Funding: USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
This project seeks to develop a permanent trap cropping system involving grafting selected perimeter-row trees with six pest-attractive apple cultivars. In 2018, over 100 trees were grafted with 6 cultivars each at 11 orchards in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine. Those cultivars were selected based on grower input and published information. Apple cultivars were compared by measuring their attractiveness to plum curculio, a key economic pest. PC injury, and ovipositional scars, were recorded to determine whether particular apple cultivars are more susceptible to PC than others based on fruit injury levels.
Results: Under review for publication. A brief presentation by Dr. Jaime Pinero was given as a part of 2023 Northeast IPM Research Update Conference. Link to watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYQYXe9ZFpg
