Agriculture, Fisheries and Aquaculture - Cranberry Insect Pest Monitoring

Abstract: Insect pests were monitored at cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon) sites in Oromocto West and Maugerville, New Brunswick during 1999 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), cranberry fruitworm, Acrobasis vaccinii Riley. Results from Oromocto West: 1) blackheaded fireworm, trapped from 18 June to 26 August; 2) cranberry girdler, trapped from 18 June to 20 August; 3) cranberry fruitworm, trapped from 8 to 14 July; 4) sparganothis fruitworm, trapped from 14 July to 26 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 4 July. This date was used for determining the appropriate time to apply a control measure for the cranberry fruitworm. Plants were sampled for damage by the cranberry tipworm, Dasyneura vaccinii (Smith). An average of 14.4% of plant tips, over the entire sampling period, had been damaged by the cranberry tipworm. Visual field inspections revealed no obvious signs of damage from other cranberry insect pests. A pre-harvest assessment, of three hundred cranberries on 27 September revealed 84.7% undamaged, 3.7% with fruitworm damage, 9.7% mushy from frost damage, 2% deformed from unknown causes. Results from Maugerville: 1) blackheaded fireworm, trapped from 18 June to 24 August; 2) cranberry girdler, trapped from 18 June to 13 August; 3) cranberry fruitworm, trapped from 8 to 19 July; 4) sparganothis fruitworm, trapped from 22 to 27 July. The 50% out of bloom stage occurred on 30 June. The cranberry tipworm was not present in samples. A pre-harvest assessment of three hundred berries revealed 98% undamaged, 0.33% with fruitworm damage, 1.33% mushy from frost damage, 0.33% deformed from unknown causes. Visual field inspections revealed no obvious signs of damage from other cranberry insect pests.

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