Entomology Department

NC State University's Department of Entomology has one faculty member located at the MHCREC to conduct a research and extension program in the area of Integrated Pest Management on fruit and vegetable crops. The program is coordinated by Jim Walgenbach (professor & extension entomologist), and includes one full-time technician (Steve Schoof) and a laboratory technician (Brianna Hoge), plus several seasonal personnel to assist with summer field work. Apple research and extension programs account for about half of the program's focus, with the remainder devoted to vegetable crops (primarily tomato, pepper and cabbage). Permanent facilities include a primary laboratory in the MHCREC, a separate field laboratory on the MHCRS, and access to greenhouse facilities. In 2006, a 2-acre block of Delicious and Granny Smith apple trees was planted adjacent to a 2-acre block of mature Red Delicious and Golden Delicious trees for conducting on-site field trials.

Program Focus

The requirements of the 1996 Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) have resulted in the gradual elimination of many insecticides used heavily by the apple industry. This, along with problems of pest resistance, is causing growers to switch to newer 'reduced-risk' chemicals and increasingly rely on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for insect and disease control. A large part of the entomology program’s work involves integrating new pest-control technology into management systems, then implementing this at the grower level through cooperation with county extension personnel and various segments of the crop protection industry. Field work is conducted in plots at the MHCRS and in surrounding commercial orchards. In addition, colonies of codling moth, oriental fruit moth, brown marmorated stink bug, twospotted spider mite, and Phytoseiulus persimilis are maintained in the laboratory to allow for year-round toxicological and behavioral studies.

Current Apple Research Projects

The entomology program annually conducts extensive evaluations of new pest control products (insecticides, acaricides, and pheromones for mating disruption) on apples. Most of this work is conducted in small plot studies at the MHCRS, but trials are also conducted in commercial orchards. This aspect of the program helps to assess the efficacy of new insecticides against target pests and their effect on key beneficial arthropods, particularly predatory mites.

Orchard Monitoring

Local insect populations are tracked throughout the growing season using a system of traps, temperature-recording devices, and degree-day models. Typically, at least one trap targeting each of six different insect species are set up in five to six cooperating orchards in Henderson County, with additional orchards in Polk County. Several of these sites are equipped with temperature recorders. Traps and recorders are checked weekly, with results posted on the Current Orchard Conditions and Insect Population Trends page of this site.