D3471: Impact of attract-and-kill and perimeter sprays on Popillia japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in vineyards

Popillia japonica Newman (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae), is a generalist insect introduced in the United States that is an economically significant pest of many crop and ornamental plant systems. The adult beetle is the most substantial defoliator of grapevines. Current management practices rely on broad-spectrum insecticides that are hazardous to the environment, non-target organisms, and farm workers. Attract-and-kill (A&K) integrates the use of pest-specific semiochemical attractant lures with reduced insecticide inputs. The objective of this study was to assess the impact of A&K applied to grapevine block perimeters on the number of P. japonica adults and grape foliar injury by P. japonica herbivory and to compare A&K with a perimeter spray and grower standard pesticide programs. In the A&K treatment, attractants were placed along the perimeter of the plot and a border application of carbaryl was applied every 10-14 days. In the Perimeter Spray plots, the same insecticide application as in the A&K treatment without the use of lures. The plot utilizing the Grower Standard received the pesticide schedule the grower would choose, typically involving full block repeated (1-4) applications of insecticide(s). Understanding the effectiveness and potential to use A&K for P. japonica control will provide Wisconsin vineyard growers with an alternative practice that would be cost effective and reduce environmental impacts while maintaining pest control within economic thresholds compared to conventional methods. Due to a low population of the subject species, likely due to climatic factors, 2024 data was inconclusive, this experiement will be repeated in 2025.