Managing bronze beetle (<i>Eucolaspsis</i> sp) in Hawkes Bay organic apple orchards using soil cultivation

Abstract

Bronze beetle (Eucolaspsis sp Coleoptera Chrysomelidae) threatens the economic viability of New Zealands organic pipfruit industry Small plot cultivation trials were conducted during spring to target immature beetles in the soil under apple trees These treatments did not appear to be as effective in the second year as in the previous year although two cultivations significantly reduced beetle emergence at all orchards compared with the control In largescale cultivation trials two cultivations reduced damage to apples by 4661 Sampling immature development stages of the beetles in the soil indicated that cultivation should commence during mid October to target pupae in the top 70 mm of the soil The application of cultivation treatments for controlling bronze beetle on commercial orchards is discussed