مقایسه کارایی آبامکتین و فوزالن در کنترل پروانه میوه خوار پسته Recurvaria pistaciicola (Lep.: Gelechiidae)

Recurvaria pistaciicola (Danilevsky, 1955) is an important pest in Iranian pistachio orchards that can cause considerable damage to crops if not properly managed. Controlling key pistachio pests typically leads to a reduction in the population of this pest. However, an increase in its population can result in substantial economic losses. This study evaluated the efficacy of two commonly used insecticides in pistachio orchards, including abamectin from the avermectin group and phosalone from the organophosphate group, in controlling the Recurvaria pistaciicola. The study was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications over two agricultural years (2021 and 2022). Three trees were considered for each treatment in each replication. The treatments included two different concentrations of abamectin (0.4 and 0.6 per thousand) and two different concentrations of phosalone (2 and 2.5 per thousand). To assess the efficacy of the insecticides, sampling was performed on days 7, 14, 21, and 30 after spraying, and the number of dried and damaged seeds by larvae were counted. The results showed that with the increase in time after spraying, the extent of seed damage decreased in all treatments. In the abamectin treatment, the average number of damaged seeds at a concentration of 0.5 decreased from 2 ± 0.88 on the seventh day to 0.33 ± 0.57 on the thirtieth day, and at a concentration of 0.6, it decreased from 1 ± 0.57 to 0.11 ± 0.19. Similarly, in the phosalone treatment, at a concentration of 2, this number decreased from 1.22 ± 0.77 on the seventh day to 0.22 ± 0.19 on the thirtieth day, and at a concentration of 2.5, it decreased from 1 ± 0.33 to 0 ± 0. The results indicated that both insecticides were effective in controlling the larvae of the Recurvaria pistaciicola, with no significant difference observed between the treatments. The significant reduction in the average number of damaged seeds over time suggests that these insecticides effectively controlled the pest larvae population. Based on the average and standard deviation of the damaged seeds, it can be concluded that higher concentrations of insecticides were more effective in reducing damage, highlighting the importance of using appropriate concentrations in pest management. Considering the lower environmental impact and reduced harm to natural enemies associated with abamectin, its use is recommended as a suitable alternative for controlling the Recurvaria pistaciicola. Another advantage of abamectin is its effectiveness against a wide range of pests, which can help reduce pesticide use and support the development of integrated pest management programs.