Pg. 23-25 Last Call LFM™ – second year commercial trial Final report 2008

The field trial was conducted to test the efficacy of Last Call LFM™ , an “attract and kill” product, in litchi orchards in Malelane, South Africa. The trial was followed on from the previous year on the same farm. This particular farm was selected for the second year because of the distances between separate blocks. In 2006 it was clear that Last Call LFM™ has a “spill over” effect into nearby orchards used as control blocks. The aim of this season was to evaluate the efficacy of Last Call LFM™ by making applications earlier in the season before the litchi fruit moth population could establish itself. A more elaborate fruit inspection was also employed to test the integrity of the inspection method. The litchi fruit moth numbers did not increase significantly in the control blocks of this trial. The fruit damage as a result of litchi fruit moth was extremely low at 0.1% on average.

Summary:

• Objective: The field trial assessed the efficacy of Last Call LFM, an “attract and kill” product, for controlling litchi fruit moth (Cryptophlebia peltastica) in South African litchi orchards during a second consecutive year on the same farm.
• Main Pest: Cryptophlebia peltastica is a significant litchi pest in southern Africa and can infest both young and mature fruit, leading to crop losses.
• Methodology:
  • Trials involved both treated and control orchard blocks.
  • Last Call LFM was applied at three intervals, from flowering to just before harvest.
  • Male moths were monitored using pheromone traps, and fruit was regularly inspected for damage.
• Modes of Action:
  • The product uses a female moth pheromone to attract male moths to droplets containing insecticide (resulting in moth death).
  • The pheromone also competes with live females, causing “mating disruption” and thus reducing the chance of egg laying.
• Findings:
  • Moth populations were low overall during the trial year, limiting conclusive statistical results.
  • Control and treated blocks showed similar, very low levels of fruit damage.
  • Treated blocks had a lower average percentage of fruit damage compared to control blocks.
  • In years with higher moth population (previous year), differences in fruit damage between treated and untreated blocks were more pronounced.
  • The presence of a “spill over” or “chain” effect was suggested, where Last Call LFM treatments in one block may reduce moth populations in neighboring blocks.
• Conclusions:
  • Last Call LFM provides slight reductions in litchi fruit moth damage, especially noticeable when moth populations are higher.
  • There may be broader effects across the whole farm, not just in treated blocks, making efficacy harder to isolate statistically.
  • The product does not harm beneficial insects.
  • The study recommends further research, especially comparative trials on different farms, and continued product development to determine if “attract and kill” or “mating disruption” is the more dominant effect.
• Recommendation: More extensive and comparative studies are needed to fully evaluate the efficacy and mode of action of Last Call LFM in different litchi farming contexts.