Pruning can recover the health of wild apple forests attacked by the wood borer Agrilus mali in central Eurasia
Zhang P. Li Y. Wang T. Zhang X. Zhang Y. Xu H. Jashenko R. Dong Z. Zalucki M.P. Lu Z.
2024Schweizerbart Science Publishers
Entomologia Generalis
2024#44Issue 3545 - 552 pp.
The invasive apple wood borer Agrilus mali Matsumura (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) threatens the viability of wild apple forests in Xinjiang, China, imperiling the preservation of apple germplasm resources in Central Eurasia. Pruning infested branches can reduce the likelihood of outbreaks of various pests and associated damage, but its efficacy and feasibility for managing A. mali has not been well-studied. Therefore, we examined the efficacy of pruning at three different times of the year in commercial orchards in 2018 and 2019. We evaluated the efficacy of pruning for longer-term sustainable management of A. mali in wild apple forests over a five-year period from 2016–2019. Autumn pruning resulted in mortality of all immature A. mali in pruned branches, increased flowering in individual trees, and a significant reduction in both pest density and tree damage on the landscape. Simulation modeling showed that a single well-timed pruning treatment could maintain low pest density for at least 6–10 years. Recurring pruning schedules may be an effective long-term management tool, suppressing A. mali populations in wild apple forests and facilitating ecosystem recovery. This practical tactic could prove instrumental in managing A. mali and sustaining ecosystem health, particularly in the face of future invasions in wild apple forests in central Eurasia.
Buprestidae , forest resilience , Malus sieverii , pruning window , wild apple
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State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China
The Specimen Museum of Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, 830011, China
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
Shandong Engineering Research Center for Environment-Friendly Agricultural Pest Management, College of Plant Health and Medicine, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, 266109, China
Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering, Ministry of Education, Guizhou University, Guiyang, 550025, China
Key Laboratory of Forest Protection of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Ecology and Nature Conservation Institute, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, 100091, China
Summerland Research and Development Centre, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Summerland, V0H 1Z0, BC, Canada
Institute of Zoology Republic of Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan
The University of Queensland, School of the Environment, Brisbane, 4072, Australia
State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology
The Specimen Museum of Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Shandong Engineering Research Center for Environment-Friendly Agricultural Pest Management
Key Laboratory of Green Pesticide and Agricultural Bioengineering
Key Laboratory of Forest Protection of National Forestry and Grassland Administration
Summerland Research and Development Centre
Institute of Zoology Republic of Kazakhstan
The University of Queensland
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