DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF A PEACH INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PROGRAM IN THE SOUTHERN USA

Abstract

Peach producers in the Southern USA generally follow a calendar spray program. Peach growers and county extension agents in AR, AL, FL and OK learned how to implement an integrated pest management program (IPM). Degree-days (DD, base 10°C) for plum curculio (PC) were accumulated daily after the PC biofix (second day when air temperature exceeded 21.1°C) and first trap catch of oriental fruit moth (OFM) (base 10°C). After bloom, weekly estimates were made of the density of PC, stink bug (SB), OFM and percent new pest damaged fruit. Economic thresholds were 0.1 PC per day or 1 SB or 1 PC jarred from peach limbs or 1% new fruit damage between 56 to 222 DD and from 611 DD to harvest. Participating growers and county agents received scouting recommendations and localized recommendations were updated on the Internet. Overwintered adult PC and SB moved to orchards in late February to early March in AL and FL and late March to early April in AR and OK. All states recorded low population levels of PC and OFM and less than 1% fruit damage whereas SBs caused from 3 to 6% damage. In Alabama, no PC or OFM adults were caught in traps in the demonstration orchards. Initially, participating growers applied between 7 to 12 insecticide sprays per season. The IPM program was implemented in 2000 and 2001 resulting in <=8 sprays and <=4 sprays per season, respectively. The OK research IPM block required only 3 sprays per season in 1999, 1 in 2000 and 1 in 2001. Isomate-M dispensers depressed mating of OFM from May to harvest in 1997 and 1998 in 200 acres of processing peaches and in 2000 and 2001 in 30 acres of fresh market peaches resulting in <1% damage.