Use of smart traps for monitoring navel orangeworm populations

Tree nuts such as almonds, pistachios, and walnuts account for 17% of California's total agricultural acreage and 7% of its total production value. The main pest affecting these tree nut crops is the navel orangeworm (NOW), Amyelois transitella (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). NOW infestation is also linked to Aspergillus fungi, which produces aflatoxin, a known human carcinogen regulated in domestic and export markets. Effective local management strategies for an area-wide Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program depend on the ability to monitor NOW density and abundance in real-time to make informed decisions. Currently, growers and pest control advisers estimate NOW activity through various methods and trap types, but servicing these traps across multiple orchards often leads to outdated/asynchronous data, posing challenges for growers needing timely pest scouting and management information. An urgent issue for the success of an area-wide IPM program is how to monitor NOW over a vast area and respond quickly to local pest pressure for effective pest management. We propose evaluating new smart traps for monitoring NOW to reduce the burden of manually servicing thousands of traditional sticky traps. These smart traps provide real-time insights into pest populations, helping farmers make informed decisions to protect their yields. While several automated smart traps for NOW are available on the market, little is known about their accuracy compared to traditional trapping methods. This project aims to improve the use of automated traps for monitoring NOW populations and establish a regional pest monitoring network that will contribute to a new online decision-support tool.