Media advisory issued May 30, 2002, effective immediately.
For media inquiries, contact Caroline Booth Lara, Communications Specialist, (580) 224-6379.
  email: cblara@noble.org.

Pecan Producers: Watch for Casebearers
Pests have been spotted near the Red River and will move north

ARDMORE, Okla. — Although the cool, cloudy weather has delayed the advance of the pecan casebearer, area pecan producers are urged to watch for potentially heavy infestation of casebearer eggs in pecan nut clusters. The insects begin to appear in the Red River area and progress northward as temperatures warm.

Since May 8, large numbers of adult casebearer moths have been caught in insect traps at the Noble Foundation's Red River Demonstration and Research Farm in Love County, Okla., prompting Foundation pecan specialist Scott Landgraf to issue the warning.

"The moths started laying eggs in the pecan nut clusters Friday, May 24," he said. "All pecan producers in southern Oklahoma and North Texas should be keeping a close watch on their pecan trees over the next several days."

If at least six percent of a tree's nut clusters are infested with casebearers, pesticide application is warranted, Landgraf added.

"We're seeing in excess of 10 percent infestation at the Red River farm," he said.

Landgraf suggests these pesticides for casebearer control: Confirm™ at a rate of 8 oz. per acre, or Javelin™ at a rate of 1 pound per acre. He urges producers to carefully read and follow all label instructions when using pesticides.

Kevin Pierce, on-site pecan manager at the Red River farm, had found no entries into new nut clusters as of May 29. Pierce will begin spraying with Javelin™ at a 1 lb./acre rate on May 31.

Landgraf urges all area pecan producers to start scouting their trees for infestation now. He can be contacted by calling the Foundation at (580) 223-5810.

For more information about casebearers, visit the Oklahoma State University Web site at http://www.hortla.okstate.edu/pecan/.

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Photos: (181k jpeg)    (153k jpeg)

Photo cutline: Magnified image of a casebearer egg on a pecan nut cluster.

The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, headquartered in Ardmore, Okla., is a non-profit organization conducting agricultural, forage biotechnological, and plant biology research; providing grants to numerous non-profit charitable, educational and health organizations; and assisting farmers and ranchers through educational and consultative agricultural programs.

To learn more, visit the Noble Foundation Web site at http://www.noble.org.

More news releases available at www.noble.org/Press_Release