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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Can Mating Disruption Be a Possible Route to Control Plum Fruit Moth in Mediterranean Environments?

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Simple Summary Grapholita funebrana is a main pest of plum throughout the Palearctic region. The management of this pest is generally carried out with chemical insecticides. In this study we investigated the suitability of the mating disruption as alternative method of control of this pest. Experiments were carried out in organic plum orchards during 2012 and 2014. Trap catches and fruit sampling were carried out to estimate the efficacy of this technique in reducing males catch and fruit infestation. The results indicated that the males caught in traps placed in the treatment plots was always significantly lower than untreated plots. The chemical analysis of the pheromone emission from the dispenser, carried out by solid-phase micro-extraction followed by gas chromatography, indicated an optimal duration of these tool for at least 60 days of field exposure. Fruit sampling evidenced that pheromone treatment significantly reduced fruit infestation, but not economic damage, particularly on the cultivar for which a high susceptibility to the moth infestation is known. 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.