Pulling out the Evil by the Root: the Codling Moth Cydia Pomonella Eradication Programme in Brazil

\ Pulling Out the Evil by the Root: the Codling Moth Cydia pomonella Eradication SP00191 Programme in Brazil CNPUV 200" '\. KOVALESKI' and J. MUMFORD2 SP-08.00191 'Embrapa Uva e Vinho, Estação Experimental de Vacaria, Caixa Postal 1513, CEP 95200-000, Vacaria, RS, Brazil 21mperial College London, Silwood Park, Ascot SL5 7PY, UK ABSTRACT Since thc codling moth Cydia pomonella (L.) was dctcctcd in parts ofthc Brazilian applc growing arca a series of survcillance and control actions have been carried out. Firstly, a trapping survey deterrnined the extent to which the pest had spread in Brazil. Pheromonc traps were ser up and serviced during one season throughout the temperare fruit growing region, at ports of entry and in the main south- em commcrcial centres (São Paulo, Florianópolis, Santos, Curitiba). This trapping dcrnonstratcd that only urban arcas within four municipalities were afTected: Vacaria, Bom Jesus, Caxias do Sul and Lagcs. Except for the last, the afTected municipalities are importam apple growing regions, with more than 3000 hectares of apples cach. In 199811999, a pilot project of population suppression was undertaken in these afTected arcas, applying lure-and-kill (rnalc annihilation). This technique proved to be highly etTicient in reducing codling moth populations. Results cncouraged the claboration of a scries of scicntific projccts and the dcvclopmcnt of a plan to cradicatc the codling moth from Brazil. The programmc has severa I cornponcnts: (I) cornmercial apple orchards adoptcd dctcction trapping to idcntify any ncw invasion cvcnt, (2) rcmoval of host and potcntial hOSItrecs in urban arcas and rcplaccrncnt by non-host trccs in many cases adopted as an altemative to direct population suppression in the urban arcas, and (3) the potential use of the sterilc insect technique (SIT) in certain arcas. The host tree rcmoval carnpaign led to a significant decrease in codling moth populations as evidenced by the decrease in the nurnbcr of catches in phcromone-baitcd rraps used for monitoring. The rnain constraints to the dcvclopmcnt of the eradication prograrnmc were bureau- cratic and lcgislativc, Laek of funds and of national legislation on scmiochcmicals jeopardized effective actions. In this report, updated data are prcsentcd on codling moth population dynamics in four infested arcas as well as an ovcrall cvaluation of the survey and control activities carried out thus far. KEY WORDS Cydia pomonella, codling rnoth, SIT, host availability, lure-and-kill, eradication, Brazil, apple, host rcrnoval, biological invasion 1. Historical Background males were trapped ar the same location. In January 1993, traps were set up in other The codling moth Cydia pomonella (L) is a municipalities near Vacaria, but no moths quarantine pest of apples in Brazil. Given its were rrapped. At that time, pheromone traps importance in other apple growing countries, were not available in Brazil and had to be efforts to monitor for possible incursions start- imported from Chile. Only in 1997-1998 did ed in the I980s, using a few traps which traps become available and could be deployed invariably retumed zero catches. Tn 1991, a at the appropriate time of lhe season, in early single pheromone-baited trap was deployed in September. a domestic orchard in lhe urban area of The programme faced several early obsta- Vacaria, Rio Grande do Sul. One male codling eles, sue h as lack of undcrstanding about the moth was caught and again in 1992, two importance of preventing lhe colonization and 581 MJB. Vreysen,A.S Robinson and J Hendrichs (eds.), Area-Wide Contrai of lnsect Pests, 581 590. © 2007 IAEA. 582 A. KOVALESKI AND J. MUMFORD J • ttot"''''''9'~'·9Qn clnt:oIw1?:oIfrutl; Figure I. Delimiting survey ofCydia pomonella in the three southern states of Brazil and São Paulo. (Iefl) Municipalities where traps were deployed indicating major apple growing regions (red circles), minor apple growing areas (green cireles) and points of entry of fresh fruits from Uruguay, Argentina and Chile (arrows), and (right) uninfested (black cireles) and infested municipalities (red cireles). spread of a new apple pest in Brazil. This was followed with researchers, control officials tumed around by the dynamism of apple and growers joining efforts to prevent the growers who, aware of the importance of the establishment and spread of a new pest. This codling moth in other countries, provided paper presents an overview of the codling financial support to official actions to prevent moth control programme in Brazil since its establishment. The plant protection actions detection of the pest in the urban area of Bom of the Ministry of Agriculture were improved, Jesus, as well as forthcoming activities. and the inspection of imported temperate fruits became routine at ali ports of entry. 