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Funded Project |
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Funding Program:
Regional IPM Competitive Grants - Northeastern |
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Project Title:
Developing Traps and Fruit Volatile Lures for Monitoring Blueberry Maggot Fly |
Project Directors (PDs):
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Lead State: RI Lead Organization: University of Rhode Island |
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Cooperating State(s):
Maine, New York, New Jersey |
| Research Funding: $96,000 |
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Start Date: Sep-01-1996 End Date: Aug-31-1998 |
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Pests Involved: blueberry maggot fly |
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Site/Commodity: blueberry, blueberries |
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Area of Emphasis: trapping, monitoring |
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Summary:
The blueberry maggot is generally considered the most important insect pest of commercially grown low and highbush blueberries in the eastern and midwestern United States. The standard method of control is to apply three to five insecticide treatments against the adults. At present the treatment program followed by most growers is designed to prevent any possible injury, irrespective of whether or not maggot flies are actually present. Blueberry growers are faced with the problem of not knowing when or how often insecticides are needed for control of the blueberry maggot fly. The proposed research is designed to develop a sensitive monitoring trap and lure system which will maximize control and profit, and minimize pesticide applications. These actions in turn will reduce pesticide residues in fruit and maximize farm worker protection.
Objectives: * Evaluate various trap colors, designs, sizes, and lures in the field to determine the most attractive combination to blueberry maggot flies. * Determine the relative effects of visual and fruit-related chemical stimuli in attracting blueberry maggot flies. * Collect blueberry fruit volatiles and identify the most active fractions based on behavioral and electrophysiological responses * Determine the chemical identity and ratio of compounds in the most active fractions of the crude extract by GC-MS. * Evaluate the effect of the synthetic mixture of the most active fractions in enhancing blueberry maggot fly adult catches in the field. * Distribute information on monitoring blueberry maggot flies. Outcomes and Impacts Summary from 2001 IPM Center report The blueberry maggot is a major insect pest of commercially grown blueberries in the Northeast. Blueberry growers are faced with the problem of not knowing when or how often insecticides are actually needed to control the maggot fly. This uncertainty forces growers to apply three to five insecticide treatments per season even if maggot flies are not yet present -- a program designed to safeguard against economic injury. Researchers from Rhode Island, Maine, New York, and New Jersey worked to develop a sensitive monitoring trap and lure system that will maximize pest control while minimizing costs and pesticide applications. They made the traps more attractive to flies and produced traps that successfully control flies in small pick-your-own operations. This strategy will allow growers to control the pest with fewer pesticide sprays, thereby lowering growers' costs, reducing pesticide releases to the environment, and maximizing farm worker protection. Publications Liburd, O.E., S.R. Alm, S. Polavarapu, and R.A. Casagrande. 1998. Effect of trap color, bait, shape, and orientation in attraction of blueberry maggot (Diptera: Tephritidae) flies. J. Econ. Entomol. 91:243-249. Liburd, O.E., S.R. Alm, and R.A. Casagrande. 1998. Susceptibility of highbush blueberry cultivars to larval infestation by Rhagoletis mendax (Diptera: Tephritidae). Environ. Entomol. 27:817-821. |
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