Second-level Apple IPM 



Ronald J. Prokopy, Daniel R. Cooley, William M. Coli, 

 Wesley R. Autio, Margaret M. Christie, and Kathleen P. Leahy 

 University of Massachusetts 



Background 



Integration in pest management practices for 

 agricultural crops may occur at several different 

 levels. There may be: at LEVEL 1, integration of 

 multiple management tactics for a single class of 

 pests (arthropods, diseases, vertebrates or weeds); 

 at LEVEL 2, integration of multiple management 

 tactics across all classes of pests; at LEVEL 3, inte- 

 gration of combined management approaches across 

 the entire system of crop production; and at LEVEL 

 4, integration of concerns of all those having vital 

 interest in pest management — growers, research- 

 ers, extension personnel, private consultants, ag- 

 chem industry, consumers, environmentalists, and 

 government regulatory agencies. 



Within first-level IPM, we consider there to be 2 

 stages of advancement. The first-stage involves use 

 of multiple integrated approaches for determining 

 need and optimum timing of application of a single 

 technique of pest control: treatment with pesticide. 

 Under first-stage, first-level IPM in orchards, the 

 thrust is upon development and use of effective 

 techniques for monitoring pest entry into orchards 

 and pest abundance, as well as upon monitoring 

 various weather conditions for predicting likelihood 

 of pest establishment and growth. First-stage, first- 

 level IPM practices have been in effect in many 

 Massachusetts apple orchards since 1978. The sec- 

 ond-stage involves integrated use of multiple tech- 

 niques of pest control (not simply pesticide) for a 

 single class of pests. For arthropods, this stage 

 entails employment of cultural, behavioral, and bio- 

 logical methods, as well as pesticides. Second-stage, 

 first-level IPM practices have been in effect in a few 

 Massachusetts apple orchards since 1987. Results of 

 first- and second-stage practices have been reported 

 in several issues of Fruit Notes over the past decade. 



The general success of first-level IPM practices 

 in terms of production of high quality fruit with sub- 

 stantially less use of pesticide has prompted us to 

 embark in 1991 on a 3-year pilot program of evalu- 

 ating second-level IPM tactics in selected Massachu- 

 setts apple orchard blocks. Until now, integration of 

 new approaches for managing arthropods, diseases, 



weeds, or vertebrate pests has occurred only within 

 a discipline — not across all of these disciplines. 

 Under second-level IPM, we would be aiming at 

 integrating the most advanced cultural, biological, 

 behavioral, and pesticidal approaches to pest man- 

 agement across all classes of apple pests — insects, 

 mites, diseases, weeds, and vertebrates. To support 

 this study, we have received 3 years of funding from 

 the Massachusetts Society for Promoting Agricul- 

 ture, the Northeast Regional IPM Program, State 

 and Federal IPM program sources, and the Massa- 

 chusetts Fruit Growers' Association. 



In the great majority of orchards in which we 

 have conducted first-level IPM trials to date, fruit 

 quality and yield at harvest have been equal to or 

 better than those under normal grower practices. In 

 a few orchards, however, excessive injury to fruit or 

 foliage has occurred. Hence, there is no guarantee 

 that second-level IPM protocols will be foolproof and 

 will not in some cases (hopefully very few) result in 

 abnormal fruit injury. 



The following is a description of our planned pro- 

 gram for full second-level IPM practices and our 

 planned program for transitional second-level IPM 

 practices commencing in April, 1991. 



Full Second-level IPM Practices 

 A. Insects: 



(1) Application of 3 to 4 selective insecticide 

 sprays from April to early June to manage plant 

 bugs, sawflies, plum curculios, fruitworms, early- 

 season leafrollers, first generation codling moths, 

 lesser appleworms, leafminers, and leafhoppers. No 

 use of any insecticides after early June. 



(2) Removal of unmanaged apple and pear trees 

 within 100 yards of each block to reduce immigration 

 of codling moth and lesser appleworm. 



(3) Placement in late June of odor-baited, red- 

 sphere visual traps every 5 yards on perimeter apple 

 trees to intercept immigrating apple maggot flies. 

 Traps will be cleaned of insects twice (July and 

 August) and removed in September. Initially, the 

 "killing agent" on these traps will be a sticky sub- 



Fruit Notes, Spring, 1991 



13 



