YEAR ONE OF THE STONE FRUIT PEST MANAGEMENT ALLIANCE

Abstract

The Stone Fruit Pest Management Alliance implements reduced risk pest management programs in Prunus persica that do not rely on conventional broad spectrum pesticides. The goal is to obtain equal or less pest damage and cost. Six orchard demonstration comparisons were made in 2000 consisting of the conventional grower standard (Standard) and the pest management alternatives (PMA) for extra early, late and extra late cling peaches. Mating disruption was used to control Oriental fruit moth in the PMA blocks. The extra early and late Standard blocks also had one early Oriental fruit moth mating disruption application in addition to one spray. The extra late Standard received only conventional pesticides. Oriental fruit moth caused more damage in the PMA block for the extra late variety comparison only. No peach twig borer damage was detected; it was managed in the PMA blocks with Bacillus thuringiensis applied at bloom with mating disruption for in-season control. Lygus bug and oblique banded leaf roller, both secondary pests, caused the greatest overall damage. The average cost for materials and application of the three PMA orchards was US $593 per hectare. The same average cost of the three Standard orchards was US $348. The greater cost in the PMA orchards was due to a second application of OFM mating disruptant and the PTB mating disruptant. A second PTB mating disruptant was applied in the extra late variety PMA block that further increased costs. The least expensive Standard program included one OFM mating disruption application followed by one in-season spray. This program effectively controlled OFM while reducing pesticide use and was more economic than the Standard all spray program.