Journal of Economic Entomology (2023) 116, 389-398

Thomas Denoirjean, Daphné Belhassen, Géraldine Doury, Arnaud Ameline, Pierre Yves Werrie, Marie Laure Fauconnier, Thierry Hance and Guillaume Jean Le Goff (2023)
Essential oil trunk injection into orchard trees: Consequences on the performance and preference of Hemipteran pests
Journal of Economic Entomology 116 (2), 389-398
Abstract: Apples and pears are among the most widely cultivated fruit species in the world. Pesticides are commonly applied using ground sprayers in conventional orchards; however, most of it will not reach the target plant, increasing the contamination of nontarget organisms such as natural predators, pollinators, and decomposers. Trunk injection is an alternative method of pesticide application that could reduce risks to beneficials and workers. Essential oils represent a 'green' alternative to pesticides due to their reported insecticidal, antimicrobial, antiviral, nematicidal, and antifungal properties. The aim of this study was, therefore, to evaluate the impact that the injection of a cinnamon essential oil solution into the trunk of apple and pear trees could have on their respective pests, Dysaphis plantaginea and Cacopsylla pyri, respectively. The feeding behavior (preference), the life history traits (performance), and the timing of this effect were measured. The injection of an essential oil emulsion in trees impacted hemipteran host-plant colonization, as for both species a modification of their preference and of their performance was observed. The feeding behavior of D. plantaginea was altered as a significantly lower proportion of aphids ingested phloem sap on injected trees, suggesting that the aphids starved to death. On the contrary, the feeding behavior of the psyllids was little changed compared to the control condition, implying that the observed mortality was due to intoxication. The results presented here could theoretically be used to control these two orchard hemipteran pests, although the effectiveness in real conditions still has to be demonstrated.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Arnaud Ameline, Thierry Hance

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
control - general

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Cacopsylla pyri	Pear (Pyrus)
	Dysaphis plantaginea	Apple (Malus)