Comparative Analysis to Damage Reduction of Host Plant by Applying a Mating Disruptor of the Oriental Fruit Moth, Grapholita molesta in Two Different Cultivation Environments of Apple Orchard

This study demonstrates a variability in efficacy of mating disruption against the oriental fruit moth, Grapholita molesta, populations infesting apples cultivated in differential environmental conditions. Throughout the growing seasons, trap catches of G. molesta male moths and damaged leaf and fruit were examined to evaluate the efficacy of a commercialized mating disruptor. Treatment of the mating disruptor significantly reduced the trap catches of male moth in treated plot, compared to those of the untreated plot. This reduced trap catches were significantly correlated with leaf and fruit damage. Moreover, the highest host damage occurred in June just after the highest overwintering adult peaks in both plots. The treatment of mating disruptors in Chungsong effectively disrupted the overwintering population in April and May, resulting in no noticeable host damage during the following growing seasons. However, there was a marked difference in host damage between two plots, especially in late seasons. Variation in the efficacy of mating disruption technology in terms of host damage appeared to be related with nearby pheromone-untreated orchards, which may result in the immigration of gravid females.