Curtiss, et al., C. pomonella Trellis dispersion dataset

ABSTRACT: The impact of orchard planting density and tree training system on Cydia pomonella (L.) dispersion in commercial apple orchards is not well understood. Sterile C. pomonella were released into commercial apple orchards to compare dispersion in orchards with high-density apple tree plantings trained to trellis, and in orchards with plantings of low-density apple trees trained as freestanding open-center trees without trellis. Freestanding, open center trained trees are considered to be outdated because they are less productive, less efficient and less precocious than trellis systems in high density plantings, but they are still widely in production. Although released sterile C. pomonella were recaptured at all trap distances in all orchard plots, significantly fewer were recapture in orchards with low-density apple tree plantings without trellis than in orchards with high-density trellised tree training systems. Population aggregation was significantly lower in orchards with trees trained on trellis than in orchards with freestanding, open center trained trees. The implications of these findings for codling moth management, and the compatibility of the C. pomonella sterile insect technique in orchards employing these architectures is discussed.