Efficacy of SPLAT® Verb for protecting individual Pinus contorta, Pinus ponderosa, and Pinus lambertiana from mortality attributed to Dendroctonus ponderosae

Christopher J. Fettig; Brytten Steed; Beverly Bulaon; Leif Mortenson; Robert Progar; Clifford Bradley; Steven Munson; Agenor Mafra-Neto

Treesearch

Efficacy of SPLAT® Verb for protecting individual Pinus contorta, Pinus ponderosa, and Pinus lambertiana from mortality attributed to Dendroctonus ponderosae

Formally Refereed

Authors:

Christopher J. Fettig, Brytten Steed, Beverly Bulaon, Leif Mortenson, Robert Progar, Clifford Bradley, Steven Munson, Agenor Mafra-Neto

Year:

2016

Type:

Scientific Journal

Station:

Pacific Southwest Research Station

Source:

Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia. 113: 11-20

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Download (PDF 210 KB): https://research.fs.usda.gov/download/treesearch/54441.pdf

Abstract

Verbenone (4,6,6-trimethylbicyclo[3.1.1]hept-3-en-2-one) is an antiaggregant of the mountain pine beetle, Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae), the most notable forest insect pest in western North America. Several formulations are registered for tree protection, but efficacy is often inconsistent. We evaluated the efficacy of a newly registered formulation of (–)-verbenone (SPLAT® Verb, ISCA Technologies Inc., Riverside, CA, USA) for protecting individual lodgepole pines, Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud, ponderosa pines, P. ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws., and sugar pines, P. lambertiana Dougl., from mortality attributed to D. ponderosae. Rather than a single release device, SPLAT® Verb is a flowable emulsion that allows the user to adjust the size of each release point (dollop) according to desired rates and distributions. SPLAT® Verb applied at 7.0 g of (−)-verbenone/tree as four equally sized dollops to the tree bole was effective for protecting P. contorta, but not P. ponderosa. In P. lambertiana, 4.0, 7.0, and 10.0 g of (−)-verbenone/tree were effective. We discuss the implications of these and other results to the management of D. ponderosae.

Keywords

mountain pine beetle, Scolytinae, semiochemicals, tree protection, verbenone

Citation

Fettig, Christopher J.; Steed, Brytten E.; Bulaon, Beverly M.; Mortenson, Leif A.; Progar, Robert A.; Bradley, Clifford A.; Munson, A. Steven; Mafra-Neto, Agenor. 2016. Efficacy of SPLAT® Verb for protecting individual Pinus contorta, Pinus ponderosa, and Pinus lambertiana from mortality attributed to Dendroctonus ponderosae. Journal of the Entomological Society of British Columbia. 113: 11-20.