Title: | Can Mating Disruption Be a Possible Route to Control Plum Fruit Moth in Mediterranean Environments? |
Author(s): | Lo Verde G; Guarino S; Barone S; Rizzo R; |
Address: | "Department of Agricultural, Food and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy. Institute of Biosciences and Bioresources (IBBR), National Research Council of Italy (CNR), Corso Calatafimi 414, 90129 Palermo, Italy. CREA Research Centre for Plant Protection and Certification, SS.113, Km 245,5, 90011 Bagheria, Palermo, Italy" |
ISSN/ISBN: | 2075-4450 (Print) 2075-4450 (Electronic) 2075-4450 (Linking) |
Abstract: | "Control of the plum fruit moth, Grapholita funebrana Treitschke (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), has been mainly based on the use of chemical insecticides, which can cause undesirable side effects, leading to a growing interest towards alternative sustainable strategies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the mating disruption technique on G. funebrana infestation in plum orchards, by comparing the number of male captures in pheromone-baited traps, and evaluating the damage to fruits in plots treated with the pheromone dispersers and in control plots. The study was carried out in 2012 and 2014 in three organic plum orchards, on the cultivars Angeleno, Friar, President and Stanley. To evaluate the pheromone emission curve of the dispensers from the openings to the end of the trials, a chemical analysis was carried out by solid phase micro-extraction followed by gas chromatography, followed by mass spectrometry. In all years and orchards the mean number of males caught in traps placed in the treatment plots was always significantly lower than untreated plots. Pheromone emission from the dispensers was highest at the opening, and was still considerable at 54 days of field exposure, while it significantly decreased after 72 days of field exposure. Cultivar was confirmed to be an essential factor in determining the fruit infestation level. Pheromone treatment significantly reduced fruit infestation, but not economic damage" |
Keywords: | Grapholita funebrana Tortricidae integrated pest management sex pheromones; |
Notes: | "PubMed-not-MEDLINELo Verde, Gabriella Guarino, Salvatore Barone, Stefano Rizzo, Roberto eng Switzerland 2020/09/05 Insects. 2020 Sep 1; 11(9):589. doi: 10.3390/insects11090589" |