3 - 



to expressing the problem through indices, balance sheets, and cash 

 flows that mav be preferable, though perhaps less dramatic. 



*************** 



REDUCED SPRAYING FOR APPLE INSECTS AND MITES: 

 RESULTS FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA 



Ronald J. Prokopy 

 Department of Entomology 



Many, if not most, Massachusetts apple growers feel that they 

 probably apply more insecticides and miticides than actually needed 

 to obtain high yields of high quality fruit. If pesticide applica- 

 tions could be reduced without sacrificing yield or quality, there 

 could be (1) dollar savings in cost of apple production, including 

 savings on cost of spray materials as well as savings on such appli- 

 cation costs as time, wages, fuel, and equipment wear; (2) greater 

 opportunity for build up of natural enemies of mites and insects, 

 and therefore, likelihood of even further reduced need for miticide 

 and insecticide application; (3) less selective pressure for the 

 development of resistance to miticides and insecticides, and there- 

 fore a longer useful life expectancy of those miticides and insecti- 

 cides presently used in orchards; and (4) less danger of pesticide 

 residues in the fruit and in the orchard environment. 



The question is how to develop a reliable program for reduced 

 insecticide and miticide usage that will succeed in Massachusetts 

 apple orchards. In this and future issues of Fruit Notes , I would 

 like to explore this question. Because Massachusetts has had no 

 recent history of fruit insect and mite research, we must turn first 

 to other states and examine their progress toward this goal. In 

 this article, I want to take a look at a report entitled "Pest Man- 

 agement: Experience in Six British Columbia Apple Orchards," which 

 appeared in the August, 1975 issue of the Canadian Entomologist and 

 is authored by Drs. Harold Madsen, Fred Peters , and Jerry Vakenti 

 of the Canadian Department of Agriculture. 



The following is an excerpt from this report. "The number of 

 chemical sprays per (commercial fruit) orchard averaged eight when 

 the study was initiated (in 1972). In 1973, the sprays required 

 for pest control were reduced to an average of 5.6 per orchard, and 

 in 1974, this figure was further reduced to 3.1. This reduction 

 in chemical sprays was accomplished without an increase in insect 

 or mite injury to fruit or foliage." 



How was this exciting result achieved? It was achieved pri- 

 marily by employing techniques for detecting and monitoring popu- 



