Development of a Mating Disruption Program for a Mealybug, Planococcus ficus, in Vineyards (original) (raw)
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Journal of Economic Entomology, 2006
Experiments were conducted to test a mating disruption program for the mealybug Planococcus ficus (Signoret) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in California vineyards. The sprayable, microencapsulated formulation of the racemic sex pheromone lavandulyl senecioate was applied with an air-blast sprayer, using three and four applications in 2003 and 2004, respectively. Mating disruption was combined with an application of buprofezin in June. Compared with a no-pheromone control, there were signiÞcantly lower season-long trap catches of adult males, season-long mealybug densities (2003 only), and crop damage in mating disruption plots. The amount of mealybug reduction and mechanisms that resulted in lower crop damage in mating disruption plots is discussed. In samples taken during the growing season (April to September), mealybug density was only 12.0 Ϯ 15.6 and 31.1 Ϯ 11.6% lower in the mating disruption plots than in control plots in 2003 and 2004, respectively. In the mating disruption treatment, mealybug egg production was signiÞcantly lower (2003 only), as were the proportion of ovisacs and crawlers produced. There was no treatment impact on percentage of parasitism. Mealybug density inßuenced treatment impact. In 2004, vines were categorized as having low, medium, or high mealybug densities during a preapplication survey. After treatment application, mealybug density was reduced by 86.3 Ϯ 6.3% on vines in the low mealybug density category, but it was unchanged on vines in the high density category. Another factor that reduced treatment impact was the relatively short effective lifetime of the sprayable formulation.
Managing the vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus, through pheromone-mediated mating disruption
Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 2019
The vine mealybug (VMB), Planococcus ficus (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), is a key insect pest of vineyards. While pheromone-based mating disruption (MD) has been successfully tested against a wide range of insect pests, knowledge about its efficacy against key mealybug species, such as P. ficus, is scarce. In this study, a novel MD product, Isonet® PF, was evaluated by testing 300, 400, and 500 dispensers/ha at four study sites located in Northern (Veneto) and Southern (Sicily) Italy. Experiments were carried out over 2 years by monitoring the mealybug populations in wine grape and table grape vineyards managed with and without the application of MD. Pheromone dispensers were periodically collected during the grapevinegrowing season, extracted, and analyzed by GC-MS, to determine their pheromone content and the release in mg/ha/day. The results showed that use of the MD dispenser Isonet® PF reduced the percentage of VMB-infested bunches and the number of VMB specimens per bunch compared with the untreated controls. This was recorded over 2 years at all experimental sites. Differences in the incidence of infested bunches among the three tested rates of Isonet® PF were not detected. Overall, the results presented here contribute to optimizing the sex pheromone dosage used in MD control programs against VMB allowing a reduction of broad-spectrum insecticides currently employed to manage this important pest.
Journal of Economic Entomology, 2006
Experiments were conducted to test a mating disruption program for the mealybug Planococcus ficus (Signoret) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae) in California vineyards. The sprayable, microencapsulated formulation of the racemic sex pheromone lavandulyl senecioate was applied with an air-blast sprayer, using three and four applications in 2003 and 2004, respectively. Mating disruption was combined with an application of buprofezin in June. Compared with a no-pheromone control, there were signiÞcantly lower season-long trap catches of adult males, season-long mealybug densities (2003 only), and crop damage in mating disruption plots. The amount of mealybug reduction and mechanisms that resulted in lower crop damage in mating disruption plots is discussed. In samples taken during the growing season (April to September), mealybug density was only 12.0 Ϯ 15.6 and 31.1 Ϯ 11.6% lower in the mating disruption plots than in control plots in 2003 and 2004, respectively. In the mating disruption treatment, mealybug egg production was signiÞcantly lower (2003 only), as were the proportion of ovisacs and crawlers produced. There was no treatment impact on percentage of parasitism. Mealybug density inßuenced treatment impact. In 2004, vines were categorized as having low, medium, or high mealybug densities during a preapplication survey. After treatment application, mealybug density was reduced by 86.3 Ϯ 6.3% on vines in the low mealybug density category, but it was unchanged on vines in the high density category. Another factor that reduced treatment impact was the relatively short effective lifetime of the sprayable formulation.
