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Georgia Peach Council's 2005 Strategy
Strategic Approach
Georgia Peach Council believes integrated pest management (IPM) is a key component of profitable and biologically sustainable production systems. IPM is the cornerstone of resistance management. IPM reduces important pesticide-related risks by enhancing food safety, worker safety and environmental stewardship. GPC members actively support the continuum of IPM research beginning with improving our understanding of pest biology and progressing to developmental work for pest sampling, pest models and treatment thresholds.
In Georgia, and the Southeast, IPM implementation is challenging. GPC members have been forced to set aside other IPM goals to cope with outbreak levels of lesser peachtree borers, which are threatening the southeastern peach industry’s sustainability. This crisis has its origin in the loss of encapsulated methyl parathion in 1999. In parallel fashion, bacterial spot pressure in 2005 has been very high, underscoring the industry’s dependence on as-needed antibiotic use.
2005 Strategy
IPM Research is expected to develop tools to manage pests in a holistic fashion, which will increasingly facilitate as-needed use of pesticides. Cost-effectiveness is critical, as implementation will not occur unless IPM is reliable and affordable. As IPM tools that meet these requirements are developed, they will be adopted. Select on-going IPM research initiatives are listed below.
Entomology
- Borers: mating disruption, pest biology & survey
- Plum curculio: host plant assessment, model development, mobility & biocontrol
- Stink bug: ecology & monitoring
- Scale: model development & validation
- Low-risk, OP-replacement insecticide efficacy trials, with on-farm evaluation and demonstration of labeled alternatives
Plant Pathology & Nematology
- Brown rot: ecology, forecasting, resistance management & control
- Scab: forecasting & control
- Bacterial spot: host plant resistance, forecasting, control
- Nematode species: ecology, non-chemical control, host plant resistance
Weed Science
- Weed ecology & succession
- Sedge biology & control
- Sequential applications to reduce rates & extend control
2005 On-Farm IPM Strategy
Entomology
Peach orchards in Georgia and across the Southeast are suffering unprecedented losses from lesser peachtree borer. For at least 50 years lesser peachtree borer has been an insignificant, occasional pest that was problematic only in old orchards during the last two years of production. Since 1999, when encapsulated methyl parathion became unavailable to peach growers, the lesser peachtree borer populations have progressively increased. It has become a major, tree-killing pest that reduces orchard profitability by reducing fruit size while dramatically shortening orchard longevity (2 to 3 years).
Triage-level response to lesser peachtree borer was initiated during 2005 winter production meetings in Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama. A 24C label for additional post-harvest application of chlorpyrifos has been granted in Georgia; similar petitions have been initiated in South Carolina and Alabama. A request for a time-limited extension of azinphos methyl’s peach label has been made. AZM is labeled for control of lesser peachtree borer, and it is widely regarded as the most efficacious in-season insecticide for suppression of this pest. IPM initiatives such as alternate row middle sprays (ARM), border spraying for plum curculio, and incorporation of low-risk, OP-replacement insecticides have been set aside in order to focus all available tools on combating the lesser peachtree borer outbreak.
Pheromone mating disruption of lesser peachtree borer. Mating disruption of borers offers the potential of control where there is presently no control. Mating disruption is extremely expensive, comparable to the aggregate, season-long cost of all other insect and mite management tactics together. However, even with its expense, there are many orchards where the potential losses in tree life and productive vigor would offset costs. Implementation of borer mating disruption in Michigan peach orchards has provided evidence of success, though at pheromone rates ca. ¼ of those being evaluated in Georgia. In 2005 the 3rd year of a large, 370+ acre trial is showing promise, but there are numerous question of efficacy, suitability to varying age orchards and logistics that are not yet answered. Additional work is needed so scientists and growers can determine where and how to consider use of this tool.
Plant Pathology
Ecological studies of brown rot, scab and bacterial scab are on-going. Resistance management studies are optimizing our ability to mitigate resistance. Low-risk alternatives are being assessed for each of these pathogens.
Weed Science
On-farm and experiment station survey of weed species composition and abundance is underway. Sequential, reduced risk applications of pre-emergence herbicides are also being evaluated.
Grower Education
Peach IPM scientists from University of Georgia, USDA-ARS, Clemson University, Auburn University, North Carolina State University and the University of Florida work together to foster comprehensive grower-education programs that include national, multi-state and multi-county extension meetings, an 11-state IPM & culture guide, a major reference publication (in-press), the Georgia Peach web site, and numerous personal interactions. GPC members participate in on-farm trials and work with IPM scientists to provide grower feedback and insights for the industry’s research and extension needs.
IPM & Pesticide Policy efforts by GPC members have continued to host farm tours, and engage in dialogue on a variety of IPM issues with university administrators, IPM scientists, state and federal pesticide policy personnel, pesticide industry representatives, state and federal legislative delegations, and the general public.