Development of Biological Control Strategies for Integrated Pest Management of Fruit (Apple trees)

The production of pome fruit trees (apples and pears) constitutes a socio-economic activity of great importance for Argentina, Chile and Uruguay. The “apple moth” Cydia pomonella (L.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), an exotic pest for the region, constitutes one of the most frequent limitations for the production of this fruit crop. The strategies tried so far to minimize the negative impact of this pest have been based exclusively on the use of pesticides; however, the apparent streamlining in their use (use of alarm systems, selective insecticides, etc.), have caused serious inconveniences such as: resurgence of pests, appearance of new ones, increasing contamination of the environment (soil and water), market losses due to high levels of residues in fruit and health problems in the population. So far, the fruit producer has no alternative to chemical control to deal with the problem posed by pests.

This considered, the present research aimed to develop Biological Control (BC) strategies for the key pest of the apple crop (Cydia pomonella (L.), and the relevant secondary pests (eg, leaf reels) by using entomophages.