The Dating Game: Updates on Lepidopteran Mating Disruption

Описание: In this webinar, Dr. Tracy Leskey shares new research from the USDA NIFA Specialty Crop Research Initiative Cultivating Tomorrow’s Orchards, focused on improving IPM tools for persistent orchard pests.

The session covers management of codling moth and oriental fruit moth, including Biofix degree-day models, egg hatch timing, action thresholds (5 CM or 10 OFM per trap/week), and commonly used materials such as diamides (e.g., Altacor), spinetoram (Delegate), neonicotinoids, and codling moth virus.

A major focus is mating disruption — how pheromone ties “flood the zone” to prevent males from locating females through competitive attraction or sensory overload. Tracy also examines where current mating disruption recommendations came from — and whether they hold up.

Field results in young peach blocks show promising control of peach tree borer and lesser peach tree borer, with zero trap captures in mating disruption plots at high tie rates (250 ties/acre), suggesting it may be a reliable alternative to trunk-applied Lorsban.

The project is now exploring economics, labor tradeoffs, and real-world “grower hacks” (reduced tie rates or multi-year carryover) to make mating disruption more practical and cost-effective.

A research-based look at refining pheromone disruption strategies for modern orchard systems.