Codling Moth (CM) is an economically detrimental insect pest affecting apple production, and one which historically required expensive insecticide applications to control its populations. In 2004, Nestle Gerber sponsored an area-wide strategic research program with Michigan State University’s Cooperative Extension Service, the US Department of
Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency. This joint effort focused on proactively suppressing CM populations through the use of pheromone mating disruption, thereby reducing the need for insecticide applications. The basis
of the strategy is to prevent the pest’s population from reaching a threshold which requires treatment.
By 2004, increasing insecticide resistance had resulted in a 10%
infestation of all apples in the study area. This damaged fruit resulted in reduced yields and lost profits. Growers were responding with increasingly ineffective insecticide applications, furthering the insect’s resistance and increasing the grower’s production cost per acre. Increased cost per acre
and loss of saleable fruit ultimately affects the buyer - in this case Nestle Gerber.
The adoption of mating disruption hinged on the participation of wholefarm, contiguous acreage. Participation in this regional effort was strongly encouraged by Nestle Gerber and the other agencies. By deploying dispensers at correct time, carefully monitoring of CM traps, disseminating the pest population data among researchers, following judicious recommendations for reduced insecticide usage and evaluating the fruit at harvest, growers achieved excellent results:
- 50% reduction in pesticide applications, resulting in fewer residues on fruit and a decreased environmental impact.
- Fewer pesticides plus increased quality fruit resulted in an increased income of $20-25/acre for 20 farms.
- Increased farm profit-ability helpd control fruit cost to Nestle-Gerber.
- Reduced reliance on a single insecticide reduced the rate of insect’s resistance.
Consquently, the project blossomed in a regional success: only 800 acres used mating disruption in 2004; it has grown to over 8000 acres and six counties in 2010.
