2004 Annual Report 1.What major problem or issue is being resolved and how are you resolving it (summarize project aims and objectives)? How serious is the problem? What does it matter? The national tree fruit industry is facing the loss of key insecticides by FQPA (Food Quality Protection Act), in addition to continual development of insect resistance to insecticides. The presence of agrichemicals in drinking water and waterways demonstrates the need to better manage their application on farms. Concerns for human health and the environment are leading to reduced pesticide and fertilizer use through the development of alternative pest and fertilizer practices in orchard management systems; however, these practices need to be integrated to maintain high orchard productivity and economic sustainability. Reduction in the use of pesticides is a national priority. Pesticide application and pruning account for over 50% of the cost of fruit production in the eastern U.S. where conditions favor vegetative growth and heavy pest pressure. The loss of key insecticides in 2004 becuase of reduced EPA registrations, limits grower ability to control insect pests and increases the risk of significant fruit loss and increases the cost of production. More efficient cultural management practices which integrate the soil and climatic conditions of the region into the production system will improve production efficiency, lower pesticide use and production costs, and increase competitiveness and profitability to fruit growers. Without continued improvement in cultural management practices, tree fruit growers throughout the eastern U.S. will cease to be competitive in a global market and the industry will be lost to foreign imports. The research project has six multidisciplinary objectives:. 1)the ecology of insects involved in biological control, including insect behavior,. 2)new methods of monitoring key insect pests in order to effectively manage and reduce pesticide usage,. 3)the mechanisms of insect control with particle films, sugar esters and other materials for insect control,. 4)the role of heat, water and nutrient stress in plant productivity and fruit quality,. 5)the mechanism of vegetative growth control and inducing fruit buds, and. 6)the role of training and orchard floor management methods to affect light and temperature within the canopy. The research program falls under National Program 304 (30%), Crop Protection and Quarantine and NP 305 (70%), Crop Production, and addresses goals 1 and 3 of the National Program Action Plan. Specifically these are: GOAL 1: Enhance economic opportunities for agricultural producers. Objective 1.1: Provide the Science-Based Knowledge and Technologies to Generate New or Improved High Quality, Value-Added Products and Processes to Expand Domestic and Foreign Markets for Agricultural Commodities; 1.1.2: Provide higher quality, healthy foods that satisfy consumer needs in the United States and abroad. Objective 1.2: Contribute to the Efficiency of Agricultural Production Systems; 1.2.5: Provide producers with scientific information and technology that increase production efficiency, safeguard the environment, and reduce production risks and product losses; 1.2.6: Improve the understanding of the biological mechanisms that influence plant growth, product quality, and marketability to enhance the competitive advantage of agricultural commodities. GOAL 3: Enhance protection and safety of the Nation's agriculture and food supply. Objective 3.2: Develop and Deliver Science-Based Information and Technologies to Reduce the Number and Severity of Agricultural Pest, Insect, Weed, and Disease Outbreaks; 3.2.5: Provide fundamental and applied scientific information and technology to protect agriculturally important plants from pests and diseases. This research should result in new methodologies that will reduce chemical and mineral release from agricultural activities, the environmental impact of tree fruit production and pesticide residues on food products, while providing improved fruit quality for the consumer and sustainable tools for growers. The results will provide new knowledge, methods and economic information for crop production in traditional, small farm, and organic farming systems allowing for a more sustainable U.S. agriculture. Alternative insect control products have been developed, such as the particle film, Surround, and sugar esters. New methods of orchard management enhance biological control of orchard pests, improve fruit quality and yield, reduce weed competition, and reduce the amount of pesticides and fertilizers applied in the orchard system. The incorporation of plant bioregulators into orchard systems reduces excess vegetative growth and habitat for insect pests while increasing spray efficiency and so reduces the amount of pesticides needed to control a pest. 2.List the milestones (indicators of progress) from your Project Plan. A new project plan was reviewed and approved under the OSQR process as project 1931-21220-015-OOD, Integrated Orchard Management for Deciduous Tree Fruit Crops. This replaces project plan 1931-21220-011-00D of the same name. FY 2004. Effectiveness of flowering plants as a trap crop for attracting stink bugs out of apple orchards as a control of fruit damage will be completed. If economically effective, protocols will be developed for fruit growers. Test experimental lures in experimental orchards for plum curculio based on identification of headspace volatiles from plum trees and test for dogwood borer in commercial orchards based on correct pheromone identification. Field evaluations are completed on the use of light-reflecting particle film materials as herbicides. The reliability of weed control and the amount of light reflected in the plant canopy are assessed and this information is used by the CRADA partner (Engelhard Corp.) to make a decision to commercialize a formulation. If commercialized, the weed control product will likely meet National Organic Standards. Design and conduct studies to confirm preliminary results on the use of plant growth regulators to control the flesh cracking disorder in `GoldRush' apple. Provide