Project Number: WVA00388
CRIS Number: 0173314
ALTERNATIVE DISEASE CONTROL STRATEGIES FOR THE PRODUCTION OFAPPLES FOR PROCESSING
Investigators: Biggs, A. R.
Performing Department: Plant & Soil Sciences -- 1825
Start Date: 10/15/1996
Termination Date: 09/30/2002
Reporting period: 01/01/2001 to 12/31/2001
Progress Report:
IPM and organic pest and disease control programs for managing arthropods and diseases affecting processing apple production were compared over 2 years. The effects of the two programs on populations of pest and beneficial insects, and on disease incidence and severity, were evaluated in the field and laboratory. In the organic program, arthropods were managed with oil and pheromone mating disruption and early-season diseases were managed with the organic-approved fungicides copper and sulfur. The organic plots showed lower levels of indirect pests (aphids, leafhoppers, and mites)and increased numbers of arthropod natural enemies. Cumulative capture of RBLR moths was similar in both management systems through early August, but increased in the Organic plots to a higher level than in the IPM plots for the remainder of the season. Cumulative capture of STLM, CM, OFM and TABM was higher in the Organic than in the IPM plots for most of the season. The use of Isomate-C/OFM in the Organic plots resulted in a total mean cumulative capture of CM and OFM of 1.3 and 1 moth, compared with 11.4 and 205 moths, respectively in the IPM plots. On harvested fruit, there was significantly more injury in the organic plots from codling moth/oriental fruit moth, plum curculio and apple maggot. Levels of foliar diseases were similar between treatments; however, fruit from the organic program exhibited significantly more sooty blotch, flyspeck, and rots.
Publications: (No publications.)
Impact:
An organic pest management program that included pheromone mating disruption, oil, and organic-approved fungicides resulted in increased pest damage to fruit, increased economic risk to growers, and slightly higher production costs.