Assessing the effectiveness of HARVANTA (cyclaniliprole) in controlling major cranberry pests
Annabelle Firlej
Description
The cranberry weevil, Anthonomus musculus Say; the blackheaded fireworm, Rhopobota naevana (Hübner); and the cranberry fruitworm, Acrobasis vaccinii Riley, are major cranberry pests in Québec. Currently the only insecticide registered to control the cranberry weevil in conventional production is Actara® 25WG (thiamethoxam), a neonicotinoid considered extremely toxic to bees.
After reviewing the potential risks the active compound poses to aquatic invertebrates, the Canadian Pest Management Regulatory Agency decided to withdraw thiamethoxam products by 2021. The only two effective registered products available for controlling the blackheaded fireworm and cranberry fruitworm are Altacor® (chlorantraniliprole) and Intrepid® 240 (methoxyfenozide).
Due to the high prevalence of these pests, insecticide treatments are required every year to limit crop damage. Given there are just two products available, farmers are obliged to rotate them over a two-year period. This project’s aim is to evaluate the effectiveness of HARVANTA® 50SL to control these three insect pests, with the goal of providing data to support an URMULE program application.
Objective(s)
- Determine the mortality rates of the three targeted pests as a function of insecticide dose.
- Assess the damage caused by the three targeted pests after treatment with different insecticide doses.
From 2019 to 2021
Project duration
Fruit production
Activity areas
Pest, weed, and disease control, Ecosystem protection
Services
This initiative will help Québec growers better control cranberry pests, while protecting beneficial insects.
Partners
Ministère de l'Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l'Alimentation | Quebec Cranberry Growers Association
This may interest you
Exclusion nets made from biobased polymers
The purpose of this project is to test the general hypothesis that biobased polymers can be used to replace fossil-fuel-based products and reduce the use of pesticides without increasing GHG emissions.
Researchers: Gérald Chouinard Daniel Cormier
Pilot project on the effectiveness of methods of protecting against fruit frost in cultivated wild blueberries
The purpose of this pilot project is to evaluate various methods of protecting fruit from freezing in wild blueberry crops for the fresh market.
Researcher: Carl Boivin
Investigating key physicochemical and environmental factors that could account for variable lowbush blueberry yields
As part of this project, the soil water status at a chosen blueberry farm will be monitored at 40 spots over the course of the production year. We will seek to identify the relationship between water extraction, physicochemical and environmental factors, and yield levels that could help explain yield variability.
Researcher: Carl Boivin