Effects of fine-mesh exclusion netting on pests of blackberry

Ryan Kuesel, Delia Scott Hicks, Kendall Archer, Amber Sciligo, Ricardo Bessin, David Gonthier

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

Fine-mesh exclusion netting is a potential alternative to organic and conventional insecticide application to control numerous pests of fruit crops. We tested whether fine-mesh exclusion netting would reduce pest abundance and increase marketable yield compared to organic spinosad insecticide sprays in an organically managed blackberry field. At the completion of flowering, we covered blackberry rows with fine-mesh exclusion netting (ProtekNet) and treated alternating rows with an organic spinosad insecticide (Entrust™). Fine-mesh exclusion reduced green June beetle (Cotinus nitida Linnaeus) and bird presence and marginally reduced Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica Newman) presence on blackberry canes compared to organic spinosad insecticide treatment. Exclusion netting reduced the capture of spotted-wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii Matsumara; “SWD”) in baited traps in the fourth week of exclusion and reduced the overall number of SWD adults emerging from harvested blackberry fruits. Marketable yield in the fine-mesh exclusion treatments was two times higher than the organic spinosad insecticide treatment. These results suggest that fine-mesh exclusion netting is a functional pest control alternative to insecticide treatment for organic blackberry production.

Original languageEnglish
Article number249
JournalInsects
Volume10
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2019

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Keywords

  • Cotinis nitida
  • Drosophila suzukii
  • Fine-mesh exclusion netting
  • Green June beetle
  • Japanese beetle
  • Organic management
  • Popillia japonica
  • Row covers
  • Spotted-winged Drosophila

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Insect Science

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