In this Issue:
VEGETABLE NEWS
Vegetable Insect Summary for Minnesota - 2006: European corn borer and Corn earworm
GRAPE NEWS
Wine Grape Insect Summary for Minnesota and Northwestern Wisconsin - 2006: Beetles & Moths
STRAWBERRY NEWS
Fall Colors, Plant Health and Weed Control
APPLE NEWS
The USDA Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey for Exotic Apple Pests in Minnesota
IPM PUBLICATION
New IPM Publication Series for Growers, Processors, Crop Consultants, & Extension Educators
| Vol 3 No. 12 | September 29, 2006 |
The USDA Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey for Exotic Apple Pests in Minnesota
Jean Ciborowski, MDA – IPM Program Coordinator
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture's IPM apple program was involved in the United States Department of Agriculture's Cooperative Agricultural Pest Survey (CAPS) program for a second year. Eight apple growers, throughout the primary Minnesota apple growing regions, volunteered to have traps in their orchards to monitor for four exotic apple insect pests. The pests that were monitored for a second year included the Apple Ermine Moth (Yponomeuta malinellus), Apple Tortrix (Archips fuscocupreanus) , and Light Brown Apple Moth, (Epiphyas postvittana). In addition, the Summer Fruit Tortrix Moth , (Adoxophyes orana) was added to the monitoring schedule this year. Two traps for each insect were placed in each orchard. None of the four exotic apple insect pests were found in any of the orchards. Below is a brief history of each exotic insect pest and a description of the damage caused by each pest.
The Apple Ermine Moth (AEM) is a defoliator of apple trees throughout Europe, Asia, North Africa, and the Middle East. In 1985, AEM was first detected in northwest Washington State. By 1991, infestations of AEM had spread to many counties in Oregon. AEM is only known to occur in the Pacific Northwest in the United States .
If AEM tents and larvae are numerous enough, and serious defoliation occurs, the summer growth of the fruit is stopped and fruits may fall prematurely. However the severity of AEM damage varies considerably from year to year. Infestations are frequently spaced out over several years and are more common in older orchards. In Washington and Oregon, serious defoliation has been observed in May or June at sites where tents and larvae were numerous.
The Apple Tortrix (AT) is a pest of fruit trees and other woody plants which was originally found only in Japan and Korea where it is a major pest of apple. AT was detected in Washington State in 1995 and later, populations were detected in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey.
In the spring, AT caterpillars feed upon leaves and less frequently upon blossoms or developing fruits. In addition to feeding, caterpillars injure trees by pruning leaves, flower parts, or fruitlets to construct shelters in which they reside. When they are abundant, the caterpillars can defoliate trees.
The Light Brown Apple Moth (LBAM) is a pest of many fruits, such as apples, pears, grapes, and citrus varieties, and flowering plants, such as chrysanthemum, acacias, and michelmas daisy, and is native to Australia. LBAM has been introduced to Tasmania, New Zealand, New Caledonia, Hawaii, and England .
Light brown apple moth larvae cause damage to foliage and fruit. Early instars feed on tissue beneath the surface layer of leaves. Larger larvae migrate from these positions to construct feeding niches between adjacent leaves, between a leaf and a fruit, in the developing bud or on a single leaf, where the topical leaf roll develops. The late stage larvae feed on all leaf tissue except main veins. Superficial fruit damage is common in apple varieties which form compact fruit clusters. Internal damage to apple is less common, but a young larva may enter the interior of an apple fruit through the calyx.
The Summer Fruit Tortrix Moth is a major pest of many species of forest trees, but prefers apples and secondarily pear, cherry, plum, apricot, and red currant. The summer fruit tortrix is a common defoliator species in Europe, Middle East, Asia, and Japan.
In the spring, overwintering larvae feed on emerging leaves and buds. Summer larvae attack the leaves at the tips of the stems. When leaves are in contact with fruit, they will graze the upper epidermis and occasionally dig round holes 3-6mm deep. The autumn larvae also eat tree leaves and gnaw the fruit. Up to 10-20% fruit loss has occurred in France and Germany.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Co-Editors: Bill Hutchison (hutch002@umn.edu), Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, Jeanne Ciborowski, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Ag. Resources Management and Development Division, and Suzanne Wold-Burkness (woldx018@umn.edu), Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota
The Newsletter is published weekly from May through August, cooperatively, by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) and the University of Minnesota (U of MN). Reports are posted on the U of MN and MDA web sites on Fridays. If you have suggestions and/or comments, please send your contributions by 4 p.m., Wednesday to Jean Ciborowski, 651-201-6217, jeanne.ciborowski@state.mn.us, MDA, 625 Robert St. North, St. Paul, MN 55155-2538. You can access the Newsletter at the U of MN web site in htm format at: www.vegedge.umn.edu/MNFruit&VegNews/mnindex.htm and at the MDA web site in pdf format at: http://www.mda.state.mn.us/ipm/ipmnews/
Partial funding for this publication is provided through partnership agreements with the Minnesota Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association (MFVGA) and the United States Department of Agriculture – Risk Management Agency (RMA). These institutions are equal opportunity providers.
DISCLAIMER
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The University, including the Minnesota Extension Service, is an equal opportunity educator and employer. ©1999-2006 Minnesota Extension Service, University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. Contact copyright@extension.umn.edu for information on reproduction or use of this material.