1. Vertical Integration in Pepper Pest Management
Charles Mellinger PhD
Glades Crop Care, Inc
Jupiter, Florida
August 29, 2008

2. IPM and Multiple Pests
My talk today: Managing 2 or more pests on the same plant with conflicting control choices.
Pepper example: WFT and pepper weevil
PEW controls—Vydate & pyrethroids—eliminate Orius and explode WFT
WFT controls—spinosad/spinetoram, Beleaf, & Orius

3. Pesticide Choice Conflict
PEW
WFT

4. How reduce conflict? Eliminate PEW hosts
Introduce Catalaccus parasitoids into nightshade (NS)
Use least-toxic PEW’icides
Monitor movement PEW with traps
GPS GIS mapping of PEW and NS

5. Dropped Fruit

6. Pepper Weevil Management
Situation:
PEW is the system driver
Controlled by frequent and heavy doses of carbamates and pyrethroids
Results:
Elevated resistance to oxamyl
No beneficial activity
Not sustainable
Anthonomas eugenii

8. Mean Percent Pepper Weevil Fruit Loss
Over the Last 4 Years – Not Acceptable!
Nov-10%
Jan-25%
Nov-8%
Jan-20%
Nov-6%
Feb-27%
Nov-4%
Feb-32%
Dec-5%
Mar-24%
Dec-7%
Mar-22%
Dec-6%
Mar-34%
Dec-8%
Mar-37%

9. Pepper Weevil Management
Insights and Innovation:
Determined alternate host is nightshade
Partial solution: attempt to eliminate nightshade
New tool -- Catolaccus to parasitize PEW eggs
Program:
Release Catolaccus into nightshade reservoir for reduced PEW populations

12. Area-wide Pest Management in Action: PEW movement mid season, 2001-2002
Farm A
Farm B
>20
11-20
Farm C
PEW trap
counts
5-10
1-4

13. Season-end PEW Movement Impacted by Areas of Nightshade
Pepper
Farm B
Pepper
Farm A
Weevils/trap
>20
Areas of
nightshade
11-20
Pepper
Farm C
5-10
1-4

14. Mean Percent Pepper Weevil Fruit Loss in 2002-2003 – Prevention Works!
Nov-0.5%
Jan-2%
Nov-1%
Jan-2%
Nov-0%
Feb-2%
Nov-0%
Feb-2%
Dec-1%
Mar-2%
Dec-2%
Mar-1%
Dec-3%
Mar-1%
Dec-2%
Mar-0%

15. Results Summary 2000-2002: High infestations 2003: 45% reduction

16. Final Result: Control of PEW and WFT
Use 3-tiered system to reduce PEW population available for crop
Monitor PEW outside and inside crop
Use least toxic insecticides
Monitor and identify thrips population in crop and surrounding vegetation

17. Thank You! See www.gladescropcare.com for more information
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