Pheromone-based Mating Disruption of Oriental Fruit Moth in Western Michigan Peach Orchards

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Authors
Pastor, Chad T.
Issue Date
1997
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Thesis
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en_US
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Abstract
Fruit injury in peach orchards induced by oriental fruit moths can be reduced by pheromone mating disruption resulting in reductions equivalent to, or lower than those possible with insecticide programs. Disruption is brought about by saturating a peach orchard with synthetic pheromones that mimic the sex pheromone produced by female moths, which inhibits the ability of male moths to find female moths. This leads to unmated females that cannot deposit eggs in peaches. Inability of the moths to mate results in a reduction in their population in peach orchards and this reduces the potential hazard of larvae-infested fruit to levels at or around zero. In most cases, pheromone-based mating disruption of Oriental fruit moth precludes application of insecticides to control moth populations, reducing the amount of insecticide residues in peaches. Mating disruption reduces the moth's ability to develop resistance to insecticides currently in use to control Oriental fruit moth. Reduction of residues in fruit is an issue that concerns many fruit-buying companies are concerned, as well with new governmental restrictions that might all but reduce the ability to manufacture new insecticides to control Oriental Fruit Moth (Tinsworth 1990). In this project, I monitored the efficacy of two different commercial hand-applied pheromone dispensers and one experinlental sprayable pheromone for efficacy in western Michigan peach orchards. The results of the pheromone disruption were compared with conventional control methods. In addition, a mass trapping technique for a scarab beetle, Rose chafer, was tested to further reduce insecticide applications and insecticide residues. In both cases, pheromone disruption and mass trapping results were as successful as similar studies.
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vi, 41 p.
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Kalamazoo College
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