Monitoring, or scouting, is one of the most fundamental activities in tree fruit integrated pest management (IPM) programs, yet it is often neglected. And every now and then, we all need to be reminded about why we use the practices that we use.
Why is scouting important?
Monitoring individual orchard blocks throughout the season is the most effective way of detecting, identifying and determining insect pest populations, their natural enemies and disease threats on a timely basis. In addition to human scouts, insect traps can be used to detect pests and identify when monitoring should be intensified or if chemical control practices are needed in a given block.
Scouting provides the information you need for making decisions about orchard management. Without it, you could end up overusing treatments such as insecticides, miticides or fungicides.
Seven tips for efficient, effective scouting
While scouting is essential, it doesn’t need to be painful or tedious. Here are seven tips to help you scout your orchards efficiently and effectively.
- Be prepared. Keeping a 10x handheld magnifying lens, notebook or computer tablet, and pest identification guide handy can make monitoring your orchard blocks easy. Be sure to always document your findings.
- Take notes. Noting the locations of potential or existing trouble spots in an orchard block gives you a reference for ongoing monitoring or treatment applications. Notes can also provide you with a history of pest and natural enemy populations and implemented treatments for use in future growing seasons.
- Monitor weather. Temperature, rainfall and growing-degree days can positively or negatively impact disease pressure and insect populations. Always keep an eye to the sky and weather forecast with your fruit crops in mind.
- Know where to look, both in the orchard and in the tree. Certain diseases and insects prefer different microenvironments. Look at buds, blossoms, branches and leaves (top and bottom) as appropriate for a given disease or insect pest. The presence and severity of disease symptoms, the size and life stage of insect populations, and weather conditions can all influence scouting frequency as well as treatment decisions.
- Rely on recommended pest thresholds for your specific fruit crop and geographic location. Pest thresholds help you determine if and when it’s necessary to treat. This can help you minimize sprays and time them better.
- Repeat, record and review. Preventive action and appropriate treatment are two keys to protecting fruit crop and orchard health. However, these management practices are useless if follow-up evaluation isn’t performed, notes aren’t recorded and outcomes aren’t reviewed. By keeping and reviewing records of management practices and their impact on orchard productivity, you gain insights into what’s working — and what isn’t.
- Consult a professional. If you’re unsure about insect or disease pressure, don’t hesitate to check a pest-identification guide or to talk with an extension tree fruit specialist or local crop consultant. You can also contact your UPL representative for information on how to protect your orchards.
Effective scouting is key to successful tree fruit IPM programs. For more tips and information on protecting your tree fruit orchards from a variety of pests and diseases, or to learn more about UPL products, visit http://www.upl-ltd.com/us.
