Chemical Control / New Products Evaluation of Confirm for Codling Moth and Leafroller Control in Pears

A. Full Season Evaluation of Confirm for Coding Moth Control Methods and Materials A study was conducted in a commercial 'Bartlett' pear orchard in Hood, CA. Three unreplicated treatments of ca. five acres each were applied using an air-blast speed sprayer operating at 1.75 mph and applying 100 gal of finished spray per acre. The three treatments were: Confirm 2F applied four times, Confirm 2F applied five times and Guthion 50WP applied three times during the season. Applications were scheduled based on degree days (DD). DD were calculated with a biofix of 31 March for the first generation and 11 June biofix for the second generation using a single sine horizontal cutoff model with a lower threshold of 50°F and an upper threshold of 88°F. Maximum and minimum air temperatures were obtained from the IMPACT weather station at Lodi, CA. Flight activity of male codling moth (CM) was monitored with a pheromone trap placed in the experimental area. Target application timings were: Confirm at 200 DD or beginning of egg hatch of the A peak of the first flight (5/3), two weeks after the first application (5 application treatment only—5/18), 700 DD or beginning of egg hatch of the B peak of the first generation (6/3), 200 DD or beginning of egg hatch of the A peak of the second generation (6/14) and a final application at the "stop drop" timing (7/2). The grower standard (Guthion) target application timing was: 250 DD or egg hatch of the A peak of the first (5/9) and second (6/14) generations and at the "stop drop" timing (7/3). Control of the CM infestation and leafroller damage was evaluated on 11 June and 15 July (beginning of commercial harvest) by inspecting 250 fruit from the bottom of the tree canopy from four widely separated areas within each unreplicated treatment (a total of 1,000 fruit per treatment per evaluation).