MN Fruit & Vegetable IPM News - Vol. 1, No. 1

The monitoring of pest populations is an important aspect of pest control. Any size orchard can and should be monitored for apple pests that have established economic action thresholds. Monitoring for pests not only makes economic sense but also makes environmental sense. It is the responsibility of the apple grower to be a good steward of the land and to always consider the over-all environmental impact of introducing synthetic pesticide into the ecosystem. I commend growers who are trapping pests and only applying insecticides when pests are present, but it is time to take the next step in integrated pest management.

Growers should divide their orchards into individual monitoring zones and treat these zones independently. Codling moth and apple maggot can be efficiently monitored in fifteen acre zones. A forty-five acre orchard could easily be divided into three zones. Treating these zones independently will reduce pesticide use and will allow for better timing and control. An insecticide application on a fifteen acre block at $25.00 per acre would cost $375 per application. If only one zone requires treatment the grower will realize a $750 savings. Or, if the zones go over threshold at different times and the grower ends up treating all three zones, the pesticide application will be timed more precisely and give better control.

The use of zones to monitor and treat pests have been established and proven in all the major apple growing regions of the United States. There are several different systems that have been developed in these regions and many have been tested and proven to work in Minnesota. The action thresholds developed for codling moth and apple maggot can be especially useful for late spring and summer pest control in Minnesota.

There is extreme variability in the amount of insecticides applied to Minnesota orchards after first cover. I know of neighboring orchards of which one applied insecticide seven times and the other only once in the same period of time. While petal fall and first cover sprays are generally necessary on most Minnesota orchards the following cover sprays may not be necessary depending on pest pressure on individual farms. Obviously the only way to verify the pest pressure is to monitor several zones on each and every apple orchard.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Co-Editors: Bill Hutchison, Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, hutch002@umn.edu
Jeanne Ciborowski, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, Ag. Resources Division,jeanne.ciborowski@state.mn.us
Suzanne Wold-Burkness, Department of Entomology, University of Minnesota, woldx018@umn.edu

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., Tuesday to Jeanne Ciborowski, 651-297-3217, jeanne.ciborowski@state.mn.us , MDA, 90 W. Plato Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55107-2094. 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: www.mda.state.mn.us/biocon/fruitreports/default.htm

Partial funding for this publication is provided through partnership agreements with the Minnesota Fruit and Vegetable Growers Association and the United States Department of Agriculture – Risk Management Agency (RMA) and the RMA Community Outreach and Assistance Partnership Program. These institutions are equal opportunity providers.

DISCLAIMER

References to products in this publication is not intended to be an endorsement to the exclusion of others which may have similar uses. Any person using products listed in this publication assumes full responsibility for their use in accordance with current manufacturer directions.

Last Revised May 1, 2004.
The University, including the Minnesota Extension Service, is an equal opportunity educator and employer. ©1999-2003 Minnesota Extension Service, University of Minnesota. All rights reserved. Contact copyright@extension.umn.edu for information on reproduction or use of this material.