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Making the Most Out of Your
 Insecticide Dollar
Pesticides can consume a large part of the production
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budget. There are several things one can do to stabilize
or reduce insecticide costs. First, use an IPM program.
Treat only when needed, and use the minimum amounts
of pesticide required to do the job.
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This guide summarizes pesticide products and rates
to be used for various pests throughout the season. There
are times though, when there are several insect or mite
pests present at the same time. These "mini pest
complexes" are often challenging to manage. Minimizing
the number of products and rates used at these times will
help reduce potential costs while addressing pest control
needs. The following are some thoughts addressing this
issue.
Aphids and catfacing insects. The first insect
activity of any major economic significance usually occurs
at petal fall. Green peach aphids may start emerging at
pink, and catfacing insects may start feeding at about the
same time. Catfacing insects (tarnished plant bugs and
stinkbugs) cannot feed and cause physical injury to the
fruit until after petal fall. Previous to that stage, they may
cause only a minor amount of thinning. Therefore, the
first peach insecticides should be applied at petal fall,
targeted primarily for catfacing insects and possibly for
green peach aphids if they are present.
Thrips. If the orchard has a history of thrips injury
or the planting contains nectarines, then treatment for
thrips is advisable.Lannate or Carzol will control this
insect. Lannate can be used if green peach aphid control
is also desired. Carzol can be used if mite suppression is
desired. If this treatment drags into the shuck-split
period, then oriental fruit moth (OFM) is also a target.
Lannate is not the best material for OFM. Include an OP
for OFM control, but reduce the rate by one half when
combined with Lannate.
Aphids (Rosy, Apple, Spirea), leafminers and
leafhoppers. Aphids start hatching at 1/4" green.
Spotted tentiform leafminers (STLM) emerge at about the
same time, and lay eggs during tight cluster through
bloom. White apple leafhopper (WALH) eggs start
hatching at petal fall. Conventional prebloom treatments
have included Lorsban 4E at _" green primarily for rosy
aphid control, Vydate at pink for STLM, followed by
Carzol or Thiodan plus an O.P at petal fall for WALH
and other pests.
New insecticides may not have as broad a spectrum
as some older materials, but are much more effective for
individual types insects. For example, Provado has
excellent activity against certain sucking insects. It is
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