growth and carbon partitioning data sets to collaborator for testing in the Apple Carbon Model. Report on the early performance of novel peach tree growth habits. Characterize how particle film structure changes when formulation components are changed. Characterize physical characteristics of surface active materials. Study the mechanisms of action of particle film and surface active materials on insects and plant physiology. The renewal of the CRADAs with AVA Chemical Ventures and Engelhard Corporation will be pursued to develop new chemistries or new uses. Complete morphological characterization of selected peach growth habits in field and proceed with determination of auxin and cytokinin profiles in these growth habits to establish baseline relationships of hormones and shoot morphology. Develop new information on the effect of potassium nutrition on fruit size of apple. Conditions under which improvements in fruit size are expected will be evaluated (fruit set, potassium status at different times after flowering). FY 2005. Determine the extent that cultural practices and genotypes can (a) increase carbon partitioning to fruit in order to improve fruit quality and (b) reduce pest damage. Collect data and samples for carbohydrate analysis from current diurnal shade treatments. Establish new planting to test supplemental light on apple productivity. Apply low rate PGR treatments to young apple trees to alter growth. Apply fruit thinning treatments and collect carbon partitioning data from apple trees. Evaluate Cornell Carbon model performance and develop new hypotheses if necessary. Collect yield, pruning, canopy light, and fruit quality data from test planting of novel peach growth habits. Determine principle cytokinins in Pillar and Standard peach tree growth habits in the field. Develop root pressure system and secure reliable source of rootstock material for the greenhouse studies of hormone flux in apple. Prepare manuscript on quality of cultivars planted in 1995, summarizing reports from all project sites. Prepare manuscript on cultivar susceptibility to stinkbug damage. Develop arthropod pest management systems and techniques that will reduce costs and environmental impact. Complete analysis of the role of naturally occurring predators on spirea and rosy apple aphid populations to determine if they provide adequate control or need enhancement through conservations practices or augmentation. Identify attractive olfactory and/or visual stimuli for plum curculio and stinkbug. Identify attractive female-produced sex pheromone components for male dogwood borer. Develop and characterize divergent particle films and study mechanisms of action against arthropods. Study modes-of-action of sugar ester in comparison to other surface active compounds. Develop production systems that mitigate nutrient and water stress and pest damage on fruit quality. Establish field plots of subsurface irrigation and novel pest/weed control practices. Conduct rate and timing studies with small plots for novel weed control materials. Establish field plots and measure initial soil parameters to measure apple tree response to compost rates. FY 2006. Determine the extent that cultural practices and genotypes can (a) increase carbon partitioning to fruit in order to improve fruit quality and (b) reduce pest damage. Provide validation data sets on growth and carbon partitioning to collaborator for testing in the Cornell Carbon model. Summarize whole-tree PN data as affected by fruit thinners and validate Cornell Carbon model and develop new hypothesis if necessary. Publish initial findings of pruning methods for novel peach growth habits. Establish new planting to determine the effect of rootstock and N fertilization on growth of pillar trees. Identify most promising apple cultivars in the 1999 planting and establish plantings of two most promising cultivars with at least 50 trees. Determine hormone concentrations in wood and bark in internodes of current year peach stems. Determine auxin concentrations in scion, rootstock stem, and rootstock roots of dwarf and invigorating apple clones. Develop arthropod pest management systems and techniques that will reduce costs and environmental impact. Complete analyses of the effect of distance from flower or nectar source at which natural enemies are affected by enhanced food resources and the effect of flower resources on damage to fruit by stink bugs and plant bugs to decide if the flowers increase, decrease, or have no effect on this damage. Develop novel experimental lures and trap designs based on attractive olfactory and visual stimuli, respectively. Develop novel pheromone lures based on responses by male dogwood borer. Complete particle film mechanisms of action for insect control. Develop production systems that mitigate nutrient and water stress and pest damage on fruit quality. Collect water use, growth and pest damage data from subsurface irrigation study. Determine effective rates and timings of weed control materials from small plots and apply these treatments in large plots with young and mature trees to evaluate competition. Measure yield and leaf nutrient content from trees in compost rate study. Measure soil water nitrate content in compost rate study. FY 2007. Determine the extent that cultural practices and genotypes can (a) increase carbon partitioning to fruit in order to improve fruit quality and (b) reduce pest damage. Evaluate growth and carbon assimilation response to supplemental light. Subject additional shade effect data sets to model analysis in order to validate model. Complete evaluation of cultivars in the 1995 planting, remove trees and publish findings. Establish seasonal patterns in auxin and cytokinin of Pillar and Standard peach. Determine auxin concentrations in apple stem segments and cytokinin flux in xylem exudate to establish cytokinin/auxin ratios. Develop arthropod pest management systems and techniques that will reduce costs and environmental impact. Complete laboratory and field studies on the effect of flower and nectar sources on foraging abilities of natural enemies and whether natural enemies move randomly through the orchard or forage along tree rows. Assess potential behaviorally based monitoring technology for plum curculio and stinkbug in experimental and commercial orchards. Assess attractive pheromone lures in conjunction with novel trap designs based on attractive visual cues. Field test new formulations of particle film materials against orchard pests. Develop production systems that mitigate nutrient and water stress and pest damage on fruit quality. Collect initial yield, water use, and pest damage data from field study and apply technology to new field study if appropriate. Continue weed control studies to test reliability. Establish the second planting of apple trees to evaluate compost rates for mature trees. 