We used eight microsatellite loci and a set of 20 aphid samples to investigate the spatial and temporal genetic structure of rosy apple aphid populations from 13 apple orchards situated in four different regions in France. Genetic variability was very similar between orchard populations and between winged populations collected before sexual reproduction in the fall and populations collected fro...

Sisterson, M. S., Ledbetter, C. A., Chen, J., Higbee, B. S., Groves, R. L., and Daane, K. M. 2012. Management of almond leaf scorch disease: Long-term data on yield, tree vitality, and disease progress. Plant Dis. 96:1037-1044. Almond leaf scorch disease (ALSD) has been a chronic problem for California almond growers. This disease is caused by the bacterial pathogen Xylella fastidiosa and is tr...

In 1991, Isomate C (Pacific Biocontrol Corp., Ridgefield, WA.) became the first commercial product registered by the United States EPA for control of codling moth. Currently, there are 5 products available including Isomate C+, CheckMate CM (Consep, Inc., Bend, OR), NoMate CM (Scentry, Inc., Billings, MT) and Disrupt CM (Hercon, Inc., Emigsville, PA). In Washington State in 1991, codling moth m...

Lygus lineolaris is a pest of many economically important crops. While the species comprising the Peristenus pallipes complex are native parasitoids of L. lineolaris, they do not provide adequate biological control of L. lineolaris. As a result, the European parasitoid, Peristenus digoneutis, was introduced in forage alfalfa. Peristenus digoneutis successfully dispersed from forage alfalfa to s...

BACKGROUND Genetic resistance to QoI fungicides may account for recent failures to control Venturia inaequalis (Cooke) Winter in French orchards. Two PCR-based assays were developed to detect the G143A point mutation in the fungal mitochondrial cytochrome b gene. The mutation is known to confer a high level of resistance to QoI fungicides. Occurrence of the G143A mutation in French field isolat...

The increasing concern over the continued use of pesticides is pressurising apple growers to look for alternatives to chemical pest control. The re-discovery, and subsequent conservation, of the beneficial predatory mite, Anystis baccarum (Linnaeus) (Acari: Anystidae), in Bramley apple orchards in Northern Ireland offers a potential alternative control component for incorporation into integrate...

A 3-year demonstration study was conducted in four western New York apple orchards to evaluate current approaches of sustainable pest management in representative commercial orchards. Pests that could be tolerated were regulated by natural antagonists, including predatory mites that were introduced to supplement endemic populations, while those with lower tolerance levels were managed with a sc...

In 2003, organophosphate (Guthion) resistance was surveyed in codling moth from populations throughout Washington State. Populations were collected using pheromone traps during first and second flights from apple and pear and sampled for Guthion resistance using the standard adult topical bioassay. Select populations were also sampled for pyrethroid and chloronicotinyl resistance. All orchards ...

It is generally recommended that broadleaf plants in and around peach orchards must be controlled to minimize damage from stink bugs (Pentatomidae) and plant bugs (Lygus spp.). In research orchards located in West Virginia, USA, I have been growing peach trees as a monoculture or interplanted with apple, with and without the presence of broadleaf flowering plants. The flowering plants were used...