Abstract
The trials were carried out in the years 2011-2013 in an isolated peach experimental orchard of one ha in the Fruit Growing Institute, Plovdiv – Central South Bulgaria. Mating disruption (MD) was tested as an alternative method controlling oriental fruit moth (OFM), Cydia molesta Busck from post-bloom till harvest. Isomate® OFM rosso (Shin Etsu - Japan) pheromone dispensers were installed once during the season, before the start of OFM flights. In 2013 Cidetrak® PTB dispensers were used against Anarsia lineatella Zell. For monitoring of the pests one type of pheromone traps was used in this experiment - PHEROCON® VI Delta traps (Trécé, USA) with a sticky changeable bottoms. The pheromone baits are a products of Trécé, Inc. USA. In the reference, conventionally treated orchard, 5-9 insecticide treatments were applied to control oriental fruit moth, peach twig borer (PTB), aphids and other pests. In spite of that, the fruit damage ranges from 3.6 to 5.2 % in the successive years. Percentage of damage in the experimental orchard treated with Isomate® OFM rosso was 0.1 and 0.3 %, i.e. rather below the economical threshold; no outbreak of the OFM appearance was noted. So, the MD method, with use of the Isomate® OFM rosso dispensers, proved to be an effective means of control even in a small size orchard lots. The results obtained may open the possibilities of practical use of the method of mating disruption in Bulgaria. This method should favour preservation of the natural environment and enable production of healthy fruits, not polluted by chemicals.