Mating disruption field experiments to control the vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus (Signoret) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), were carried out in 2008 and 2009 in two commercial vineyards in Sardinia (Italy). The effectiveness of mating disruption was evaluated by testing reservoir dispensers loaded with 100 mg (62.5 g/ha) and 150 mg (93.8 g/ha) of the sex pheromone in 2008 and 2009, respectively. The number of males captured in pheromone traps, the P. ficus population density and age structure, the parasitism rate, the percentage of ovipositing females, and the crop damage were compared between disrupted and untreated plots. In both field trials, the number of males captured in mating disruption plots was significantly reduced by 86% and 95%, respectively. Mating disruption at the initial dose of 62.5 g/ha of active ingredient gave inconclusive results, whereas the dose of 93.8 g/ha significantly lowered the mealybug density and modified the age structure, which showed a lower percentage of ovipositing females and a higher proportion of preovipositing females. Mating disruption did not affect negatively the parasitism rate, which was higher in the disrupted than in the control plots (>1.5-fold). Crop damage at harvest was very low in both field trials and did not differ between treatments. Mating disruption was effective in wide plots protected with dispensers loaded with 150 mg of the sex pheromone, showing its potential to be included in the overall integrated control programs in Mediterranean wine-growing regions.
Mating disruption field experiments to control the vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus (Signoret) (Hemiptera: Pseudococcidae), were carried out in 2008 and 2009 in two commercial vineyards in Sardinia (Italy). The effectiveness of mating disruption was evaluated by testing reservoir dispensers loaded with 100 mg (62.5 g/ha) and 150 mg (93.8 g/ha) of the sex pheromone in 2008 and 2009, respectively. The number of males captured in pheromone traps, the P. ficus population density and age structure, the parasitism rate, the percentage of ovipositing females, and the crop damage were compared between disrupted and untreated plots. In both field trials, the number of males captured in mating disruption plots was significantly reduced by 86% and 95%, respectively. Mating disruption at the initial dose of 62.5 g/ha of active ingredient gave inconclusive results, whereas the dose of 93.8 g/ha significantly lowered the mealybug density and modified the age structure, which showed a lower percentage of ovipositing females and a higher proportion of preovipositing females. Mating disruption did not affect negatively the parasitism rate, which was higher in the disrupted than in the control plots (>1.5-fold). Crop damage at harvest was very low in both field trials and did not differ between treatments. Mating disruption was effective in wide plots protected with dispensers loaded with 150 mg of the sex pheromone, showing its potential to be included in the overall integrated control programs in Mediterranean wine-growing regions.
Pheromone Deployment Strategies for Mating Disruption of a Vineyard Mealybug
Journal of Economic Entomology, 2021
The mealybug, Planococcus ficus (Signoret), is a primary vineyard pest in California and other grape-growing regions throughout the World. Mating disruption programs are commercially available to manage Pl. ficus, but widespread adoption has been limited, in part, by high costs compared with insecticide programs. To improve mating disruption economic effectiveness, different deployment technologies (passive, aerosol, and microencapsulated formulations) were individually examined. Adult male Pl. ficus captures in pheromone traps and categorical ratings of vine infestation or crop damage suggest that all deployment strategies lowered mealybug densities or damage. Using passive dispensers, deployment rates of 310 and 465 per ha lowered Pl. ficus crop damage similar to 615 per ha, a rate commonly used in commercial operations; reduced rates would lower product and deployment costs. Meso dispensers, containing more a.i., deployed at 35 per ha did not have a treatment impact, but a microe...
A mating disruption experiment against the vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus, was carried out during 2008 in 3 commercial vineyards in northwestern Sardinia. Within each vineyard, 2 adjacent plots of variable size (0.2, 0.4, and 0.5ha, respectively) were established as mating disruption and control plot. Plastic dispensers (Suterra Inc., USA) with 100mg each of the synthetic sex pheromone were deployed in mid-May, before the first flight of adult males, at a rate of 625 dispensers per hectare. The effectiveness of the mating disruption technique was evaluated by comparing the number of males captured in pheromone traps, the leaf population density, the percentage of ovipositing females, and the crop damage. Male flights were monitored with traps baited with 0.01mg of the sex pheromone. The percentage of females with ovisacs and their fecundity were estimated by collecting adult females after each peak male flight and rearing them individually under laboratory conditions. The mealybug density was assessed from June to September by counting every 2 weeks nymph and female mealybugs on basal leaves of 20-30 vines per plot. The crop damage was evaluated at harvest by assessing the percentage of damaged bunches on the same vines. In all the vineyards, the number of males captured in mating disruption plots was lower by far than in control plots, while the percentage of females with ovisac was significantly different only in the first generation. Females collected from the field after the first male flight produced more eggs than those collected after the second and third flight, with no significant difference between treatments. The density of mealybugs on leaves in mating disruption plots was lower than that in control plots, but the difference was not significant. Also, the percentage of damaged bunches at harvest did not differ between treatments. Mating disruption experiments to control the vine mealybug produced mixed results. This could be due to the limited size of experimental plots and/or the suspected parthenogenetic reproduction of Sardinian populations of P. ficus.
