Control of Lobesia botrana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in vineyards in Cyprus using the Mating Disruption Technique

The Isonet-L pheromone dispensers were applied in 2004-2006 in an organic table grape vineyard aiming to control the European Grapevine moth Lobesia botrana (Den.&Schiff.) (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae). Laboratory analysis showed that almost 50% of the pheromone in the dispensers was released during April and May, while another 25% was released in June alone. A high rate of bunch damage in the untreated vineyard was observed throughout the trial, reaching 40.8, 59.6 and 64.4% in 2004, 2005 and 2006, respectively. At the same time, bunch damage in the treated field was 6.8, 6.0, and 10.4% for the same years, respectively. Damage caused by L. botrana in the treated vineyard was significantly lower compared to the damage in the control field. In 2004, bunch damage was estimated at 0.68 ± 0.36 and 4.08 ± 0.36 in the treated and the control vineyards, respectively. Significant differences were also observed in 2005, where damage was estimated at 0.6 ± 0.32 in the treated and 5.96 ± 0.32 in the untreated plot, while in 2006, these values were 1.04 ± 0.33 and 6.44 ± 0.33 in the treated and the control vineyards, respectively. Significant statistical differences were observed regarding bunch damage in the border and centre of the treated vineyard in 2004 and 2006, where the bunch damage values were estimated at 0.52 ± 0.13 and 0.8 ± 0.17 in the border, and 0.16 ± 0.07 and 0.24 ± 0.08 in the centre of the treated vineyard, respectively. Statistical differences (P < 0.0001) were also obtained when bunch damage was assessed between the treated and untreated vineyards across the trial years, where damage was estimated at 0.77 ± 0.20 and 5.49 ± 0.20 in the treated plot and the control, respectively.