pods, and tree development in at least 8 commercial blocks; 

 writing twice-weekly pest messages; presenting 4 grower 

 training sessions in each of three regions; performing 

 adaptive studies and pesticide trials; authoring extension 

 and other publications; and obtaining outside funding. 



Both second-stage projects will continue in 1988. 

 The apple maggot-lepidopteran pest project, aimed at 

 preventing immigration of these apple pests into an or- 

 chard, will utilize most of the same 18 orchards as in 1987. 

 The orchard understory work will begin its first full field 

 season, with extensive sampling of miles and mite preda- 

 tors in about 30 commercial orchards with different 

 groundcover characteristics and management regimes. 

 Beginning in mid-May, mite sampling in the tree and in the 

 row or aisle groundcover will commence. Sampling will 

 consist both of visual scans and sample collection at 10 

 locations within the block and at block borders. Patholo- 

 gists will measure leaf litter decomposition relative to 

 groundcover type, and isolate fungi and bacteria to deter- 

 mine their effectiveness in decomposing fallen apple 

 leaves. A complete description of this project will be 

 forthcoming. 



Spore maturity and weather data will be obtained 

 on the same scale as in 1987, and Pathology staff will 

 continue to evaluate disease-resistant apples including a 

 new block to be planted at the HRC. We also will look at 

 the possibility of early season fungicide reduction in a 

 program which requires early-season estimation of scab 

 inoculum dose, and late-season estimation of infection. 



This program could eliminate all fungicides up to tight 

 cluster or pink, and fits well into a second-stage IPM 

 program. 



Work on expert system development will con- 

 tinue, hopefully in conjunction with others in the northeast 

 region. Expert systems arc highly relevant to the future of 

 IPM, since applications of this technology are a natural 

 outgrowth of the apple IPM program, and have the poten- 

 tial to make it even more effective. We plan to pursue 

 regional and University funding and cooperation in the 

 dcvelopmentofacomprehensiveapplelPM expert system, 

 which, when released, should be a valuable educational as 

 well as managerial tool. 



Continued field tests of insecticidal soap against 

 psylla, aphids, and mites arc planned, contingent on fund- 

 ing from outside sources. An additional activity planned for 

 1988 is an update of previously-established economic 

 thresholds, taking into account price changes for fresh fruit 

 and pesticides and new data on pest severity. 



This year will be the first of a new cooperative 

 agreement with the National Park Service, which will 

 involve a survey and inventory of historic orchards and fruit 

 tree plantings in the NPS system throughout the U.S. 

 Inasmuch as some NPS sites may contain examples of 

 historic fruit cultivars which are not available elsewhere, 

 this work is being carried out under a directive from the 

 Secretary of the Interior to conserve unique genetic re- 

 sources (in the form of apple cultivars). 



* 



* * * 



19 



