WCN August 2020

Tips for Smaller Growers
Brad Higbee, field research and
development manager for Trécé, said
there are opportunities for smaller
growers to adopt NOW monitoring and
mating disruption programs, but there
can be challenges when neighboring orchards
are not managed similarly. Advanced
monitoring systems can detect
NOW movement into an orchard and
targeted sprays can be done. Research
has shown that female NOW coming
into an orchard are likely already mated.
Higbee said they know from past
work that immigrating female NOW
lay their eggs in trees from four to 600
feet of the orchard border. Monitoring
and comparing trap counts on orchard
borders with traps at the orchard center
can show potential border immigration
situations.
Area-wide control programs for
NOW are always more effective, Higbee
said. Spray timing, mating disruption
and sanitation are all more effective
NOW controls if done in all neighboring
orchards.
Christeen Abbott-Hearn with Pacific
Biocontrol said Isomate Mist NOW
is a good option for area-wide use and
smaller orchards. Isomate Mist NOW is
an aerosol emitter that dispenses pheromone
when NOW are active and lasts
season-long. The cloud of pheromone
moves throughout the orchard with air
currents.
“The bigger the continuous cloud of
pheromone, the better,” she said.
Customized placement of the mister
units creates optimal pheromone dispersion.
Orchards as small as 40 to 60
acres can be successfully disrupted as
long as growers take into account the
potential for NOW from neighboring
nut crops to fly into the orchard. Even
then, there are management solutions,
Continued on Page 36
The Cidetrak NOW MESO dispenser is
designed to give season-long mating
disruption with low dispenser rates to
cut down on labor for installation (photo
courtesy Trécé.)
suspended inside a trap. Baited traps
are another tool that allows growers to
see NOW pressure levels in orchards.
August 2020 www.wcngg.com 35