3.Milestones: QUESTION 3A: List the milestones that were scheduled to be addressed in FY 2004. How many milestones did you fully or substantially meet in FY 2004 and indicate which ones were not fully or substantially met, briefly explain why not, and your plans to do so. The milestones listed below were scheduled for FY2004 as part of the terminated CRIS 1931-21220-011-00D, Integrated Orchard Management for Deciduous Tree Fruit Crops. All milestones were substantially met. FY2004. Effectiveness of flowering plants as a trap crop for attracting stink bugs out of apple orchards as a control of fruit damage will be completed. If economically effective, protocols will be developed for fruit growers. Test experimental lures in experimental orchards for plum curculio based on identification of headspace volatiles from plum trees and test for dogwood borer in commercial orchards based on correct pheromone identification. Field evaluations are completed on the use of light-reflecting particle film materials as herbicides. The reliability of weed control and the amount of light reflected in the plant canopy are assessed and this information is used by the CRADA partner (Engelhard Corp.) to make a decision to commercialize a formulation. If commercialized, the weed control product will likely meet National Organic Standards. Design and conduct studies to confirm preliminary results on the use of plant growth regulators to control the flesh cracking disorder in `GoldRush' apple. Provide growth and carbon partitioning data sets to collaborator for testing in the Apple Carbon Model. Report on the early performance of novel peach tree growth habits. Characterize how particle film structure changes when formulation components are changed. Characterize physical characteristics of surface active materials. Study the mechanisms of action of particle film and surface active materials on insects and plant physiology. The renewal of the CRADAs with AVA Chemical Ventures and Engelhard Corporation will be pursued to develop new chemistries or new uses. Complete morphological characterization of selected peach growth habits in field and proceed with determination of auxin and cytokinin profiles in these growth habits to establish baseline relationships of hormones and shoot morphology. Develop new information on the effect of potassium nutrition on fruit size of apple. Conditions under which improvements in fruit size are expected will be evaluated (fruit set, potassium status at different times after flowering). QUESTION 3B. List the milestones that you expect to address over the next 3 years (FY 2005, 2006, & 2007). What do you expect to accomplish, year by year, over the next 3 years under each milestone? A new project plan was reviewed and approved under the OSQR process as project 1931-21220-015-OOD Integrated Orchard Management for Deciduous Tree Fruit Crops. The milestones for the new project statement are: FY 2005. Determine the extent that cultural practices and genotypes can a) increase carbon partitioning to fruit in order to improve fruit quality and b) reduce pest damage. Collect data and samples for carbohydrate analysis from current diurnal shade treatments. Establish new planting to test supplemental light on apple productivity. Apply low rate PGR treatments to young apple trees to alter growth. Apply fruit thinning treatments and collect carbon partitioning data from apple trees. Evaluate Cornell Carbon model performance and develop new hypotheses if necessary. Collect yield, pruning, canopy light, and fruit quality data from test planting of novel peach growth habits. Determine principle cytokinins in Pillar and Standard peach tree growth habits in the field. Develop root pressure system and secure reliable source of rootstock material for the greenhouse studies of hormone flux in apple. Prepare manuscript on quality of cultivars planted in 1995, summarizing reports from all project sites. Prepare manuscript on cultivar susceptibility to stinkbug damage. Develop arthropod pest management systems and techniques that will reduce costs and environmental impact. Complete analysis of the role of naturally occurring predators on spirea and rosy apple aphid populations to determine if they provide adequate control or need enhancement through conservations practices or augmentation. Identify attractive olfactory and/or visual stimuli for plum curculio and stinkbug. Identify attractive female-produced sex pheromone components for male dogwood borer. Develop and characterize divergent particle films and study mechanisms of action against arthropods. Study modes-of-action of sugar ester in comparison to other surface active compounds. Develop production systems that mitigate nutrient and water stress and pest damage on fruit quality. Establish field plots of subsurface irrigation and novel pest/weed control practices. Conduct rate and timing studies with small plots for novel weed control materials. Establish field plots and measure initial soil parameters to measure apple tree response to compost rates. FY 2006 Determine the extent that cultural practices and genotypes can (a) increase carbon partitioning to fruit in order to improve fruit quality and (b) reduce pest damage. Provide validation data sets on growth and carbon partitioning to collaborator for testing in the Cornell Carbon model. Summarize whole-tree PN data as affected by fruit thinners and validate Cornell Carbon model and develop new