Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Growers inside the Quarantine Area

Transcription

1 Tropical Research and Education Center 89 SW 8 St. Homestead, FL Tel: -6-7 Website: October 9, Miami-Dade County Extension 87 SW 88 St. Homestead, FL Tel: -8- Website: A Guide to Understanding the Pre-Harvest Bait Spray Program for Fruit and Vegetable Farms in the Quarantine Area Jonathan H. Crane, Tropical Fruit Crop Specialist and Daniel Carrillo, Entomologist Tropical Fruit Crops, UF/IFAS TREC; Jeff Wasielewski, Tropical Fruit Crops Agent, Miami-Dade Co. Extension/UF/IFAS and; Qingren Wang, Vegetable Crops Agent, Miami-Dade Co. Extension/UF/IFAS The purpose of this document is to assist produce growers to meet the requirements of their Cooperative Fruit Fly Eradication Program FDACS-DPI Compliance Agreement with respect to the pre-harvest treatments necessary to harvest produce. Please contact the OFF Program Regulatory office at or Help-line at for more information. Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Growers inside the Quarantine Area Thirty-day pre-harvest GF- NF bait-insecticide treatment or Malathion-Nu-Lure bait treatment and OFF trapping program for fresh fruit and vegetables (SEE Section B and C of the Compliance Agreement details). If your farm is within the Quarantine Area, but not in the. mile arc core area, and your crop is on the host list, and you want to harvest your produce you must sign a compliance agreement with the OFF Eradication Program and follow a specific -day pre-harvest baitinsecticide treatment. Please call the Oriental Fruit Fly (OFF) Program Regulatory Office at or Help-line at to sign a compliance agreement.. Keep detailed records of your bait-insecticide (i.e., GF- NF or Malathion+Nu-Lure) purchases, use rates, use pattern and dates of application.. Bait-insecticide applications must begin days prior to harvest. Note: If an OFF is trapped on or near your site (within. mile arc) anytime during the -day pre-harvest period you will be disqualified from the pre-harvest treatment option.. Bait-insecticide applications must be made every 6- days. Bait-insecticide applications must continue as long as the harvest season continues for the farm. Insecticide bait applications may be witnessed by someone from the OFF Eradication Program. Please contact the OFF Program Regulatory office at or Help-line at to inform them when you are going to begin the bait-insecticide applications. Baitpesticide applications will be monitored by the OFF Eradication Program.

2 Examples of a -day timeline for bait-insecticide applications and OFF trapping/monitoring Day day * * * * * H 8-day * * * * H 9-day * * * * H -day * * * * * = bait-insecticide application every 6 to days (6-7 days preferred) H = harvest = There shall not be more than -day interval between bait applications or more than a -day interval between last bait spray and harvest. Unless all produce (fruit/veg.) is harvested on day continue spraying on a -say interval between the last bait application and harvest (e.g., spray on day,,, etc.). In addition to the bait-insecticide application procedures, all producers must follow the conditions of the compliance agreement (limited permit or certificate of temporary inspection) for moving produce from their farm in and out of the quarantine area.. Depending upon the location of your fruit or vegetable farm site, there may be a buffer zone that must be treated as well the OFF Eradication Program will define any needed buffers. 6. The OFF Eradication Program will conduct the OFF monitoring/trapping. 7. There are only two approved bait-insecticides for the OFF -day certification program: GF- NF Naturalyte Fruit Fly Bait is a mixture of spinosad and fruit fly bait (organically certified) or a mixture of Malathion plus Nu-lure Insect Bait. Not all crops are listed on the label for the approved Malathion products if your crop is not listed on the Malathion label, it is illegal to use on your crop. Therefore, it is recommended you use the GF- NF since it is legal to use on all crops. Instructions for Applying the Bait-insecticides The GF- NF bait-insecticide must be applied as a low volume application either as a handwand type spot-spray, or with ultra-low volume application equipment. Hand-wand type spotspray equipment for the bait-insecticide applications include - gallon back-pack sprayers and to gallon (pump-up) sprayers. The Malathion plus Nu-Lure bait-insecticide mixture may be applied like the GF- NF or with the use of some larger capacity spray equipment (sometimes called ultra-low volume) that can be adjusted or retooled to apply large droplet sizes; and apply gallons of material per acre or less however, contact the DPI Help-line at or OFF Program Regulatory office at to be sure your application method meets the application requirements for the harvest certification program. GF- NF Naturalyte Fruit Fly Bait (EPA Reg. No : this is a mixture of spinosad and fruit fly bait and is used as a very low volume hand-wand type spot-spray application. This is NOT a high volume air-blast or high volume hand-gun type application. You must follow the label directions on the concentrations and mixing.

