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A CLEAN CROP OF APPLES WITH ONLY TVIO SPRAYS OF PESTICIDE 



Ronald J. Prokopy 

 Department of Entomology, University of Massachusetts 



One of my major lifetime goals as a research and extension fruit ento- 

 mologist is to implement every method necessary to permit the growing of a 

 clean, high quality crop of apples without any pesticide applications what- 

 soever. Ten years ago we were far from achieving this goal. Today, 

 however, with the excellent new varieties of disease resistant apples 

 developed in New York and with the new and more refined methods of insect 

 control developed in New York, Massachusetts, and elsewhere, we are closer 

 to fulfilling this aim. 



Before the advent of the 5-year pilot pest management program in 

 Massachusetts in 1978, the average commercial apple grower made 12.3 fungi- 

 cide, 9.8 insecticide, and 1.8 miticide applications per year (exclusive of 

 oil) to control orchard pests. IPM growers from 1978 to 1982 made an 

 average of 10. fi fungicide applications (12% less), 6.8 insecticide applica- 

 tions (31% less), and 1.0 miticide applications (45% less), while realizing 

 just as high or higher a percentage of commercially clean fruit (98-99%) as 

 non- IPM growers ( Fruit Notes 48(1): 10-16, 24-34) 



Here, I will describe the results of pest control methods I have 

 employed during the past 4 years (1981-1984) in my own small young orchard 

 (40 bearing trees) in Conway. Annually, only 2 applications of pesticide 

 were made, far less than even the most determined commercial IPM grower, and 

 a fine crop of clean fruit was picked. 



Methods. The methods employed were as follows: 



a) Use of disease resistant cultivars (particularly Liberty) on M-26 

 rootstock with the trees staked to prevent leaning. No fungicide what- 

 sovever was applied. By 1984, the older trees were about 10 feet tall, 

 had about a 10-foot diameter canopy, and bore an average of 1 1/2 

 bushels of fruit per tree. 



b) Application of Superior Oil (60-70 viscosity) at a rate of 4 gallons per 

 acre at tight cluster against overwintering red mite eggs. 



c) Application of Imidan* at a rate of 6 pounds per acre at petal fall and 

 again 10-14 days later, primarily against the plum curcuiio. Imidan* is 

 a relatively safe (to humans) organophosphate compound that is only 

 slightly to moderately toxic to the principal predators of mites and 

 aphids. The petal fall spray was applied within hours after the first 

 eggiaying scar of a plum curcuiio was detected in the orchard. The 

 petal fall spray was intended also against developing larvae of the 

 European apple sawfly, larvae of the speckled green fruit worm, and lar- 

 vae of the oblique handed leafroHer. The spray 10-14 days later was 

 intended also against adults, eggs, and hatching larvae of the codling 

 moth. 



*Trade name 