hypothesis if necessary. Publish initial findings of pruning methods for novel peach growth habits. Establish new planting to determine the effect of rootstock and N fertilization on growth of pillar trees. Identify most promising apple cultivars in the 1999 planting and establish plantings of two most promising cultivars with at least 50 trees. Determine hormone concentrations in wood and bark in internodes of current year peach stems. Determine auxin concentrations in scion, rootstock stem, and rootstock roots of dwarf and invigorating apple clones. Develop arthropod pest management systems and techniques that will reduce costs and environmental impact. Complete analyses of the effect of distance from flower or nectar source at which natural enemies are affected by enhanced food resources and the effect of flower resources on damage to fruit by stink bugs and plant bugs to decide if the flowers increase, decrease, or have no effect on this damage. Develop novel experimental lures and trap designs based on attractive olfactory and visual stimuli, respectively. Develop novel pheromone lures based on responses by male dogwood borer. Complete particle film mechanisms of action for insect control. Develop production systems that mitigate nutrient and water stress and pest damage on fruit quality. Collect water use, growth and pest damage data from subsurface irrigation study. Determine effective rates and timings of weed control materials from small plots and apply these treatments in large plots with young and mature trees to evaluate competition. Measure yield and leaf nutrient content from trees in compost rate study. Measure soil water nitrate content in compost rate study. FY 2007 Determine the extent that cultural practices and genotypes can (a) increase carbon partitioning to fruit in order to improve fruit quality and (b) reduce pest damage. Evaluate growth and carbon assimilation response to supplemental light. Subject additional shade effect data sets to model analysis in order to validate model. Complete evaluation of cultivars in the 1995 planting, remove trees and publish findings. Establish seasonal patterns in auxin and cytokinin of Pillar and Standard peach. Determine auxin concentrations in apple stem segments and cytokinin flux in xylem exudate to establish cytokinin/auxin ratios. Develop arthropod pest management systems and techniques that will reduce costs and environmental impact. Complete laboratory and field studies on the effect of flower and nectar sources on foraging abilities of natural enemies and whether natural enemies move randomly through the orchard or forage along tree rows. Assess potential behaviorally based monitoring technology for plum curculio and stinkbug in experimental and commercial orchards. Assess attractive pheromone lures in conjunction with novel trap designs based on attractive visual cues. Field test new formulations of particle film materials against orchard pests. Develop production systems that mitigate nutrient and water stress and pest damage on fruit quality. Collect initial yield, water use, and pest damage data from field study and apply technology to new field study if appropriate. Continue weed control studies to test reliability. Establish the second planting of apple trees to evaluate compost rates for mature trees. 4.What were the most significant accomplishments this past year? A. Single most significant accomplishment during FY 2004: A new project plan was reviewed and approved in July 2004 under the OSQR process as project 1931-21220-015-OOD, Integrated Orchard Management for Deciduous Tree Fruit Crops. In 2004 the research was conducted under 1931-21220-011-OOD, Integrated Orchard Management for Deciduous Tree Fruit Crops. The significant accomplishment under the previous project plan was: Identified the true sex pheromone of the female dogwood borer. Dogwood borer, Synanthedon scitula Harris, is an increasingly important wood-boring pest of apple found throughout the eastern and Midwestern United States and Canada, boring into and girdling apple trees planted on size-controlling or dwarfing rootstocks. Commercially available pheromone-baited traps have been considered to be an ineffective tool for monitoring the presence and activity of this insect because of poor captures as well as the large number of other clearwing moth species attracted to pheromone lures because the precise pheromonal components of the female dogwood borer had never been identified. In collaboration with Dr. Christopher Bergh, Virginia Tech. and Dr. Aijun Zhang, USDA-ARS, Beltsville MD, we have identified the true sex pheromone of the female dogwood borer. In current field evaluations, our experimental pheromone lures are overwhelmingly outperforming the best commercially available lure as we are capturing over 200 times more male moths with our experimental lures in West Virginia. The impact of this project will be to provide growers will a more effective pheromone-based monitoring tool that will allow them to better determine the need for and timing of insecticide applications. Furthermore, the identification of the dogwood borer pheromone now opens the door for alternative management strategies such as mating disruption and attract-and-kill technology, which ultimately could entirely eliminate the need for insecticide applications against this pest. B. Other significant accomplishments. Validated earlier findings and prepared a journal publication that demonstrated a direct relationship between the level of early season growth and fire blight lesion development and showed that multiple low-rate sprays of prohexadione-calcium (Apogee®) were not as effective as several high-rate treatments for suppressing fire blight in apple. Fire blight is one of the most destructive diseases in apple and this accomplishment enables growers to effectively suppress the disease. Three years of replicated field trials applied to young apple trees were used to develop this information. This information will provide apple growers with an effective technique for suppressing fire blight and can significantly reduce tree losses to this disease. Developed performance data on 23 