Environmentally safe strategies to control the European Grapevine Moth, Lobesia botrana (Den. & Schiff.), in the Douro Demarcated Region

C. Carlos, F. Gonçalves, S. Sousa, J. Salvação, L. Sharma, R. Soares, J. Manso, M. Nóbrega, A. Lopes, S. Soares, J. Aranha, C. Villemant, G. Marques and L. Torres

18th International Symposium GIESCO 2013, Porto, Portugal| 7-11 July 2013

Key-pest in DDR

European Grapevine moth (EGVM) - Lobesia botrana Den & Schiff

3rd generation often promotes Botrytis bunch rot

Lepidoptera: Tortricidae

3-4 generations in Douro Demarcated Region (DDR)

Main goals of the project

To examine innovative plant protection techniques to reduce pest damages with minimal environmental impact, by two approaches:

1- Enhancing the role of natural enemies (on this case, Arthropoda)

2- Promoting pheromone-based mating disruption (MD) technique

Dominated by a matrix of Mediterranean woodland/scrubland fragmentaded by several agricultural land uses (mainly vineyards, olives, almonds, citrus) and urban areas

Landscape in Douro Valley - UNESCO classified area since 2001

Goals:

- To identify the constrains of the successful application of MD technique

- To understand the lanscape effect on antagonists of EGVM

• Quinta S. Luíz

1- Material & Methods – Impact of landscape on parasitoids of EGVM

- Location: Five farms (under IPM-Integrated Pest Management, with MD)

• Quinta das Carvalhas, Granja, Cidrô and Aciprestes

- Landscape analysis (vectorization with Arcgis 9.3)

- Calculation of Shannon’s Index for each farm (Patch Analyst)

Different landscapes between farms

Carvalhas, 80-400 m alt. Cidrô, 500-600 m alt.

- Correlation analysis (Spearman’s) between parasitism and lanscape data

- Collection of larvae/pupa of EGVM from the field (2002 - 2012) and incubation in laboratory

- Determination of abundance (N), richness (s), Shannon-Wiener (H’) and Eveness (E)

- Quantification of parasitism and identification of parasitoids

1- Material & Methods – Impact of landscape on parasitoids of EGVM

2- Material & Methods – Evaluation of Mating Disruption efficacy

- ISONET-LTT - 300 mg (E,Z)-7,9-dodecadienyl acetate)

- Location: Quinta das Carvalhas

- Surface covered with MD - 2011 (14,1 Ha), 2012 (36,4 Ha)

Dosage recommended: 400 disp/ Ha

Results – Landscape analysis

Aciprestes and Carvalhas have a more diverse and balanced landscape

Aciprestes Granja Cidrô S. Luíz Carvalhas

Total area (ha) 144,0 239,2 242,90 131,80 311,9

Area with vineyards (%) 53,5 75,2 55,7 69,3 39,2

* Ecological Compensation Areas – area with forest, woodland, scrubland, water, cultivated or abandoned orchards (including olive groves), gardens, and embankments with natural vegetation

Area with potential ECA * (%) 37,0 16,8 35,5 19,5 50,5

Diversity Index – H’ (Shannon) 1,29 0,90 0.98 1,09 1,57

Equitability Index – E (Eveness) 0,66 0,46 0,55 0,53 0,75

Aciprestes and Carvalhas – farms with the smallest area of vineyards

Results – Parasitism of EGVM

Gen. Nb

samples

Nb individ.

collected

Nb individ.

parasitized

Parasitism

(%)

% samples

> 20%

Parasitism

% samples

> 40%

Parasitism

Range (%)

1rst 45 1475 319 21.6 35.6 24.4 0.0 – 66.7

2nd 13 420 25 6.0 15.4 0.0 0.0 – 25.0

3rd 23 82 5 6.1 17.4 17.4 0.0 – 100.0

Total 81 1977 350 17.7 -

Percentage of parasitism

- 81 samples - 1977 individuals collected

1st generation – highest parasitism rates possibly due to:

- Highest flora biodiversity (supplier of alternative resources such as pólen, preys)

- More favorable climate conditions

- Larvae of EGVM are more accessible to parasitoids, than in 2nd or 3rd gen.

Aciprestes Granja Cidrô S. Luíz Carvalhas Total

Nb of individ. collected 28 419 82 838 610 1977

Nb of individ. parasitized 14 12 9 108 207 349

Parasitism rate (%) 50,0 2.9 11.0 12.9 33.9 17.7

Results – % Parasitism of EGVM

Parasitisms rates / farm

% parasitism was positively correlated with Shannon index for lansdcape

The diversification of landscape (Aciprestes and Carvalhas) have a positive impact on the % parasitism

H’ Landscape 1,29 0,90 0.98 1,09 1,57

E Landscape 0,66 0,46 0,55 0,53 0,75

Aciprestes Granja Cidrô S. Luiz Carvalhas Total %

Campoplex capitator (B) 2 33 5 40 11.8

Elachertus affinis (C) 13 5 8 55 193 274 80.8

Brachymeria sp. (G) 4 4 8 2.4

Elasmus sp. (K) 1 1 2 0.6

Ascogaster quadridentada (D) 4 2 6 1.8

Results – Diversity of parasitoids

- 13 morphospecies identified (3 species + 2 genera identified)

Elachertus affinis (Hymenoptera: Eulophidae) was the most abundant

Landscapes with more vineyards (S. Luíz and Granja) have more diversity and a more balanced (> equitability ) complex of parasitoids (rho=1)

Aciprestes Granja Cidrô S. Luiz Carvalhas

Diversity (H’) of Parasitoids 0.0 1.78 0.50 1.57 0.52

Equitability (E) of Parasitoids - 0.89 0.32 0.52 0.17

2- Results in MD– Flight of EGVM and % Male disorientation

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Results – Infestation of clusters

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Infestation: 1st gen- number of nest/ 100 clusters; 2nd and 3rd gen- % clusters infested

In some plots, treatments had to be applied on the beginning of the 3rd generation

- Hight Pest pressure (long life cycle, hight biotic potential)

- Heterogeneity typical of Douro Valley (in so many characteristics);

- Climate conditions (temperatures, wind speed);

- Area (larger application of MD); in 2013 we increase the are to 46 ha

The long effect of MD (you have to be pacient…)

Constrains identified

in 2013 (3rd year) Carvalhas are having good results!

Thanks for your attention!