Pest phenology
Bjorn Arild Hatteland
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This master thesis work will be part of an ongoing project on Tortricid moths in Norwegian fruit orchards led by researchers at the Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research (NIBIO). Tortricid moths are among the most important pests in fruit orchards in Europe as well as in Norway. In Norway, knowledge of the distribution of Tortricid moth species and their status as pests is mainly based on studies from the 1970s and it is therefore necessary to map their current distribution and relate this distribution to climatic variables. A preliminary study showed that one of the species seems to be much more common than assumed, and its phenology also seems slightly different than previous studies show. Phenology studies are important to know when the moths are active in their different stages; this has implications for pest management strategies. Phenology will also relate to climatic variables, such as spring and summer temperatures.
Research question: Do Tortricid moths have a wider distribution than previously thought and are they active earlier in the spring than assumed?
Methods: Adult Tortricids will be sampled using pheromone traps and larvae will be sampled by investigating flower buds and via the beat-tray method. Sampling will be done in cooperation with the Norwegian agricultural advisors in the different fruit districts in Norway. NIBIO Ullensvang research station will be used during fieldwork. The sampled data can be compared with earlier years of sampling.
Contact: Dr Bjørn Arild Hatteland, NIBIO and University of Bergen, bjorn.hatteland@nibio.no
