Abstract
This dissertation investigates the sustainable management of Cydia pomonella (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) and Halyomorpha halys (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), two key pests that cause significant damage to apple orchards. Both pests present distinct challenges due to their biology and behavior. The study integrates several innovative approaches for monitoring and control, focusing on behavioral manipulation, the use of pheromones, and advanced monitoring technologies. Cydia pomonella, the codling moth, is a long-standing pest in pome fruit orchards. Despite the use of mating disruption and insecticides, it remains a major threat to apple and pear crops, especially in organic farming. The study aimed to improve monitoring systems for C. pomonella under mating disruption conditions by developing a novel automatic trap system that integrates convolutional neural networks (CNN) for pest detection. The trap prototype was designed to capture target insects while reducing non-target species capture. Field trials were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of this automatic trap, which demonstrated significant accuracy in detecting C. pomonella moths. The trap system, equipped with image recognition software, processed real-time data and provided a high-resolution monitoring solution. This method can improve the efficiency of pest management, allowing for more targeted control strategies and reducing the need for widespread insecticide use. Another study investigated C. pomonella management through mass trapping female moths (Female Removal, FR) using kairomone-baited traps. The development of a novel lure comprised of 4 volatile organic compounds acting as kairomones attracted both C. pomonella sexes, with a high proportion of female moth captures in non-saturating bucket traps, allowed me to investigate the mass trapping approach for this pest. The deployment of 60 traps ha-1 combined with the grower insecticide spray program can impact C. pomonella infestation levels in apple orchards, reducing fruit damage with a sustainable method. In parallel, the research focused on Halyomorpha halys, an invasive species that has rapidly spread across Europe and North America. This pest poses a significant challenge due to its polyphagous nature and strong dispersal capabilities. Management strategies for H. halys have traditionally relied on broad-spectrum insecticides, leading to the disruption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs and the risk of insecticide resistance. To address these challenges, the study tested the feasibility of Mass Trapping (MT) as a sustainable control method for H. halys. The traps used were designed to leverage the insect’s aggregation pheromone, targeting both adults and nymphs. The mini-sailboat (MSB) trap, in particular, was tested in various orchard settings. Field trials revealed that while the MSB traps effectively captured H. halys adults and nymphs, their ability to reduce fruit damage was limited when used in isolation. An enhanced version of the MSB trap, incorporating an attractive blue light, was also tested to improve capture rates. While blue light has been shown to attract H. halys, the addition of this stimulus did not significantly improve trap efficacy compared with the standard MSB trap. The research suggests that while mass trapping can be an effective supplementary tool in H. halys management, it may need to be combined with insecticides in high-pressure areas to achieve satisfactory results.