suterra that increased the pheromone release rate per dispenser and decreased the number of dispensers per acre to only 12. Realized emission rates per dispenser only achieved 15-33% of the desired release rate. Further modifications are planned for 2007 to increase these release rates. In spite of the low release rate, the program suppressed traps from 92-100% compared to traps in conventional plots regardless of pressure from codling moth. Damage in plots that combined the meso-emitter with their standard insecticide regime in general had less damage than plots using only their conventional treatments, but the differences were not statistically significant. Extreme temperatures in 2006 also damaged the wax matrix meso emitters and may have impacted release rates as the season progressed. Ground applications of the Hercon flake using a custom blower did not provide effective distribution of the flakes within the tree canopy due to the high speed of ejection and subsequent bouncing off from the foliage. Use of flakes filled with a pear ester plant volatile did not provide additional clear damage suppression when combined with existing pheromone programs or as a stand-alone program. However, modifications of the custom applicator planned for 2007 are expected to increase retention rates. Preliminary use of a program modified from the Pacific Northwest that relied on the use of the granulosis virus (Cyd-X), spinosad (Entrust), and mating disruption provided improved control over the grower standard.