new apple cultivars or apple selections. Apple growers and consumers are very much interested in new cultivars and data has been lacking on the performance of these cultivars under a wide range of climatic and edaphic conditions. Through replicated plantings demonstrated the fruit quality attributes of 23 selected apple cultivars when grown under mid-Atlantic conditions, identified the most adaptable cultivars for commercial production, and prepared and published the results combined with 13 other test sites throughout North America as part of the NE-183 Regional Project 'Multidisciplinary Evaluation of New Apple Cultivars'. Apple growers are now planting new apple cultivars that are adapted to their growing region which results in a higher quality product for the consumer. Demonstrated the blossom thinning ability of a specific natural oil for apple and peach. Thinning is necessary to enhance high quality annual crops in both apple and peach and current methods are costly and unpredictable. Replicated field trials were applied to determine the blossom thinning capacity of the material at several concentrations. This finding could lead to a commercial product for blossom thinning of apple and peach. Demonstrated that summer pruning novel peach tree growth habits (pillar and upright forms) with vertical, compact canopies may not enhance fruit red color at harvest even though light levels within the lower canopy are significantly improved compared to non-summer pruned trees. Summer pruning is a cultural practice recommended to peach growers to improve fruit color and cropping. Peach trees representing three growth habits (pillar, upright, and standard) were summer pruned annually over a four-year period and data collected on canopy light levels and fruit quality. These findings question the value of summer pruning as a recommended cultural practice in the new novel peach tree growth habits and could result in labor savings for growers wishing to grow these novel tree forms. Biological control of rosy apple aphid was found to be effective in early spring. Rosy apple aphid can cause significant damage to apples and the ability to rely on biological control for this pest could eliminate one insecticide application in early spring. Rosy apple aphid colonies were followed from egg hatch to when the aphids left apple in early summer finding that over 90% of the aphid colonies were eliminated by the action of insect predators. This result could result in the elimination of one insecticide application on apples in the eastern U.S. A new class of insecticides, termed sugar esters, has been developed that are biodegraded within 24 hours and have minimal environmental impact. New information was developed on the physio-chemical properties of sugar esters that have previously gone uncharacterized because of the novelty of the material. The contact angle of sugar esters was compared to other common surface active agents, surfactants and soaps, and on a variety of natural and artificial surfaces to understand its mode of action as an insecticide. This information will be useful in altering sugar ester chemistry to make sugar esters less sensitive to the hydrophobic surfaces of plants and lead to improved sugar ester insecticidal activity. Determined that an endogenous plant hormone, auxin, and the ratio of auxin to a second plant hormone, cytokinin, were significantly different among highly diverse crown architectures of peach. Trees used in high density plantings must have new crown architectures that provide a distribution of fruit and supporting leaves and branches which maximizes yield and not interfere with pest management yet the regulatory roles of chemical signals in tree crown development are not. Principle cytokinins were identified and the concentrations of auxin and cytokinins were measured in field-grown peach trees with different crown architectures. High auxin concentrations were associated with trees that had narrow branch angles and which grew in an upright orientation (Pillar trees) indicating that the gene associated with Pillar crown architecture was likely responsible for hyperproduction of auxin. This knowledge of a key biochemical component regulating peach crown architecture can contribute to efforts to culturally or genetically modify peach crowns to make them more amenable for high density plantings resulting in high density plantings of small fruit trees with the capacity to bear fruit early, provide higher yields, and require less pesticide use. Fruit size of 'Empire' and 'Liberty' apple was increased with foliar sprays of potassium fertilizer. Small fruit sizes have detrimental effect on growers' returns whereas large fruits, which are preferred by customers, command higher prices. Three post-bloom, potassium, foliar sprays were applied to several apple cultivars in two field seasons with similar results each year. This study will likely result in new nutrient management recommendations, larger fruit sizes and potentially higher incomes for fruit producers. New concepts on mineral based and non-mineral based films were developed along with novel means of formulating these films. These patents protect the formulations used in particle film technology and extent the concept of particle films into new areas of agricultural and industrial uses. Two patents were filed: the first addressed formulation technology: 'Long-Chain Hydroxypolymer Compounds as Universal Spreading Agents', and the second addressed frost protection of plants: 'Method of Reducing Freeze and Chill Damage in Plants'. Particle film technology is a new tool for agriculture that will increase productivity and stability of a wide range of commodities. A non-reversible or slowly reversible long-term adaptation to heat and water stress was demonstrated in field studies with wine grapes conducted at CSIRO, Merbein, Victoria, Australia. Controlling early season vegetative growth in perennial crops such as grape, is a limiting factor to production. Field studies demonstrated that early season stress reduced growth throughout the season, even after full irrigation was restored. The work provides a scientific basis for