Journal
PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE
Volume 66, Issue 3, Pages 319-324Publisher
JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD
DOI: 10.1002/ps.1878
Keywords
Abies balsamea; Bacillus thuringiensis; Choristoneura fumiferana; stem analysis; economical analysis; photosynthetic capacity
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Funding
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (CRSNG)
- Ministere des Ressources Naturelles et de la Faune du Quebec (MRNFQ)
- Conseil de l'Industrie Forestiere du Quebec (CIFQ)
- Canadian Forest Service and the Societe de Protection des Forets contre les Insectes et les Maladies du Quebec (SOPFIM)
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BACKGROUND: Spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.), causes cumulative defoliation and hence annual growth loss of the balsam fir, Abies balsamea (L.) Mill, host tree. Annual growth increments of mixed balsam fir stands were measured by stem analysis over a 9 year period (1994-2002), when Bacillus thuringiensis ssp. kurstaki (Btk) was applied to control spruce budworm defoliation. With this approach, it was possible to quantify the change in stand volume growth after aerial spray applications of Btk. RESULTS: Differences between the periodic volume increment of protected and unprotected plots were statistically significant, while differences between protected and budworm-free plots were not significant. After 9 years, the difference in periodic increment between protected and unprotected plots was 20 m(3) ha(-1), and the difference in periodic mortality was 20.5 m(3) ha(-1) CONCLUSION: An economic assessment of Btk treatments indicates that biopesticide aerial spraying operations are justified, as they prevented substantial balsam fir mortality and growth losses over the 9 year study. (C) 2009 Society of Chemical Industry
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