North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[Anton Callaway <marillen@earthlink.net>]

I have only limited experience in this area, having only tried nematodes to 
combat peach tree borers last year for the first time.

However, for what it's worth, I had no gum exudation at the base of the trees 
last year and lost no peach trees.  In previous years, borers killed 
approximately 25% of my 1-2 year old seedling trees and basal gumming was 
routinely seen on every tree except my Indian Blood Free (which was 
surrounded by a lush stand of spearmint- so I don't know how much of the 
"resistance" was the mint & how much due to IBF's genetics).

I used a single (heavy) application- I'd have to look up the concentration I 
used and watered it in well.  We had a 100-year drought last year, which 
probably influenced the situation as well.

Anyway, it's worth investigating further.

Anton
Red Baron peaches are starting to bloom. 


-----Original Message-----
>From: dmnorton@royaloakfarmorchard.com
>Sent: Mar 8, 2008 1:33 PM
>To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
>Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Fwd: Controlling Peach Tree Pests
>
>I did forget to mention that the  H. bacteriophora beneficial nematodes are 
>very good against Japanese Beetle grubs.  The best way to fight them is to 
>get the grubs before they morph into beetles while they are still in the 
>ground.  The H. bacteriophora also are good against  asparagus beetle, 
>bagworm, banana weevil, banana moth, bill bug, black vine weevil, cabbage 
>root maggots, carrot weevil, citrus weevil, Colorado potato beetle, cucumber 
>beetle, European chafer, adult flea, flea beetle, gall midge, Japanese 
>beetle, masked chaffer, May/June beetles, strawberry root weevil, sugarcane 
>stalk borer, sweet potato weevil, various tree and vine borers.  At $85 per 
>acre, it is rather expensive for commercial use since our typical spray runs 
>about $50/acre, but for small scale use, it is a great alternative to more 
>toxic chemicals.
> 
>Dennis Norton
>Royal Oak Farm Orchard
>http://www.royaloakfarmorchard.com
>http://www.theorchardkeeper.blogspot.com
>http://www.revivalhymn.com
>----- Original Message ----- 
>From: <David.Maxwell@dal.ca>
>To: "North American Fruit Explorers" <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
>Sent: Friday, March 07, 2008 3:29 PM
>Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Fwd: Controlling Peach Tree Pests
>
>
>> Any information on Round Headed Apple Tree borers (Saperda candida) and 
>> nematodes??  Where does one get such nematodes?
>> 
>> 
>> On 7 Mar 2008 at 7:42, Lon J. Rombough wrote:
>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> STORY LEAD:
>>> Environmentally-Friendly Controls for Peach Tree Pests
>>> ___________________________________________
>>> 
>>> ARS News Service
>>> Agricultural Research Service, USDA
>>> Sharon Durham, (301) 504-1611, sharon.durham@ars.usda.gov
>>> March 7, 2008
>>> --View this report online, plus photos and related stories, at 
>>> www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr
>>> ___________________________________________
>>> 
>>> Peach growers combat several insects that harm their crop, usually 
>>> using chemical pesticides to do so.  Agricultural Research Service 
>>> (ARS) scientists in the Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research 
>>> Laboratory in Byron, Ga., are seeking environmentally friendly 
>>> alternatives.
>> <SNIP> 
>> 
>>> 
>>> The scientists knew from lab studies that another peach pest, the 
>>> lesser peachtree borer, is also highly susceptible to S. carpocapsae.  
>>> But the researchers also realized that controlling the lesser peachtree 
>>> borer would be more difficult because they attack trees 
>>> aboveground--where the nematodes dry out and are less effective.
>>> 
>>> To deal with this problem, the researchers applied S. carpocapsae 
>>> nematodes to tree wounds and then covered the wounds with 
>>> moisture-holding bandages.  In the first trial, 100 percent lesser 
>>> peachtree borer mortality was attained in five days.
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>