Evaluation of CIDETRAK® CMDA + LR DUAL MESO™ as a mating disruption tool for the management of codling moth and obliquebanded leafroller

Abstract: In eastern North America, apple orchards are often attacked by several insect pest species in the Lepidopteran family Tortricidae. Some common fruit pests of economic importance from this family are codling moth (Cydia pomonella) (CM) and obliquebanded leafroller (Choristoneura rosaceana) (OBLR). Two common management options used by growers to control tortricid pests are insecticide-based control and mating disruption. However, the application of synthetic insecticides is detrimental to the environment and to non-target species and there is a growing evidence of pest resistance to various types of insecticides. Mating disruption on other hand is a species- specific and environment friendly option for apple growers. Mating disruption utilizes sex pheromone dispensers deployed at high densities to confuse male moths so that they will not find females. The main idea is that the female will remain unmated so that the population levels are reduced, and crop damage diminishes. The goal of this study was to evaluate the field performance of a dual mating disruption tool targeting CM and OBLR. Under the conditions of this study involving low moth populations, the Trécé dual mating disruption system marketed as CIDETRAK^® CMDA + LR DUAL MESO™ for CM and OBLR seems to be working well as determined by low injury and low moth captures in mating disruption blocks relative to the control blocks. The higher OBLR populations recorded in orchard “B” allowed us to determine that the LR combo lure can be used as a lure to monitor both sexes of OBLR.