Mating disruption field trials to control the vine mealybug Planococcus ficus
A mating disruption experiment against the vine mealybug, Planococcus ficus, was carried out during 2008 in 3 commercial vineyards in northwestern Sardinia. Within each vineyard, 2 adjacent plots of variable size (0.2, 0.4, and 0.5ha, respectively) were established as mating disruption and control plot. Plastic dispensers (Suterra Inc., USA) with 100mg each of the synthetic sex pheromone were deployed in mid-May, before the first flight of adult males, at a rate of 625 dispensers per hectare. The effectiveness of the mating disruption technique was evaluated by comparing the number of males captured in pheromone traps, the leaf population density, the percentage of ovipositing females, and the crop damage. Male flights were monitored with traps baited with 0.01mg of the sex pheromone. The percentage of females with ovisacs and their fecundity were estimated by collecting adult females after each peak male flight and rearing them individually under laboratory conditions. The mealybug density was assessed from June to September by counting every 2 weeks nymph and female mealybugs on basal leaves of 20-30 vines per plot. The crop damage was evaluated at harvest by assessing the percentage of damaged bunches on the same vines. In all the vineyards, the number of males captured in mating disruption plots was lower by far than in control plots, while the percentage of females with ovisac was significantly different only in the first generation. Females collected from the field after the first male flight produced more eggs than those collected after the second and third flight, with no significant difference between treatments. The density of mealybugs on leaves in mating disruption plots was lower than that in control plots, but the difference was not significant. Also, the percentage of damaged bunches at harvest did not differ between treatments. Mating disruption experiments to control the vine mealybug produced mixed results. This could be due to the limited size of experimental plots and/or the suspected parthenogenetic reproduction of Sardinian populations of P. ficus.
Journal of Economic Entomology, 2002
The sex pheromone of the vine mealybug Planococcus ficus Signoret has been identiÞed as a single component, lavandulyl senecioate. Racemic lavandulyl senecioate was as attractive to male mealybugs as the insect-produced (S)-enantiomer, indicating that the unnatural enantiomer is not inhibitory. Lavandulol, which also was found in extracts from virgin females, antagonized attraction of males at higher doses. Rubber septum lures loaded with 10-to 1,000-g doses of the pheromone were equally attractive, and lures loaded with 100 g of racemic pheromone remained attractive for at least 12 wk under Þeld conditions. Delta traps were more effective than double-sided sticky cards and minimized captures of nontarget insects. Pheromone-baited traps had an effective range of at least 50 m. Comparison of visual sampling methods and sampling of males with pheromone-baited traps revealed that trap catches were signiÞcantly correlated with the results from visual sampling methods, and with economic damage.
Journal of Economic Entomology, 2002
The sex pheromone of the vine mealybug Planococcus ficus Signoret has been identiÞed as a single component, lavandulyl senecioate. Racemic lavandulyl senecioate was as attractive to male mealybugs as the insect-produced (S)-enantiomer, indicating that the unnatural enantiomer is not inhibitory. Lavandulol, which also was found in extracts from virgin females, antagonized attraction of males at higher doses. Rubber septum lures loaded with 10-to 1,000-g doses of the pheromone were equally attractive, and lures loaded with 100 g of racemic pheromone remained attractive for at least 12 wk under Þeld conditions. Delta traps were more effective than double-sided sticky cards and minimized captures of nontarget insects. Pheromone-baited traps had an effective range of at least 50 m. Comparison of visual sampling methods and sampling of males with pheromone-baited traps revealed that trap catches were signiÞcantly correlated with the results from visual sampling methods, and with economic damage.