Mating Disruption of Codling Moth, Cydia pomonella L., by Applications of the Microencapsulated Formulation CheckMate® CM-F in Bulgaria H. Kutinkovaand V. Dzhuvinov
Fruit Growing Institute
12 “Ostromila” str., 4004 Plovdiv Bulgaria
J. Samietz
Swiss Federal Research Station
Agroscope Changins-Wädenswil ACW Switzerland
E. Casagrande Gavà Business Park
C/ de la Imaginació nº7-9, 08850 Gavà Barcelona
Spain
Keywords: sprayable-microcapsulated-sex-pheromone, (E,E)-8,10-dodecadien-1-ol, IPM, apple, flight-dynamics, fruit-damage, hibernating-larvae
Abstract
The codling moth (CM) Cydia pomonella (L.), is the main pest of pome fruits worldwide, including Bulgaria. Its larvae cause severe damage to apples, pears, quinces and walnuts. Resistance of CM to commonly used conventional insecticides (organophosphates and pyrethroids), which has already been noted in Bulgaria, as well as restrictions on insecticide use imposed by EU regulations, have encouraged a new approach to the control of this pest. Alternative methods have been extensively tested during the last few years. Mating disruption appears as a very promising solution. CheckMate® CM-F is a sprayable microencapsulated sex pheromone formulation, containing the active ingredient (E,E)-8,10-dodecadien-1-ol (14.3%), has recently been introduced into many countries for the mating disruption of codling moth. Trials comparing this encapsulated sprayable pheromone against conventional CM control practices were carried out during two consecutive years (2007-2008), in central north Bulgaria. The microencapsulated pheromone (183 ml of CheckMate® CM-F per ha) was applied 6 times per season at 22-25 day intervals.
In both years, it totally suppressed captures of male moths in codlemone baited traps in the trial plot. The fruit damage in the pheromone-treated plot stayed at a very low level, amounting at harvest 0.13% in 2007 and 0.3% in 2008 and the overwintering CM population in autumn was 0.55 and 0.65 larvae per tree in 2007 and 2008, respectively. In contrast, in the reference orchard, treated 9-11 times per season with conventional insecticides, fruit damage reached 2.3% in 2007 and 2.7% in 2008 and the hibernating CM population was 1.05 in 2007 and 1.85 larvae per tree in 2008. In conclusion, it was evident that applications of Check Mate® CM-F can provide an effective control of codling moth, with better results than the conventional protection program in Bulgaria and should be implemented in commercial apple production.
INTRODUCTION
The codling moth (CM) Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) is a key pest of pome fruits throughout the world. Its larvae cause severe damage in apples, pears, quinces, peaches and walnuts in Bulgaria (Andreev, 2007). The resistance of CM to conventional insecticides, including diflubenzuron and other insect growth inhibitors (IGIs), several insect growth regulators (IGRs), some pyrethroids and several organo- phosphates has been already reported by different authors (Waldner, 1993; Sauphanor et al., 1994, 1998, 2000; Bouvier et al., 1995; Charmillot et al., 1999, 2002; Ioriatti and Bouvier, 2000; Charmillot and Pasquier, 2002). Resistance of CM to commonly used insecticides (organophosphates and pyrethroids), has been also noted in Bulgaria (Charmillot et al., 2007).
Appearance of resistance and restrictions on insecticide use imposed by EU regulations, have encouraged a new approach to control of codling moth. Mating disruption by means of different dispensers of sex pheromones was found to be effective in controlling infestation of apples by CM in Bulgarian orchards where the trials were carried out (Kutinkova, 2010; Kutinkova et al., 2007, 2009, 2010).
Recently, sprayable microcapsulated formulation of CM sex pheromones for mating disruption of codling moth, offered as CheckMate® CM-F, presented an innovative alternative to the use of dispenser based technologies (Casagrande, 2010).
Trials conducted by Larsen (2002) and Knight et al. (2008) in the USA, by Marti et al.
