Pest Management Science (2008) 64, 720-724

Pedro Ramos, Raquel Rosales, Ibrahim Sabouni, Dolores Garrido and Jose M. Ramos (2008)
Crop losses due to olive moth mediated by ethylene
Pest Management Science 64 (7), 720-724
Abstract: BACKGROUND: Studies for nine years in southern Spain on the olive moth, Prays oleae Bern., have tested the possibility of altering oviposition behaviour on newly formed olive fruits by means of a single ethylene application.
RESULTS: A single spraying of ethylene on the olive trees at the beginning of fruiting significantly decreased the olive moth egg populations and consequent the olive fruit fall. At the same time, no negative effect was found in the activity of natural oophagous predators of the olive moth.
CONCLUSIONS: The ethylene treatments against P. oleae yielded substantial economical benefits each year (a mean of Euro 526 ha^-1), benefits that fluctuated depending on the olive crop and on the annual fruit fall caused by this major pest.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website

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

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Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Prays oleae	Olive (Olea europaea)	Spain (continental)