Perspectives of robotic technology in production, harvesting and postharvest processes of horticultural produce
Citation
Vigneault, C. and Wang, N. (2010). "Perspectives for robotic in production, harvest and postharvest processes of horticultural produce.", Stewart Postharvest Review, 6(3), pp. 10.1-10.4. doi : 10.2212/spr.2010.3.10
Abstract
The impact of low levels of spinosad on the obliquebanded leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana Harris (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), and the koinobiont endoparasitoid, Apophua simplicipes Cresson (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), was assessed when the parasitoid was in the larval stage within second- and fourth-instar hosts. These are developmental stages that would be exposed to spring orchard treatments of the insecticide. Oral spinosad LC50 levels for unparasitized obliquebanded leafroller hosts were <1% of the recommended orchard treatment levels. Apophua simplicipes survival was significantly reduced within parasitized spinosad-treated second- and fourth-instar larval hosts. Both the leafroller host and parasitoid were much more susceptible (ca. 65-fold) to spinosad when larval hosts fed on spinosad-treated leaf material as opposed to being treated topically. When hosts were exposed to extremely low doses of spinosad, a small percentage of parasitoids was able to survive to emerge as adults. These laboratory trials predict that applications of spinosad may reduce biological control of C. rosaceana populations by ichneumonid endoparasitoids developing within treated hosts. © 2010 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Journal compilation © 2010 The Netherlands Entomological Society.