Environmentally safe measures for regulating the number of harmful organisms in peach (Persica vulgaris Mill.) orchards

According to the results of the researches in 2016-2018, the display terms and intensity of the major peach diseases development changes from year to year and depends mainly on the weather conditions that in the south of Ukraine are favorable for the mass spread and development of Taphrina deformans Tull., Clacterosporium carpophilum (Lev.) Aderh. and Monilia cinerea Bonord. The leaves affection by Taphrina damage appeared to be 35.0-56.3 %, the intensity of the disease development being 22.4-23.4 %; Clacterosporium – 16.5 and 5.4 %, Monilia – up to 15.0 %. When studying the species composition of the peach entomocomplex, 6 major pests were detected among insects as follows: Anarsia lineatella Zell., Archips rosana L., Grapholitha molesta Busck, Lithocolletis cerasicolella H.S, Sciaphobus squalidus Gyll. and Brachycaudus tragopogonis Kalt. Lepidoptera prevailes (67 %) among them. Other species of pests (17 %) belong to the rows Coleoptera and Homoptera. The complex application of the chemical (Bordeaux Isagro, 20 % Copper Sulphate, 5.0 kg/ha) and a mixture of the biological preparations (Trichodermin, 2.0 l/ha, Planriz, 1.0 l/ha, Pentofag, 5.0 l/ha, Gaupsin, 3.0-5.0 l/ha, Lepidocide, 10 l/ha) at the beginning of the bud swell, and before and after the peach flowering, proves to protect reliably the orchards against harmful organisms. The technical efficiency of the above mentioned preparations against the main diseases and dominant pests 63.0-89.0 and 50.0-94.0 % respectively.

Control of insect pests on fruit and field crops with hexaflumuron in North Greece

Experiments with hexaflumuron have been made against pests on apples, pears, peaches, potatoes and maize. On apples a predefined spray program was used for the combined control of Cydia pomonella (L) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), Phyllonorycter blancardella. (Fabr.) (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), P. corylifoliella (Hbn) (Lepidoptera: Gracillariidae), Leucoptera scitella (Zell.) (Lepidoptera: Lyonetiidae) and Adoxophyes orana (F.v. Roslerstamm) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Sprays started when C. pomonella adults appeared and were continued every 2, 3 and 4 weeks. Against Cacopsylla pyri L. (Homoptera: Psyllidae), Anarsia lineatella Zell. (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) and Grapholitha molesta (Busck) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), trials were made to define efficacy and timing, while trials on Leptinotarsa decendineata (Say) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) and Sesamia nonagrioides Lef. (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) were only for efficacy. Hexaflumuron promised to be an excellent insecticide since it was at least as good as organophosphate standards, amitraz and the benzoylphenyl ureas (BPU) tested. With fewer sprays it gave seasonal and combined control on apple pests. It is a new BPU insecticide with low mammalian toxicity and fits IPM programs, since its toxicity to predators and parasites is low. Hexaflumuron had no effect on adults of the predator Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coleoptera: Coccinelidae) in the potato trial. Sprays must start at the beginning of the oviposition of fruit damaging pests and at the egg or early larva-nymph stage of the foliage damaging pests. The spray must fully cover fruit and foliage.

Effects of trap height, location, and spacing on pheromone-baited trap catch efficacy for oriental fruit moths (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in a peach orchard

The establishment of standardised methods for monitoring the oriental fruit moth Grapholitha molesta (Busck) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) requires the identification of factors that significantly affect trap catch efficacy. We examined the effects of trap height, trap location, and inter-trap spacing on trap catches in a conventional peach orchard. Traps were placed at heights of up to 3.0 m above the ground and sets of nine traps were positioned in grids with inter-trap distances of 10–50 m to determine the optimum trap height, location, and spacing. Traps were checked daily over 10 days for males during four periods corresponding to peak moth flight. Moth catches were higher when traps were placed toward the tops (2.5 m) and outside the canopy (3.0 m). Moth catches in traps located upwind and outside tended to be higher than in the central trap for all inter-trap distances. When inter-trap distances were shorter than 30 m, interference between traps occurred. Our results provide an efficient trap distribution for monitoring G. molesta in peach orchards.

Hedgerow barriers and other reduced-risk controls for managing Oriental fruit moth, Grapholitha molesta (Busck) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in apples

Management of Oriental fruit moth, Grapholitha molesta (Busck), in apple using an ‘Enhanced Integrated Pest Management (IPM)’ program comprised of a hedgerow barrier, pheromone-based mating disruption and reduced-risk [non-organophosphorous (OP) or carbamate] insecticides was investigated over a 5-year period. The barrier was comprised of a planting of three rows of hybrid poplar, Populus deltoides Bartr.×Populus nigra L., one row of Italian alder, Alnus cordata L. (nectar reward), and one row of white pine, Pinus strobus L. The hedgerow completely surrounded the perimeter of the apple orchard and was treated with garlic and a low rate of pyrethroid insecticide in 4 of the 5 years. The Enhanced IPM program significantly reduced G. molesta populations as measured by moth captures in pheromone traps. Captures of G. molesta were significantly higher in apple orchards treated with OP and carbamate insecticides, ‘Conventional IPM’, and either not surrounded by the hedgerow or with the barrier present but not treated with the repellent compounds. To explain these differences in G. molesta control, and the potential non-lethal effect of hedgerow barriers on G. molesta orchard colonization, we studied the adult vertical movement in a traditional unsprayed standard apple orchard at three different heights: 0.95, 1.95 and 3.20 m, respectively. In the overwintering generation at a height of 0.95 and 1.95 m, the mean number of moths captured per sampling period was 14.64 and 14.84, respectively, and only 2.95 at 3.20 m. However, the number of individuals captured in the second and third generations was not significantly different at the three different heights. Fruit damage evaluated before ‘June drop’ closely corresponded to the distribution of moths captured during the overwintering generation. Fruit damage at a height of 1.95 and 3.20 m was 5.8 and 3.5%, respectively. These results indicated that G. molesta is a weak flyer and that hedgerow barriers exerted some influence in the colonization of the orchard by limiting the free movement of adults from the overwintering generation. Thus, hedgerow barriers seem to limit early migration and establishment of G. molesta in the orchard. This in turn may reduce the size of the following generations and makes subsequent control easier under the Enhanced IPM program.