Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture - Cranberry Insect Pest Monitoring in New Brunswick, 1998

Abstract: Insect pests were monitored at cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) sites in Oromocto West and Maugerville, New Brunswick during 1998 to determine when control methods would be required. Pheromone traps were used to monitor the following moths: blackheaded fireworm, Rhopobota naevana (Hübner); cranberry girdler, Chrysoteuchia topiaria (Zeller); sparganothis fruitworm, Sparganothis sulfureana (Clemens). Results from Oromocto West: 1) blackheaded fireworm, trapped from 22 June to 20 August, with a peak on 13 July; 2) cranberry girdler, trapped from 11 June to 23 July, with peak captures on 22 June and 9 July; 3) sparganothis fruitworm, trapped at very low levels from 20 July to 24 August. Results from trap captures provided information for timing of insecticide applications. Plants were sampled to determine the 50% out of bloom stage, which occurred on 8 July. This date was used for determining the appropriate time to apply a control measure for the cranberry fruitworm, Acrobasis vaccinii Riley. Plants were sampled for damage by the cranberry tipworm, Dasyneura vaccinii (Smith). An average of 12.2% of plant tips, over the entire sampling period, had been damaged by the cranberry tipworm. A survey of insect populations with a sweep net revealed no significant levels of additional insect pests. A pre-harvest assessment, of three hundred cranberries on 30 September revealed 1.3% of berries with feeding damage from insects plus 3% of berries being damaged from undetermined causes. Results from Maugerville: 1) blackheaded fireworm, trapped from 9 July to 6 August; 2) cranberry girdler, trapped from 25 June to 30 July; 3) sparganothis fruitworm, trapped from 20 July to 10 August. The 50% out of bloom stage occurred on 8 July. The cranberry tipworm was not present in samples. A pre-harvest assessment of six hundred berries revealed 1.5% of berries with feeding damage from insects plus 3.3% being damaged from undetermined causes.

¹Potato and Horticulture Branch, NBDARD, Fredericton, NB E3B 5H1