AN OVERVIEW OF THE ARTHROPOD PESTS OF PEAR IN WESTERN UNITED STATES

Approximately 80% of pears produced in the United States are grown in California, Oregon and Washington because the drier climate of these states reduces the incidence of fire blight.
Several species of Arthropod pests of pear occur in this area and can cause substantial losses in production and/or quality of fruit.
Since the introduction of synthetic organic pesticides in the late 1940s the history of pest control on pear can be divided into three periods.
The early period was marked by an abundance of inexpensive and effective pesticides.
During the second period, from 1965 to 1975, resistant populations of key pests appeared, control failures were common and the number of effective pesticides became limited.
The present period is approaching a crisis phase with at least two pests, pear psylla and spider mites.
Only a few pesticides remain effective, control is very expensive and the appearance of resistance to the remaining effective compounds seems imminent.
In the future broad-based multitactic control programs must be developed.
The research and implementation of such programs will be slow and costly.

III International Symposium on Pear Growing

E. C. Burts

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.1982.124.11