Maiting Disruption Helps with Navel Orangeworm

Mating disruption for navel orangeworm works. David Haviland is a UCANR, farm advisor, Kern County. “We all know navel orangeworm is not a simple pest to control and it takes an integrated pest management approach. We know the base of that sanitation---getting rid of all the mummies in the winter to make sure that we reset the clock when navel orangeworm comes back in the spring,” noted Haviland.

“We know that the earlier you harvest, the better you're going to be. So early and timely harvest is going to help. We know insecticides helped. They've been around a while and they're effective and, certainly, people are using them,” said Haviland. “At the same time, those three things alone don't always control the pest to the level you need. And that's where mating disruption can come in as the another leg on the IPM chair.”

Haviland has tested the mating disruption products. Currently, there are three different groups of products registered. There are the aerosol products that release pheromone throughout at certain intervals during the season. The second group, what we call the Meso emitter. That's a rubber strip that's hung in the trees that passively releases the pheromone all year and the third group, which is new, is as a sprayable pheromone. It's one that you put in the tank and you spray it along with an insecticide or fungicide.

“In 2017 trials the big take home message this that all three of the aerosol products were effective. They all work well, as does the Meso emitter, so all those work about the same,” noted Haviland.

Haviland said the sprayable product did not work as well. And then a 2017/2018 Haviland had larger trials and it confirmed their previous trial. “The earlier trial showed a 40 to 50% reduction in damage, while the later trial on larger acreage showed a 60 to 70% reduction in damage, which always returned money to the grower,” he said.