Pest management based on petroleum spray oil in navel orange orchard in Ganzhou, South China

Comparisons between petroleum spray oil (PSO)-based pest management (pest management based on petroleum spray oil) and conventional pest management were made in a navel orange orchard from 2004 to 2005 in Ganzhou, Jiangxi province, South China. PSO-based management reduced chemical pesticide use and increased the species richness of natural enemies. To control the key pests below the economic threshold, PSO use, compared with chemical pesticide, reduced the cost of pest management. PSO had no negative effects on fruit yield and quality, and could form the basis of a practical and sustainable pest management program in navel orange.