(2006) in Spain and by Baldessari et al. (2008), Salvetti (2009) and Demaria et al. (2010) in Italy, have shown that mating disruption (MD) by microsprayable CheckMate® CM-F capsules results in control of codling moth similar or better than MD induced by sex pheromone dispensers. All authors mentioned as well as Casagrande (2010) emphasized an easier use of microcapsules and lower labour cost. Spraying with microcapsules may be executed with common orchard sprayers and combined with the application of fungicides. It has been also accentuated that this method may be combined with conventional pesticides in IPM - by including sprayings with microcapsules at a later phase of fruit development, thus avoiding risk of pollution of fruits with chemicals.
Baldessari et al. (2008) compared the low doses of CheckMate® CM-F (90 ml ha-1) applied more frequently (at fortnightly intervals) with the high doses (180 ml ha-1) applied at 4-week intervals and received similar effects in both variants. However, more frequent sprayings were preferred as they could be easier combined with the approximate timing of other treatments. Salvetti (2009) reported the advantage of MD by means of microcapsules in the areas subjected to strong winds. Knight et al. (2008) found that spraying technique may influence efficiency of microencapsulate pheromones; low volume sprayers provided higher efficiency than high-volume sprayers. Sprayers that favour a better coverage of the underside of the leaves, ensured a better resistance to washing that may be essential in the orchards where overhead irrigation is applied.
The objective of this study was to test the effectiveness of CheckMate® CM-F in control of codling moth in central north Bulgaria.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The trial was carried out in a well-isolated, 4 ha commercial orchard near the village Pelishat, Pleven region, central north Bulgaria, that was established in spring 2002. In the years 2007-2008, mating disruption (MD) of codling moth (CM) was employed using CheckMate®CM-F, which is a sprayable microencapsulated sex pheromone formulation, containing the active ingredient (E,E)-8,10-Dodecadien-1-ol (14.3%). The microcapsules have a diameter of 80-100 m. Microcapsules were applied six times per season with a conventional sprayer, at 22-25-day intervals at 25 g ha-1 of a.i.
(183 ml ha-1), corresponding to a total amount of 150 g ha-1 of codlemone. Some treatments were combined with application of conventional fungicides (till the end of June).
A commercial 1.5-ha orchard in the same region served as a reference and was treated in a conventional way, with ten to thirteen insecticide treatments applied during the season, to control CM and other pests, from which nine to eleven were aimed against codling moth larvae.
Monitoring of CM flights was carried out by sex pheromone trapping in both seasons. Two triangular traps with standard capsules (Pheronet OP-72-T1-01), baited with 1 mg codlemone, were installed in the trial plot and in the reference orchard as well. The traps were installed before CM flight started and then inspected twice a week till the end of flight period and the caught moths were counted and removed at every inspection.
During the season, fruit damage was assessed in the trial and in the reference orchard on 1000 to 3000 fruits each time. At harvest, 3000 fruits were sampled in both orchards, to evaluate the final damage rate.
RESULTS
CM Flight Dynamics
In the reference commercial orchard, the first flight of CM in 2007 began on 1 May, successively intensified to reach its maximum in the third week of that month (Fig. 1). Flight of the second generation, which did not overlap the first one, started in the first week of July, reached its maximum during the third week of July, and then decreased; another peak of flights occurred, however, in the fourth week of August. Few moths were caught still in September, the last one on 18 September. The total number of moths caught in the reference orchard was 103.
In 2008 in the reference commercial orchard, the first catches of CM moths were recorded on 24 April, flights successively intensified to reach their maximum in the second week of the month (Fig. 1). Flight of the second generation, which overlapped the first one, started at the end of June, reached its maximum in the second week of July and declined till the end of August. Few moths were caught in September, the last one on 11 September. The total number of moths caught in the reference orchard was 179. In the Check Mate® CM-F treated plot the standard sex traps have caught only few moths during both seasons.
