Pest Management Options: Peach Twig Borer Mating Disruption
Peach twig borer mating disruption works best in large, contiguous areas of orchard (minimum 5 to 10 acre blocks). Mating disruption dispensers should be placed in the orchard before biofix (around shuck split). Mating disruption dispensers should be placed in the orchard according to manufacturer recommendations. Ideally, a biofix (first moth flight) for each orchard should be determined by hanging a pheromone trap in a nearby, non-mating disrupted site at petal fall, and checking it daily until moths are caught two nights in a row. The biofix date is used to determine the timing for supplemental sprays. It is impossible to get an accurate biofix within an orchard that has been historically using mating disruption due to the low moth population.
Monitor peach twig borer using large plastic delta traps with a sticky liner and lure. There are no specialized high load lures; only standard lures are available. Traps should be used according to the following guidelines:
- hang traps at petal fall
- hang in upper third of tree canopy
- one trap/10 acres (minimum 2 traps per orchard), plus traps in hot spots
- check traps once/week, and count and remove moths, or keep a running tally for each generation or since the last insecticide spray
Characteristics of Common Mating Disruption Dispensers
Brand | Type | Rate | Cost (approx) | Effectiveness | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Checkmate PT-XL | hand-applied clips | 200/acre | $70/acre | effective | dispensers last 90 days; where summers are longer/hotter than normal, dispensers will run out of pheromone before the season’s end, requiring a spray before hanging or after dispensers run out |
Isomate-PTB TT | hand-applied loops | 200/acre | $100/acre | somewhat effective | trap catch may be higher, but USU research shows that injury level is no different between the PTB brancs |
Lure types for monitoring pests in mating disrupted orchards
Lure Name | Longevity | Threshold to Apply Supplemental Spray | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1x | 30 or 60 Days | none has been determined, consider treating after a cumulative capture of 6 moths | because it is not a high load lure, these traps should not catch any moths in a successful MD orchard |