3 The proper GF- NF rate is oz of GF- NF mixed with oz of water (this is a dilution rate of :.) per acre. The reason for this rate and dilution is (a) this is the most effective concentration (i.e., attracts and kills OFF better); (b) the efficacy of GF- NF lasts longer at this rate and; (c) at this dilution rate (:.) the material is least affected by rain. The benefit to the producer is that the oz GF- NF plus oz water per acre volume is less weight to carry and faster than hauling and spraying large volumes of material by hand. In the Application Directions for GF- NF please note:. Use a large spray droplet size (-6 mm). Set your nozzle tip or use nozzle tips that provide large droplets.. Calibrate your spray equipment to deliver sufficient amounts with every burst of spray so that you can distribute oz of material ( oz GF- + oz water) throughout an acre of plants.. Direct the spot spray to one to two spots (areas) on the inner canopy of the plant spraying the underside of leaves on the inside of the canopy. This reduces the direct sun exposure and reduces the potential for washing off of the material by rainfall. The idea is to create an area where an OFF would feed on the bait/insecticide and perish. This is not a contact insecticide.. The pattern of application throughout the treated acre may depend upon plant type and size and plant spacing. The perimeter and inside of the planting should be sprayed. The main goal is to be sure to apply the oz of spot spray material ( oz GF- + oz water) throughout the entire acre. a. For example: for tree crops, spot treat every rd or th tree around the perimeter and then inside the acre, spray every th to th tree in every th row. To be most effective the pattern should change slightly with each successive application. b. For example: for vegetable crops, spot treat the perimeter and then spot treat at a reasonable distance down every th or 6 th row. To be most effective the pattern should change slightly with each successive application.. The REI (restricted entry interval) and pre-harvest interval for GF- is hours. Spot treatment example for acre grove. Each square represents a tree and each X represents a spot treated tree.

4 Spot treatment example for vegetable crop field. Spot treat the perimeter and then down every th row. The row treated may change with each spot treatment application (e.g., every 6 th row). Malathion plus Nu-lure Insect Bait mixture: This is also a low volume application and may be applied in the same way as the GF- spot treatment type application or with spray equipment that is capable of applying gallons of material (Malathion plus water) or less per acre with the proper droplet size. Contact the OFF Help-line at or OFF Program Regulatory office at to be sure it meets the application requirements for the harvest certification program.. The only OFF Eradication Program approved Malathion products to mix with Nu-Lure Insect Bait (Miller Chem. and Fertilizer Corp.) for are Malathion 8 Aquamul (EPA Reg. No. 7-7), SLN Registration No. FL6 and Gowan Malathion 8 Flowable (6- ), SLN Registration No. FL7. Both products have Special local needs (SLN) labels for fruit fly control. These products: a. allow the use of Malathion on apricots, arugula, avocado, bitter melon, cantaloupe, chayote, citrus (grapefruit, lemon, lime, orange, tangerine, tangelo, pumelo), coconut, cucumber, eggplant, fig, garlic, gourds, grapes, green bean, guava, hops, kumquat, leeks, mango, melons, nectarines, onions, papaya, passion fruit, peach, peppers, potato, pineapple, pumpkins, shallots, squash (winter and summer), strawberry, tomato and watermelon b. allow the use of these Malathion products as a spot-spray treatment at a 6 to day intervals. c. NOTE: Malathion is not a restricted use pesticide (RUP) but you must have the SLN label in your possession and follow the restricted entry interval (REI) and pre-harvest interval (PHI) from the full product label and SLN labels. The REI and PHI varies among crops. See compliance agreement sections B and C for details. d. See full label for restricted entry interval (REI) and pre-harvest interval (PHI).

5 Examples of Malathion product rates and Nu-Lure rates plus water for acre application. Malathion rate per Brand acre for bait application Rate of Nu-Lure Bait Amount of water Malathion 8 Aquamul*.9 oz 9.6 oz gal or less GOWAN Malathion 8 Flowable*.9 oz 9.6 oz gal or less *, These products have a FIFRA SECTION (c) Special Local Needs (SLN) Label that allows spot spraying at a 6- day interval for labelled crops. You MUST have the SLN label in your possession. See full label for restricted entry interval (REI) and pre-harvest interval (PHI).. The water used for the solution should be buffered to ph 7. with an available buffer material.. You must mix the Malathion with Nu-Lure Insect Bait again you must follow the label for proper use and rates. The Nu-Lure rate is 9.6 fluid oz per acre.. Mix the Malathion plus the Nu-Lure in to gallons of water and apply the entire amount as a spot spray (like the GF- NF) throughout the acre. Using the example above, mix.9 oz of GOWAN Malathion 8 Flowable or Malathion 8 Aquamul plus 9.6 fluid oz of Nu- Lure Bait.. Apply this mix as a spot spray in a similar pattern to the GF- NF application. 6. Growers with crops not listed on a Malathion label, should use the GF- NF. 7. NOTE: The effectiveness of Nu-Lure may be decreased or slowed when applied over copper spray residues or when sprayed in tank mixes with copper. In addition to the bait-insecticide application procedures all producers must follow the compliance agreement for moving produce from their farm in and out of the quarantine area. (c://ext//handouts/off/just OFF -day applications -9-.doc)