Work

Evaporative Cooling Irrigation Influences Disease, Insect, and Mite Pests of ‘Delicious’ Apples1

Year: 1981

Type: article

Abstract: Evaporative cooling, trickle, and no irrigation were compared under a reduced pesticide program and no pesticides for effects on pests of ‘Delicious’ apple ( Malus domestica Borkh.) at 1 location in 1979 and at 2 locations in 1980. Evaporative cooling slightly increased foliar scab in one orchard and fruit scab at both locations on trees receiving no fungicides, but fungicides applied to one side of the trees overcame this effect. Irrigation treatments did not affect white rot incidence. Evaporative cooling lowered bitter rot incidence on non-sprayed trees in the year in which they were inoculated, apparently by washing off spores, but increased bitter rot on trees receiving fungicides in the following year when inoculum levels were much higher. Aphid colonies and damage from external fruit feeders and codling moth all increased under evaporative cooling when populations were high enough to detect differences between treatments, but this occurred during only one season at one location for each pest. Following either delayed dormant oil or selective miticide applications in June, evaporative cooling consistently maintained European red mites and usually maintained two-spotted spider mites below damaging levels, while pest mite populations on trickle- and non-irrigated trees resurged to high levels.

Source: Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science

DOI: 10.21273/jashs.106.4.469

Authors: Brenda Olcott-Reid, Turner B. Sutton, C. R. Unrath

Institution: North Carolina State University

Language: English

Topic: Irrigation Practices and Water Management

Subfield: Soil Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Zero hunger

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $3,500