- 12 - 



A drastic shift in research has taken place within the last 

 10 years. Fewer studies are being conducted on the evaluation and 

 use o£ insecticides in orchards. Considerable emphasis instead is 

 being placed on the biology of the pest species, pest management 

 practices and the use of pheromone traps as a tool in monitoring 

 pest population. 



This trend has been brought about by our increased understand- 

 ing of insect pheromones plus the ability and technology to isolate 

 and synthesize these biological agents. Renewed interests in the 

 biology of the insect pests has certainly resulted from current 

 pressure from the Environmental Protection Agency and legislation 

 banning many insecticides. 



Most research, consequently, has been restructured to evaluate 

 and investigate alternate methods of pest control. The apple or- 

 chard, however, basically by the nature of its design is a simple 

 unstructured ecosystem. Because of this, the number of different, 

 natural parasites and predators is low compared to a more complex 

 system. Exactly how effective biological and cultural control 

 practices will be in controlling insect pests of apples in the 

 future remains questionable. This, however, does not mean that re- 

 search in this area is unproductive. 



I would like to conclude by asking one question. Will the re- 

 search that is being conducted on pest management ever get out of 

 the confines of the experimental orchards and into the hands of the 

 grower; and, if so, how long will this take? 



FACTORS INFLUENCING THE SHAPE OF APPLES"'" 



William J. Lord 

 Department of Plant and Soil Sciences 



Shape of apples is an important contribution to attractive- 

 ness. It is known to be influenced by several factors, one of 

 which is distribution of seeds in the fruits. As most growers 

 know, apples with small numbers of seeds are frequently lop-sided 

 with the less fleshy side being the one lacking seeds. Climate 

 also can affect shape. In Massachusetts, J.K. Shaw in 1914 (A study 

 of variation in apples. Massachusetts Agr. Exp. Sta. Bui . 149 ) , 

 reported on the relationship between shape of Ben Davis and Baldwin 

 apples and the temperature following bloom; the cooler the tempera- 

 ture, the more elongated the apple. He concluded that during the 

 post-bloom period, temperature variations between the 6th and 16th 

 day after full bloom fitted the observed variations in shape more 

 closely than during any other period. 