irrigation scheduling strategies that will reduce irrigation amounts. Demonstrated that pecan, an adapted and native species of the hot humid areas of the southern U.S., did not respond to kaolin-based particle film applications that were expected to reduce heat stress. Particle film technology is an emerging technology that has benefited many arid and semi-arid crop production systems but its environmental limits to mitigate heat stress needs to be defined. In conjunction with Texas A&M University, insect response and carbon assimilation responses to particle film applications were measured for two years but no meaningful differences were documented. The work illustrated that pecan is very well adapted to its environment in the southern U.S. and will not likely benefit from measures to reduce heat stress. Documented that apple peel, not adapted to normal level of UV radiation, is damaged by the introduction of UV radiation. Apple fruit is susceptible to sunburn because in many cases the fruit change position overnight due the weight accumulation as the fruit matures; the causes of sunburn are not clear. In collaboration with HortResearch, Palmerston, New Zealand, potted apple trees were grown in the absence of UV radiation and exposed to normal levels of UV and then, challenged with UV radiation at maturity, resulting in sunburn damage and degradation of chlorophyll. The work demonstrated that UV adaptation requires 3-5 days and UV reflectants, such as particle film kaolin, can protect the photosynthetic mechanisms. Peach trees with extrafloral nectar glands were found to have greater numbers of parasitoids and less leaf feeding by insects than peach trees without extrafloral nectar glands. Increasing the number of insect biological control species in the orchard can make the orchard more resistant to pest damage. Orchards of the same cultivar of peach in which half the trees had extrafloral nectar glands and half lacked nectar glands were monitored for two years for the presence of beneficial insects and pest damage. Increased biological control of insect pests provided by this enhanced number of beneficial insects can reduce the need for insecticide treatments. C: Significant activities that support special target populations. None D. Progress Report. 1931-21220-011-10T: New concepts on mineral based and non-mineral based films were developed along with novel means of formulating these films. Five invention reports were filed that include:. 1)Long-Chain Hydroxypolymer Compounds as Universal Spreading Agents,. 2)Particle Film Structuring,. 3)Multipurpose Clear Films,. 4)Improved Multi-Purpose Non-Polar Compositions, and. 5)Freeze Control. Two patents were filed. One patent was on formulation technology: ¿Long-Chain Hydroxypolymer Compounds as Universal Spreading Agents¿, and the other patent is on frost protection of plants: Method of Reducing Freeze and Chill Damage in Plants. These invention reports and patents protect the formulations used in particle film technology and extent the concept of particle films into new areas of agricultural and industrial uses. This research is part of a CRADA with the Engelhard Corporation, Iselin, NJ. 1931-21220-011-11S: As part of a collaborative project with Texas A&M, trials were established in summer 2002 and 2003 to test the consequences of the application of a kaolin-based particle film (Surround WP, Engelhard Corp.) on gas exchange, nut quality, casebearer density and population of natural enemies (insects and arachnids) on pecan (Carya illinoinensis, cv. `Pawnee') trees. Film application was repeated every 7-10 days for seven (2002) or nine (2003) times during the growing season. On both years, treated trees frequently showed lower leaf temperature (up to 4 ºC) than untreated trees. In general, the difference between air and leaf temperature of sun-exposed leaves during the warmest hours of the day was 0-2 ºC in treated leaves versus 4-6 ºC measured on control leaves. Leaf net assimilation rate, stomatal conductance and stem water potential were not affected by film application. Nut size and quality did not differ between the two treatments. In 2002, shellout (percentage of nut consisting of kernel) was in fact 55.2 and 54.8% for treated and control trees, respectively. In 2003, shellout was 54.2% in control trees and 55.5% in treated trees. Moreover, the two treatments yielded similar percentage of kernel crop grading as fancy, choice, standard and damaged. In general, the density of common natural enemies (lady beetles, green lacewings, spiders) of pecan pests did not differ between the two treatments; however, the number of green lacewing eggs was frequently lower on film-treated leaves. Only on one date the number of adult yellow pecan aphids (Monelliopsis pecanis) counted on film-treated leaves was lower than in control leaves. Similar were also the percentages of kernels that showed damage caused by stink bugs. In trees treated only with kaolin the number of nutlets damaged by pecan nut casebearer (Acrobasis nuxvorella) was significantly higher than that observed on trees treated with conventional insecticide only (24.2% infested nutlets vs. 9.3%, respectively) and did not differ from trees that did not receive either product (29.9%). In conclusion, data indicated that kaolin-based particle film does not represent a valid alternative to conventional pesticide application and does not improve carbon assimilation rate and productivity as observed for other crops. 1931-21220-011-12R: Field experimentation related to the objective of determining the spatial influences of peach extrafloral nectaries on biological control in apple orchards has been initiated as part of a National Research Initiative grant. Colonies of the predator beetle and parasitoid are being established for laboratory studies. A new peach orchard has been planted for studies comparing extrafloral nectar production among peach cultivars. The parent CRIS has the objective of enhancing native biological control of insect pests of apple, this project supplements this objective by providing detailed information on the interaction of peach extrafloral nectaries with pest and beneficial insects. 