12 



been synthesized. Thus, it will be some time yet before they are available for 

 use. Sex pheromones for codling moth and most pest species of orchard 

 leafrollers have been identified by Wendell Roelofs and his colleagues at 

 Geneva, New York, and have been applied in massive amounts in and around 

 experimental apple orchards in an attempt to disrupt mating behavior and 

 thereby reduce numbers of larval progeny attacking fruit. But this approach 

 will require considerably more work before it is ready for implementation in 

 commercial orchards. 



Thus, the picture appears rather bright for behavior-based management of 

 many key apple fruit pests in the future. In the meanwhile, it may be possible 

 at least to begin the second stage of apple IPM using knowledge and techniques 

 presently available. 



Toward this end, we have received support from the Massachusetts Society 

 for Promoting Agriculture to carry out a 3-year experiment in several 

 commercial apple orchard blocks in which (a) all insecticide and miticide 

 spraying of the interior of each block would cease at the end of May (following 

 1 pre-bloom and 1 or 2 post-bloom treatments), and (b) the perimeter of each 

 block would be managed in such a way as to prevent immigration of key apple 

 pests into the interior from June until harvest. The perimeter management 

 techniques would be either (a) placement of sticky-coated, apple-odor-baited 

 red sphere traps for apple maggot flies in perimeter trees or adjacent woods, 

 or (b) application of insecticide to perimeter apple trees every 2 weeks from 

 June until harvest. 



We realize this experiment of extreme reduction in insecticide use 

 involves high risk of some amount of insect injury to the fruit. At the same 

 time, we believe that if we do not venture forward into the unknown, we have 

 little chance of moving beyond present pest management practices. 



***** 



P(»10L0GICAL PARAGRAPH 



New Mcintosh Strain Discovered 



Wesley R. Autio 



Department of Plant and Soil Sciences 



University of Massachusetts 



A new Mcintosh strain (EG506 — Adams County Nursery) has been discovered in 

 the Hudson Valley of New York which is reported to ripen later than normal and 

 to hold on the tree for a longer period of time. We will be establishing a 

 planting of these trees in 1988 and will compare them with standard strains of 

 Mcintosh. If this strain acts as reported then it may be of great value in 

 expanding the Mcintosh harvest season. 



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