2. Detection Trapping ow, 15 years after the first detection of C. pomonella in Brazil, the programme is quoted Detection trapping was initiated during the throughout the country as an example to be 1980s, with a few traps baited with codling 6 5 ,'#~ 4 r-: ,/..\ 3 · · 2 ·I ,"'" ;.~" . o L-__~~~ ~ ~'~~'~'-=-~-~ _ 5/9 9126 10117 1117 11128 12119 119 113012120 3113 413 4124 5115 ---- 97/98 ...... 98/99 - 99/00 Figure 2. Population dynamics of the codling moth in Lages, Santa Caterina, Brazil, as indi- cated by weekly male catches in pheromone-baited Iraps (1997-2000). CODUNG MOTH ERADICATION PROGRAMME IN BRAZIL 583 Table J. Number of traps deployed in lhe urban areas of the four municipalities affected by lhe codling moth in Brazil. Pcriod Vacaria Lagcs Bom Jesus Caxias do Sul 1998/1999 to 2003/2004 4001 400 1001 1801 2004/2005 400 1700 200 400 2005/2006 1100 1700 400 550 1Ineompletc data due to laek of traps in some years moth sex pheromone. The first male was 3. Population Dynamics caught in October 1991. Another two males were caught in the same domestic orchard in In Brazil, adult codling moths are first trapped October 1992. In January 1993, the number of in September and the population peaks from traps was increased to 32 but no males were late October to mid Oecember. Laboratory caught. In 1994-1995, a network of detection observations corroborate these data on the traps was deployed in the field, ranging from onset and peak of adult emergence and also the southemmost region of the country to São indicate that 95% of field-collected larvae Paulo (Fig. I). enter diapause which may last for up to two Four municipalities were defined as affect- years (Fig. 2). ed: three in the state of Rio Grande do Sul This univoltine pattem differs from that (Vacaria, Bom Jesus and Caxias do Sul) and described in other South American countries, one in the state of Santa Catarina (Lages). where the pest is bivoltine. A possible expla- Monitoring in urban areas of affected munici- nation is the shorter photoperiod during sum- palities was carried out with synthetic mer, due to the lower latitude of the 8razilian pheromone-baited traps (Table I). apple growing area compared with more With the establishment of integrated fruit southerly regions in South America. Thus, production, detection trapping was adopted as regardless of the adopted methodology an an obligatory action throughout the 30000 eradication programme should concentrate hectares of commercial apple production. actions from October to January. Growers are in charge of trap deployment and service and they receive training on codling 4. Lure-and-Kill Pilot Project moth identi fication. They are also instructed to bring to Embrapa Uva e Vinho, in Vacaria, The delimiting survey demonstrated that the any trapped individuaIs that may resemble the codling moth was restricted to four urban codling moth. areas. The use of chemical control was In commercial areas located less than 30 deemed unacceptable due to the potential haz- kilometres from urban areas where the ard it could present. There were few altema- codling moth was detected, a density of one tives: the sterile insect technique was not trap per five hectares is adopted. In other areas available in Brazil, nor were pheromone- the recommendation is one trap per ten based techniques due to lack of registered hectares. To date, there are no records of materiais. codling moth males being trapped in Brazilian Brazil did not have a specific legislation commercial apple orchards. Inspection proce- for pheromones and their registration had to dures are submitted to extemal audits by the follow the same procedures adopted for pesti- Plant Protection Service in the states of Santa cides. However, in 1998, the Ministry of Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul. Agriculture of Brazil responded to the prob- 584 A. KOVALESKI AND J. MUMFORD R.tMOVAL cr HOST TREES i..:. 200212003 2(})512006 Figure 3. Cydia pomonella population density in the urban area of Vacaria, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, 1997-2006 as revealed through trap catches. 1n 1998-1999, lure-and-kill was applied throughout the urban area and partially in 2000-2001. ln 2002-2003 host plant replacement was initiated and in 2005-2006, only 0.6% of the original host plants remained in the urban area. lem and allowed an urgent importation of clear that lure-and-kill itselfwould not be suf- pheromone dispensers which were used to ficient to prevent further population build up. attract males to paper panels impregnated Lure-and-kill was applied a second time in with naled, an organophosphate with long Vacaria during 2000-200 I and in Bom Jesus residual effect. in 2003-2004 in those locations identified as The technique was applied throughout the having high infestation levels. Difficulties in urban areas of Vacaria and Bom Jesus and in registration of pherornone-based techniques part of the urban area of Lages. Results were and high costs led the working group involved immediately positive and promising.

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