10 



In Western New York, it is a predacious mite called Typhlodromus 

 pyri. In Pennsylvania, it is a ladybird beetle called Stetorus 

 ipunctum. The degree o£ resistance or susceptibility to a given 

 insecticide (for example, carbaryl) varies greatly between these 

 types of predators end between localities for the same predator. 

 Also, the comparative innate effectiveness of each of these 3 

 species as predators is not the same, A. falloois apparently being 

 the most efficient. 



It is entirely conceivable that in our survey we might find 

 one or more species of mite predator already abundant in certain 

 commercial orchards where growers have been using a certain type 

 of spray program, but a different species of mite predator of 

 greater or lesser innate effectiveness in certain other orchards 

 where growers have been using a different type of spray program. 

 It is also likely that in still other orchards (perhaps most orch- 

 ards) few or no mite predators now exist owing to type of spray 

 program used. 



We will initiate, this spring, a study of the relative abun- 

 dance of mite predators and plant-feeding mites in various aban- 

 doned and com.mercial apple orchards in Massachusetts. If we can 

 be as successful in our study as Croft, Rock and others, then not 

 immediately but perhaps within a few years' time it may be possible 

 for us to recommend a type of insecticide-fungicide-herbicide spray 

 program that will substantially reduce or possibly even eliminate 

 the need for miticide sprays in our commercial orchards. 



Mr. Robert Hislop, who has worked extensively on plant-eating 

 mites and has just received his Master's degree from the University 

 of California at Riverside, has now joined our staff in tree fruit 

 extension entomology and will be focusing his attention on this as- 

 pect of our fruit extension program. We look forward to cooperat- 

 ing with Massachusetts fruit growers in this venture. 



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



RECENT STRAWBERRY INTRODUCTIONS 



J.F. Anderson 

 Department of Plant and Soil Sciences 



Darrow This early ripening disease-resistant variety was intro- 

 duced cooperatively by the United States Department of Agri- 

 culture and the Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station in 

 January, 1974. 



Darrow is resistant to five races of red stele root rot and 

 intermediate in resistance to verticillium wilt. Its leaves 