1931-21220-011-15S: Laboratory and greenhouse rearing of oriental fruit moth and its parasitoid Macrocentris have been initiated as part of a collaboration with Shepherd University. Extrafloral nectar collections are being made to determine the daily pattern of nectar production on peach leaves. The parent CRIS has the objective of enhancing native biological control of insect pests of apple, this project supplements this objective by providing detailed information on the interaction between nectar production and insect natural enemies, especially the parasitoid of oriental fruit moth. 1931-21220-011-14S: Dr. Glenn collaborated with HortResearch, in a phytotron study to examine the role of UV radiation and temperature in apple sunburn. Prior to Dr. Glenn's arrival in NZ in April, potted `Braeburn¿ apple trees were grown the entire growing season either in the open or beneath a UV exclusion shelter. Nested in this design was the application of Surround Crop Protectant, a material that reflects UV and IR radiation (4 total treatments). Dr. Glenn arrived in NZ when the fruit were mature in order to conduct detailed fruit skin physiology measurements. The four treatments were each placed in a phytotron environment at either 28/18 or 40/18C. The vapor pressure was held constant at 14 mbars and the light level was 1400 umol/m2/s. Baseline measurements, and measurements at 5 and 10 days were performed on fruit from each of the 4 treatments in each of the 2 phytotrons. The exclusion of UV with a shelter reduced pigment formation in apple, as expected. Fruit grown in the absence of UV and without Surround treatment were more sensitive to UV damage effects on photosystem II. These data will be combined with data from grape and subtropical fruit in a manuscript describing fruit skin responses to UV radiation. 1931-21220-011-13N: The purpose of the non-funded cooperative agreement was to provide training in whole plant and heat stress physiology for Dr. Glenn. To achieve this objective, Dr. Glenn chose 2 major research centers as training sites. The first site was CSIRO Merbein, Victoria, a viticulture research station. The environment of the region is arid with daily maximum temperatures exceeding 45 C. Dr. Glenn was integrated into an existing research program investigating the effect of 3 irrigation strategies on grape yield, quality and final wine quality. The 3 irrigation strategies were:. 1)Standard water replacement of soil water use,. 2)Regulated deficit irrigation (RDI), in which water is withheld during certain key physiological periods to reduce vegetative growth and reduce fruit set and then irrigation is resumed to insure reproductive development for the subsequent year, and. 3)Prolonged deficit (PD), in which the deficit periods of the RDI treatment are extended approximately 4 weeks to further reduce vegetative growth and improve grape quality. Accomplishments of the CSIRO research program: 1. Studies of the effect of ambient UV levels on grape berry photosynthesis demonstrated that UV reduced berry photosynthesis and grape berries indicated no increased metabolic activity associated with repair mechanisms.. Dendrometers studies demonstrated that grape vines undergo extreme trunk shrinkage prior to veraison. Following veraison, the grape vines trunk renew radial growth. It was evident that diurnal shrink-swell of grape trunks was proportional to water use and this suggests that this simple technique may be used to determine plant water use and replace more complex technology. 2. A spectroscopic technique was modified and developed to simultaneous and non-destructively measure berry anthocyanins, carotenoids, and chlorophyll. These studies demonstrated little effect of the irrigation treatment on pigment levels, however, the particle film treatments increased pigments in all irrigation treatments. Similar results are found in apple and the mechanisms may include increased diffusion of UV within the plant canopy to stimulate pigment formation, or enhanced partitioning of carbon to pigments in association with enhanced canopy photosynthesis. 3. Thermocouple psychrometers were calibrated and deployed to the field studies. While a large number subsequently failed, a sufficient number remained viable to measure leaf water potential on a continuous basis. Data indicated that the application of particle film materials reduced leaf water potential in all irrigation treatments and the application of irrigation water did not always reduce leaf water potential, suggesting non-reversable or slowly reversible long-term adaptation to heat and water stress. 4. Infrared sensors indicated that the irrigation treatments had the dominant effect on canopy temperature and particle film applications had minor effects except during periods of water deficit when the PF treatments maintained a reduced canopy temperature in all irrigation treatments. At the second site, Dr. Glenn worked with Robert Nissen and Allan George, DPI-Queensland, Maroochy Subtropical research station. The objective of the research was to study the fruit photosynthetic response to UV radiation. Five fruit species were evaluated in the research program: pineapple, custard apple, macadamia nut, avocado, and Valencia orange. In all fruit species, effective repair mechanisms were turned-on within minutes of UV exposure and these mechanisms maintained a photosynthetic rate equivalent to non-UV conditions, unlike the response in grape noted above. 5.Describe the major accomplishments over the life of the project, including their predicted or actual impact. NONE. New CRIS project. 