Research Projects

Blueberry On-Farm Insect Pest Management

The Blueberry RAMP Project is a large-scale, multi-year research and extension effort in the three largest blueberry-producing states in the US. Our overall goal is to measure the positive and negative aspects of reduced-risk insect management programs in blueberry, and to deliver information on this project to our industry clientele. This report contains the Year 1 results from Michigan in 2003.

The blueberry industry in Michigan and across the Eastern US faces a combination of challenges to achieving high quality insect-free product. To successfully manage multiple species of insect pests, growers must be able to economically monitor and scout their plantings for these pests, and must have effective insecticides available to them when control of pest populations is required. At the same time, the pressures from the food industry for zero contamination with blueberry maggot, Japanese beetle, and other insects creates significant pressure to continually achieve excellent insect control.
Six growers each provided access to two blueberry fields (4 to 20 acres) of either Bluecrop or Jersey cultivars. Three farms were located in each of the two main blueberry producing counties in southwest Michigan, Van Buren and Ottawa counties. At each farm one field received a season-long insect management program using reduced risk insecticides (RAMP) while the other received a program employing broad spectrum insecticides (the “Grower-Standard”). Key insect pests (cranberry fruitworm, cherry fruitworm, Japanese beetle, and blueberry maggot) were monitored weekly with pheromone (or fruit attractant) traps (2 per field) and scouting procedures to determine the abundance of insect pests and damage. Secondary pests (blueberry aphid, oblique-banded leafroller, red-banded leafroller, plum curculio, and sharp-nosed leafhopper) were also monitored in each field,. Growers were informed weekly of all pest pressure in both RAMP and Grower Standard fields, and if pest populations reached a critical level, recommendations for insecticide applications were made for the RAMP plots. The major differences in the insecticides used were for fruitworm control [Guthion (Organophosphate) in Grower Standard vs Confirm (Insect Growth Regulator) in RAMP fields], for blueberry aphid [Lannate (Carbamate) in Grower Standard vs Azadirect (botanical) in RAMP fields], and for Japanese beetle [Imidan (Organophosphate) in Grower Standard vs Provado (Neonicotinoid) in RAMP fields)].

Fruit clusters were collected from each field directly before each harvest to determine levels of infestation caused by key pests. Prior to harvest, leaf and fruit samples were collected from each field for pesticide residue analysis.
In Year 1 of this project, fields managed under the RAMP program had similar pest management success as those managed under the grower standard program. There were more sprays applied on average in the RAMP program, and although not shown here, this program was far more expensive. In future years, a priority will be to reduce the use of insecticide sprays in the RAMP plot, to improve the economic cost of this program. With our experience from 2003, we consider this an attainable goal.

Overall, this first year of The Blueberry RAMP Project gives us confidence that reduced-risk insecticides have a fit for commercial blueberry production. In future years we will measure their long-term effects and work to reduce the need for these expensive insecticides.

Funded by the USDA–CSREES Risk Avoidance and Mitigation Program
and Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station

Thanks to the Michigan blueberry growers who provided their land and their ideas for this research; Karlis Galens, Larry Bodtke, Joe DeGrandchamp, Al Ochoa, Rick Kiel, and Bob Carini. Thanks also to Dave Trinka and the staff of MBG Marketing for their assistance with this project.

We thank various agrochemical companies for their generous donation of product for testing within this or related projects: Bayer CropScience, Dow Agrosciences, Gowan, DuPont, MGK, and Valent.