Suppression of the Codling Moth Cydia pomonella in British Columbia, Canada Using an Area-Wide Integrated Approach with an SIT Components

Since 1994, the codling moth Cydia pomonella (L.) has been the subject of an area-wide suppression programme in the pome fruit producing areas of the south-central part of British Columbia based primarily on the sterile insect technique (SIT). The programme was initially implemented with eradication as its ultimate goal, but since no quarantine measures were implemented, at the end of the 1998 growing season, the objective of the programme became area-wide suppression. The present article summarizes the progress of the codling moth programme since the shift from an eradication to a suppression objective was made and the benefits achieved in terms of reductions in insecticide applications and crop losses. It also discusses new research that could benefit this and future area-wide programmes for codling moth, and presents some thoughts to consider for furthering the long-term sustainability of the programme.

KEYWORDS Lepidoptera, codling moth, Cydia pomonella, AW-IPM, suppression, pome fruit, SIT, gamma radiation