This insect pest is usually controlled in conventional orchards by pesticides actually aimed at other pests. Such observations help to set the research direction for the future. We need projects like this to find the weak points and to address them. The orchard is invaluable as an educational resource, too. Each treatment covers six acres, a size comparable to commercial orchards.
Growers know that the methods and results they see are readily transferrable to their own farms.
The West Virginia University Experiment Farm hosts grower meetings each year, attended by growers, consultants, industry representatives, and extension agents from several states. More than 100 people visited in 1997. If each one decided to try out only a few of the new methods, the industry would take a long stride forward. To locate your state IPM Coordinator, link to our home page and click on the appropriate state link in the navigation ribbon at the top. This site is part of the National IPM Network.