Evaluation of Fruit Damage
In both years of study, the first fruits damaged by CM larvae were recorded in the reference orchard at the beginning of June (Table 1). Since then fruit damage in the reference steadily increased, reaching at harvest 2.3% in 2007 and 2.7% in 2008. In the trial plot, treated with CheckMate® CM-F, fruit damage was scarce. Single damaged fruits appeared from August in 2007 and from the end of June in 2008. At harvest, the percentage of fruit damage in the trial plot was very low, reaching only 0.13% in 2007 and 0.30% in 2008. Damage rates were significantly different between the treated plots and the reference orchard already at the first control in both years of study and thereafter until harvest (Chi-square tests, p<0.001).
Overwintering Population of CM
In the CheckMate® CM-F trial plot, the overwintering population in the autumn 2007 stayed at a low level of 0.55 larvae per tree. In the autumn 2008 it was 0.65 larvae per tree. The population did not show any significant difference between the years (t-test, p=0.553). In the reference orchard, treated nine times with chemical insecticides, the overwintering population was 1.05 larvae per tree in the autumn 2007. In 2008, this orchard was treated eleven times with chemical insecticides against CM, the overwintering population increased significantly to 1.83 larvae per tree (t-test, p<0.001).
The populations were significantly different between treated plots and the reference orchard (t-test, p<0.001).
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
The results obtained in this study confirm the findings of Charmillot et al. (2007) that resistance of codling moth to insecticides presents a problem in Bulgarian apple orchards too. The conventional chemical control of CM has been getting ineffective as demonstrated in the experiments of Kutinkova et al. (2009, 2010) in different regions of Bulgaria. Increasing intensity of CM flights as well as increased fruit damage and diapausing CM larvae population in the conventionally treated orchard - in spite of numerous chemical treatments - do indicate that the problem of resistance is apparently appearing also in central north Bulgaria.
Results of mating disruption by CheckMate® CM-F microencapsulated sex pheromone formulation were very positive. CheckMate® CM-F of Suterra effectively inhibited flights of CM, reduced fruit damage and kept the hibernating CM population at a low level. The results obtained are in line with those reported by Marti et al. (2006), Baldessari et al. (2008), Salvetti (2009) and Demaria et al. (2010).
The isolation from external sources of infestation and the initial level of CM pressure are important factors determining the success of mating disruption. It has been concluded that MD may be successfully applied as alternative means for controlling codling moth in apple orchards of Bulgaria, especially at low and moderate population density of the pest. Implementation of the MD method should result in reduction of the use of chemical insecticides, thus minimising environmental pollution and improving fruit quality. Sprayable formulation of CM sex pheromones, in form of CheckMate® CM-F, may be easily employed, due to the possibility of its application by means of standard orchard sprayers.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This study was supported with a grant of the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF) to Jörg Samietz (project No. IB73A0-110978). CheckMate® CM-F sprayable microencapsulated sex pheromone formulation of Suterra was kindly provided by Suterra (Europe), Ltd., Barcelona, Spain.
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Tables
Table 1. Percentage of damaged fruits in the trial plot and in the reference orchard on different dates, in 2007 and 2008.
2007 2008
Date Trial Reference Date Trial Reference
June 8 0 0.50 June 3 0 0.20
June 24 0 1.20 June 28 0.01 1.40
July 31 0 0.80 July 27 0.02 1.60
August 27 0.06 1.50 August 28 0.03 2.10
September 29 0.13 2.30 September 27 0.20 2.70
Preharvest 0.06 1.50 Preharvest 0.20 2.10
At harvest 0.13 2.30 At harvest 0.30 2.70
Figurese
21 Apr 01
May 11 May
21 May 31
May 10 Jun
20 Jun 30 Jun
10 Jul 20 Jul
30 Jul 09 Aug
19 Aug 29 Aug
08 Sep
18 Sep 28
Sep
2007 2008
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18
No. of male moths caught
Date
C. pomonella flight Pleven 2007-2008
Fig. 1. Captures of male codling moth, Cydia pomonella, per two pheromone traps, in the reference orchard, in 2007 and 2008.
