ASHS 2015 Annual Conference

This study was performed to test a mating disruption technique to control of Pseudococcus comstocki (Kuwana) in pear orchards. We used the attractiveness of rubber septa loaded with 3.0 mg and the mating disruptor of plastic releaser loaded with 30 mg this pheromone, 2,6-dimethyl-1,5-heptadien-3-yl acetate of P. comstocki. In pheromone mating disruption tests, catches were reduced by 17.7, 65.3, and 62.9% in orchards treated with 450, 900, and 1,350 mg per 10a of the pheromone, respectively. At harvest, 3.4, 2.9, and 4.8% of fruits in orchards treated with 450, 900, and 1,350 mg per 10a were damaged by P. comstocki, while 9.5% were damaged in the control orchard. Although the control effect was shown in the treatments, the P. comstocki was captured many numbers in late September to early October in 2013. So, the 630mg of pheromone were use in early May and 270mg treated in early August in 2014. This treatment was shown 1.2% fruit damage rate and over 89% control value.