Using IPM-CPR as a Management Program for Apple Orchards.

Area of Science:

• Agricultural Entomology
• Integrated Pest Management
• Orchard Systems Ecology

Background:

• Orchard pest management faces challenges from invasive species like Halyomorpha halys.
• Traditional pest control relies heavily on broad-spectrum insecticides, posing environmental and economic concerns.
• A systems-level approach is needed to manage multiple pests concurrently and sustainably.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of Integrated Pest Management-Crop Perimeter Restructuring (IPM-CPR) against key apple orchard pests.
• To compare IPM-CPR with standard pest management programs regarding pest control and insecticide application.
• To assess the impact of IPM-CPR on beneficial insect populations.

Main Methods:

• On-farm field trials were conducted in commercial apple orchards across three states (NJ, MD, VA) from 2014-2017.
• IPM-CPR was compared against standard management programs, monitoring key pests (H. halys, C. pomonella, G. molesta, L. lineolaris) and fruit injury.
• Insecticide application amounts and beneficial insect presence were quantified for each treatment.

Main Results:

• IPM-CPR showed comparable control of H. halys to standard methods, with no significant difference in trap counts or fruit injury.
• Damage from Cydia pomonella and Grapholita molesta was significantly lower under IPM-CPR in two of the three trial years.
• Insecticide active ingredient use was reduced by an average of 62.1% in IPM-CPR treatments, with minimal negative effects on beneficial insects.

Conclusions:

• IPM-CPR is a viable systems-level strategy for managing key apple orchard pests, including the invasive H. halys.
• This approach significantly reduces reliance on insecticides while maintaining or improving control of certain pests.
• IPM-CPR offers a sustainable alternative for pest population reduction in commercial apple production.