CONTROL OF CODLING MOTH IN SMALL PLOTS BY MATING DISRUPTION - ALONE AND WITH LIMITED INSECTICIDE

Mating disruption alone and mating disruption supplemented with limite d applications of either azinphos-methyl or fenoxycarb was evaluated i n 0.11-0.30 ha plots for the control of codling moth Cydia pomonella ( L.) (Tortricidae: Olethreutinae) populations. Where populations were l ow mating disruption alone was sufficient to keep codling moth damage levels below 1% at harvest. 'Low' was defined as no more than 0.2% dam age at harvest and fewer than 1.3 larvae/metre of trap band from Janua ry-March inclusive in the previous season. Neither mating disruption a lone nor when supplemented with azinphos-methyl or fenoxycarb during t he first spring generation gave commercially acceptable levels of cont rol in other than low density populations. Small plot size may have co ntributed to the failures. At the high density site unintentional supp lementary control provided by drift of azinphos-methyl from border are as to which it was applied throughout the season gave excellent contro l in the first year and suggested an interaction between low dosages o f insecticide and pheromone treatments that enhanced the disruptive ef fect of the latter.