NONCHEMICAL MEANS OF PEST MANAGEMENT IN THE HIGHWAY LANDSCAPE

A PROJECT INVOLVING THE BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF HIGHWAY LANDSCAPE PESTS IS REPORTED. BIOASSARY OF THE RED-HUMPED CATERPILLAR, SCHIZURA CONCINNA (DEFOLIATOR OR ORCHARD AND ORNAMENTAL TRESS) INDICATED THAT IT COULD BE READILY CONTROLLED BY APPROPRIATE RATES OF BACILLUS THURINGIENSIS. TWENTY FIVE INTENSIVE FIELD TRIALS IN WHICH KNAPSACK EQUIPMENT WAS USED FOR SPOT APPLICATIONS, AND LARGE HYDRAULIC FIELD SPRAY RIGS WERE USED FOR EXTENSIVE APPLICATIONS, HAVE ALL GIVEN SUCCESSFUL CONTROL AND YIELDED VALUABLE DATA WHEREBY THE APPLICATION RATES AND SELECTION OF FORMULATIONS HAVE BEEN FURTHER REFINED. AT THE RATES OF APPLICATION USED, THE B. THURINGIENSIS IS HARMLESS TO MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL AND OTHER FORMS OF LIFE. SOME DEGREE OF BIOLOGICAL CONTROL IS EXERTED BY THE NATURAL ENEMIES OF THE CATERPILLAR WHICH ARE UNAFFECTED BY THE TREATMENT. TWO PARASITOID WASPS (HYPOSTER FUGITIVUS AND APANTELES SCHIZURAE) WERE INVESTIGATED. THE REPRODUCTIVE ECONOMY OF A. FUGITIVUS, THE MOST EFFECTIVE PARASITE, WAS STUDIED. OF 3 SPECIES OF SHRUBS THAT PRODUCE FLOWERS ACCEPTABLE AS NECTAR SOURCE FOR H FUGITIVUS, AND HAVE A LONG FLOWERING PERIOD COMMENCING AT THE END OF JUNE, MYRTUS COMMUNIS IS THE ONLY SPECIES COMPATIABLE WITH HIGHWAY LANDSCAPE CONDITIONS. HOWEVER, THE SHRUBS YIELD FEW FLOWERS. FOR THE EFFECTIVE CONTROL OF PESTS BY PARASITOIDS, AND APPROPRIATE PARASITOID-PEST RATIO MUST BE ESTABLISHED. A SIMPLE PEST SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED IN ISOLATION BUT SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE OVERALL STRATEGY FOR PEST CONTROL IN A GIVEN AREA. THE SUPPRESSION OF ALBIZZIA PSYLLID BY IMPORTED AUSTRALIAN INSECT PREDATORS IS ALSO DISCUSSED. LECTURES AND DEMONSTRATIONS HAVE SERVED TO TRAIN MAINTENANCE PERSONNEL IN THE NEW TECHNIQUES OF BIOLOGICAL INTEGRATION CONTROL.

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    Highway Research Board

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  • Authors:
    • Pinnock, D
    • Cassidy, D V
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  • Publication Date: 1973

Media Info

  • Media Type: Print
  • Features: Tables;
  • Pagination: p. 155-158
  • Monograph Title: ENVIRONMENTAL CONSIDERATIONS IN PLANNING, DESIGN, AND CONSTRUCTION
  • Serial:

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Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00205254
  • Record Type: Publication
  • ISBN: 0309021529
  • Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
  • Created Date: Apr 3 1974 12:00AM