California Pepper Commission

2013-2014

Proposal Trumble Insect Pest Managment

Department of Entomology -041
College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences

John Trumble
COLLEGE OF NATURAL AND
AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT OF ENTOMOLOGY
RIVERSIDE, CALIFORNIA 92521-0314

Email : john.trumble@ucr.edu
Phone : (951) 827-562

California Pepper Commission
Research Proposal 2013-2014

  1. IDENTIFICATION
    1. California Pepper Commission.
    2. Insect Pest Management on Peppers
    3. Proposal for period beginning March 2013, ending February 2014.
    4. Principal Investigator:
      • Dr. John T. Trumble
        Department of Entomology
        University of California, Riverside
    5. Cooperating Personnel:
      • William Carson, Greg Kund
        Department of Entomology
        Univ. of California, Riverside
    6. Location of Work:
      • U.C. Riverside,
        U.C. South Coast Res. & Ext. Center
  2. Goals
  3. The following concerns will be addressed:
    1) Evaluate materials for insect control and identify new materials for potential registration
    2) Develop an IPM approach to pest control in peppers.
    This includes a documentation of best sampling strategies, the effects of beneficial insects, and an economic evaluation of costs of the IPM program versus a chemical standard program

  4. Field Screening Trials for Effective Pesticides
  5. The primary goals are to field test new and existing chemistries for pest control. These data will provide growers with accurate information on which compounds work against specific insects and which compounds should be supported for registration on peppers in California. The longer term goal is to develop an IPM program for reduced pesticide use with improved economic returns for growers.

    A variety of compounds will be evaluated in field and laboratory trials for efficacy against major pest species. All field treatments will be replicated at least four times in a randomized complete block design, with replicates at least 40 ft long by four rows wide. Applications will be made with a commercial tractor-mounted boom sprayer. Their impact on beneficial insects such as leafminer parasites will also be monitored. At regular intervals during the season, leaves will be examined for live psyllids (Bactericera cockerelli) and numbers recorded. At the conclusion of the trial the fruit will be examined for insect damage and analyzed with an appropriate statistical test.

    We also hope to conduct a series of trials with repellents in the field to determine if the insets can be deterred from landing on plants. We have experience working with Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus (TSWV) and we will determine if existing IPM strategies for psyllid control will overlap and provide some control for TSWV.

  6. Economics of IPM strategies in Peppers
  7. A comprehensive insect pest management program will be evaluated in an experimental planting of a commercial variety of peppers at the UC South Coast Research and Extension Center in Orange County, CA. Plants will be scouted on a weekly basis to determine if pesticide applications are needed and to determine the best sampling strategies. Plants will be sprayed with a tractor mounted boom sprayer at commercial rates. Several strategies will be used for controlling thrips, whiteflies, and tomato psyllid. These rotational strategies will be comprised of materials that are currently in use or likely to be registered in the near future. Populations of beneficial insects will also be monitored. Sticky cards will be placed at the edge of the field above the plant canopy to monitor pest pressure. This systems management approach will be compared to standard spray schedules for effectiveness and economic value. This study will generate the type of information preferred by EPA and CDFA when deciding on the merits of registration of new products. Analyses will be reported to the California Pepper Commission in an annual report.

    All field treatments will be replicated at least four times in a randomized complete block design, with replicates at least 40 ft long by four rows wide. Applications will be made with a commercial tractor-mounted boom sprayer. Their impact on beneficial insects such as leafminer parasites will also be monitored. At regular intervals during the season, leaves will be examined for live psyllids and numbers recorded. Field counts of diseased plants will be done to determine if treatments reduce the number of TSWV infected plants. At the conclusion of the trial the fruit will be examined for insect damage and analyzed with an appropriate statistical test.

  8. BUDGET -REQUESTED
    • General Assistance
      • Includes partial student & partial SRA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14,000
        to assist in insect rearing, chemical analyses, field trials with pesticides and field trials for economic evaluation of the low input IPM approach
      • Land, labor, and facilities charges at SCREC.................... 3,000
      • Part-time summer helpers/students............................ 2,000
        to assist in bioassays, field counts, tractor calibration & set up, greenhouse studies, etc.
      • Supplies and Expenses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2,000
        Includes transplants, sampling supplies, lab rearing of pest species, lab chemicals, non-donated pesticides, greenhouse supplies, application equipment costs, greenhouse charges, etc.
      • Travel................................................... 1,000
        To present results to relevant groups, vehicle rental and mileage to & from field sites

    TOTAL: $22,000

  9. Signature and Date:

John Trumble

John Trumble January 2, 2013


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