Impact of Attract-and-Kill Expansion on Popillia japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in Wisconsin Vineyards

Commodities

Practices

The Japanese beetle (JB), Popillia japonica, is an
invasive generalist insect in the United States. This beetle has
become an economically significant pest of many crop and
ornamental plant systems, and is the most substantial defoliator
of grapevines. The current management standard relies solely on
broad-spectrum insecticides that are hazardous to the
environment, non-target organisms, including beneficial insects,
and farm workers. Many alternative methods have led to
insufficient reductions of JB and may even increase damage to the
crop. Attract-and-Kill (A&K) is a behavioral management
strategy that integrates the use of pest-specific semiochemical
attractant lures with a reduced insecticide regime. This study,
“Impact of Attract-and-Kill Expansion on Popillia
japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in Wisconsin Vineyards,”
aims to expand on a preliminary study conducted by our lab that
showed promising results with A&K on a small scale (~0.25
acres). Here, we will expand by assessing the impact of 1)
A&K; 2) killing agent alone; and 3) grower standard on the
number of JB adults and foliar injury by JB. The experimental
trials will be conducted at five Wisconsin vineyards using three
0.75-2 acre plots over two growing seasons. In the A&K
treatment, lures will be placed along the perimeter of the plot
with a border application of carbaryl every 7-10 days. The plot
with kill treatment alone will receive the same insecticide
application without the use of lures. The plot utilizing the
grower standard will receive the management method the grower
would regularly choose. Throughout the season weekly, all adult
beetles will be collected in three randomly selected transects
and defoliation will be measured in three random vines per
transect row. To assess the success rate of the A&K strategy,
differences in foliar damage between the treatments and percent
adult P. japonica abundance will be compared. Results of
the project will be presented to grape growers at the Growing
Wisconsin Conference and Wisconsin Grape Growers field days.
Understanding the effectiveness and potential to use this method
of P. japonica control will provide Wisconsin vineyard
growers with an alternative practice that would be cost effective
and reduce environmental impacts while maintaining pest control
within economic thresholds compared to conventional methods.

A presentation conveying the results of the treatment comparison
(Attract-and-Kill, Perimeter spray alone, and Grower Standard)
will be given to audiences of Wisconsin vineyard growers at the
Growing Wisconsin Conference and in the Wisconsin Fruit News. The
expected action outcomes are 1) Wisconsin growers would be able
to confidently implement A&K methods into their management
practices to effectively control P. japonica in their
vineyards and 2) there is a reduction in the adverse consequences
of conventional pesticide application through the implementation
of A&K. 

The learning outcomes of this project is to further grower
knowledge of the importance of practicing environmentally sound
agricultural practices and raise their awareness of
cost-effective strategies to integrate those practices.
Attract-and-Kill reduces dependence on insecticides through the
use of pest-specific lures and decreases the impacts on
non-target beneficial insects. Grower implementation of this
strategy will achieve equivalent pest control levels as
conventional means, as seen through yield measurements and
defoliation reduction. Outcomes will be measured through
post-study surveys at grower conferences to collect data from the
vineyard community on their understanding and considerations for
implementation of A&K methods.