6.What science and/or technologies have been transferred and to whom? When is the science and/or technology likely to become available to the end-user (industry, farmer, other scientists)? What are the constraints, if known, to the adoption and durability of the technology products? A new project plan was reviewed and approved under the OSQR process as project 1931-21220-015-OOD, Integrated Orchard Management for Deciduous Tree Fruit Crops. In 2004 the research was conducted under 1931-21220-011-OOD, Integrated Orchard Management for Deciduous Tree Fruit Crops. Technology transfer activities under the previous project plan were: The sugar ester material, sucrose octantoate, was registered as an insecticide and miticide. This technology, available as 'Sucrocide', has been adopted by the honey bee industry where it is now commercially from the largest bee supplier. Sucrocide is one of the few materials that can control varroa mite on honey bees. The only negative in its adoption by the bee industry is the extra effort in treating the hives with a spray which will hopefully be answered by a better application technology. This technology transfer is associated with the patent: Farone, B., Palmer, T., and G.J. Puterka. Improved Polyol Ester Insecticides. 2004. US Patent Number 6,756,046, June 29, 2004. A new pesticide delivery system technology was developed to reduce the amount of pesticides applied. This technology is under development through a CRADA with the Engelhard Corp. of Iselin, NJ. The technology transfer is associated with the patent: Puterka, G.J. Puterka, D.M. Glenn, and D.G. Sekutowski. Pesticide Delivery System. 2003. US Patent Number 6,514,512. Feb 4, 2003. 7.List your most important publications in the popular press and presentations to organizations and articles written about your work. A new project plan was reviewed and approved under the OSQR process as project 1931-21220-015-OOD, Integrated Orchard Management for Deciduous Tree Fruit Crops. In 2004 the research was conducted under 1931-21220-011-OOD, Integrated Orchard Management for Deciduous Tree Fruit Crops. Publications under the previous project plan were: Popular Press: Columnar peach variety to be released. G. Warner, Good Fruit Grower 55(5):34-35, 2004. Managing fire blight in young trees. J. Norelli and S. Miller, Amer. Fruit Grower 124(4):36-37. Technology transfer through formal meetings: Morphological and hormonal relationships in shoots of pillar and standard peach trees. 2003 Annual Meeting of the Plant Growth Regulation Society of America. Vancouver, Canada. Novel uses of essential oils in fruit trees. 2003 Annual Meeting of the Cumberland Shenandoah Fruit Workers Conference. Winchester, VA. Soil amendment with hydrophobic kaolin particles to reduce weeds 2003 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Horticultural Science. Rhode Island. West Virginia University Winter Tree Fruit School. Progress Toward Behaviorally-Based Monitoring Strategies for Dogwood Borer and Stink Bugs. Kearneysville WV. West Virginia University Winter Tree Fruit School. Progress Toward Behaviorally-Based Monitoring Strategies for Dogwood Borer and Stink Bugs. Romney WV. Entomological Society of America, Annual Meeting. Mating behavior of the dogwood borer: rearing methods and potential control options. T.C. Leskey and J. C. Bergh. Cincinnati, OH. Entomological Society of America, Annual Meeting. Refinement of the pheromone-based monitoring system for dogwood borer, Synanthedon scitula. J. C. Bergh*, T. C. Leskey, A. Zhang, and J. F. Walgenbach. Cincinnati, OH. *Individual who made the presentation. Entomological Society of America, Annual Meeting. Effect of pheromone trap elevation on capture of dogwood borer, Synanthedon scitula Harris, in apple orchards. J.M. Sousa, J.C. Bergh, and T.C. Leskey. Cincinnati OH. Cumberland Shenandoah Fruit Worker Meetings. Assessing individual components of a monitoring system for plum curculio. Winchester VA. Cumberland Shenandoah Fruit Worker Meetings. Stink bug response to five trap types in apple and peach orchards. H.W. Hogmire, and T. C. Leskey. Winchester VA. Miller, S. and T. Tworkoski. Controlling Excessive Vegetative Growth. Appalachian Fruit Research Station Fact Sheet, November 2003. Disease susceptibility of new apple cultivars and horticultural performance, 2004 Virginia/WV Grown Conference and trade Show, Richmond, VA Apple cultivars for the mid-Atlantic industry, 145th Annual meeting Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention, Hershey, PA Performance of new peach tree growth types, Western Maryland Regional Fruit Growers Meeting, Keedysville, MD The Use of Apogee for suppressing fire blight in young apple trees, Western Maryland Regional Fruit Growers Meeting, Keedysville, MD Review Publications Leskey, T.C., Wright, S.E. 2004. Monitoring plum curculio, conotrachelus nenuphar (herbst) (coleoptera: curculionidae) populations in apple and peach orchards in the mid-atlantic. Journal of Economic Entomology. 97:79-88. Bergh, J., Leskey, T.C., Zhang, A. 2004. Discrimination by male dogwood borer, synanthedon scitula harris (lepidoptera: sesiidae) to traps baited with commercially available pheromon lures. Journal of Economic Entomology. 97:344-352 Biggs, A.R., Miller, S.S. 2004. Relative susceptibility of selected apple cultivars to fruit rot caused by botryosphaeria. Hortscience. 39:303-306, 2004 Hampson, C.R., Mcnew, R., Miller, S.S. 2004. Performance of 'braeburn', 'golden delicious' and 'yataka' apple on mark and m.9 rootstocks at multiple locations across north america. Journal of American Pomological Society. 58:78-89, 2004 BROWN, M.W., SCHMITT, J.J., ABRAHAM, B.J. SEASONAL AND DIURNAL DYNAMICS OF SPIDERS (ARANEAE) IN WEST VIRGINIA ORCHARDS AND THE EFFECT OF ORCHARD MANAGEMENT ON SPIDER COMMUNITIES. ENVIRONMENTAL ENTOMOLOGY. 2003. Vol. 32(4)P 830-839. Mathews, C.R., Bottrell, D.G., Brown, M.W. 2004. Habitat manipulation of the apple orchard floor to increase ground-dwelling predators and predation of cydia pomonella (say) (lepidoptera: tortricidae). Biological Control. 300:265 - 273 (2004) Brown, M.W., Tworkoski, T. 2004. Pest management benefits of compost mulch in orchards. Agricultural Ecosystems and Environment. (2004) 103:465-472 Tworkoski, T. 2003. Morphological and hormonal relationships in shoots of pillar and standard peach trees. Society of America Plant Growth Regulator Proceedings. 30:190 Tworkoski, T. 2004. Characteristics and management of peach and apple tree crowns. Plant Growth Regulator Society of America Meeting. 32:31 Bell, R.L., Puterka, G.J. 2003. Analysis of modes of host plant resistance to pear psylla. Eucarpia Symposium on Fruit Breeding and Genetics Programme and Abstracts, p. 32, 2003.