increase in costs was observed, being just over 10% higher per 

 bushel for the IPM fruit than for the control sample. 



Implications and Conclusions 



The data analyzed in this study add support to the hypothesis 

 that grading/packing costs increase as insect and disease injury 

 rates increase. Conversely, higher quality fruit is expected to 

 have lower overall grading and packing costs. 



The scope of this study is severely limited by the small sample 

 size involved. A very small number of participating grov;ers were 

 sampled and multiple observations were made of some participants. 

 Thus, the data are subject to bias and should be considered as only 

 preliminary results. Because of these limitations, management con- 

 clusions should not be based on this report. A more complete 

 sample should be taken on the apples grown in 1979 and a more soph- 

 isticated statistical analysis should be undertaken to identify 

 relationships between fruit injury levels and grading/packing costs. 



On a general level, however, labor productivity of graders and 

 packers does appear to be lower for IPM grown apples. Higher quality 

 fruit, with the accompanying lower cull rates, can apparently be 

 packed more quickly and at loxver per bushel direct costs than fruit 

 with a higher incidence of pest damage. Future research is needed 

 to determine a break-even point between production cost savings 

 of integrated pest management programs and possible increases in 

 packing costs due to increased pest injury. 



********** 



TOXICITY OF ORCHARD PESTICIDES TO THE 

 MITE PREDATOR AMBLYSEIUS FALLACIS -1979 RESULTS 



Robert G. Hislop and Ronald J. Prokopy 

 Department of Entomology, Femald Hall 

 University of Massachusetts 



Amblyseius fallacis is the most important predator of red and 

 two-spotted mites in commercial apple orchards in Massachusetts. 

 It was found in 23 out of 26 such orchards surveyed by us in 1976. 



During the past three years we have been assessing the impact 

 of pesticides on the survival of A. fallacis in orchards ( Fruit 

 Notes 45 (4): 5-8) as well as in the laboratory ( Fruit Notes 45 (5): 

 14-18). We discovered that this predator can readily survive some 

 key pesticides such as Guthion (azinphosmethyl) and Imidan (phosmet) 

 at recommended concentrations, but is highly susceptible to certain 

 other pesticides. For example, Zolone (phosalone) at recommended 



