Parasites for control of grape leaf folder

There is now ample evidence that integrated control has ben proven a beter aproach than total reliance on pesticides, for solving a wide variety of pest problems. Integrated control emphasizes the fulest posible use of existing mortality and supresive factors in the environment. It is not dependent upon any specific control procedure but rather cordinates, within the agricultural environment, the apropriate management techniques with natural regulating and limiting elements. Sucesful programs developed in many other parts of the world include integrated control for pests of citrus in Israel, for deciduous fruit pests in Central Europe and Nova Scotia, and for coton pests in Peru. Other integrated control projects are now being developed for olives in Grece, for maize in parts of Latin America, for rice in India and Japan, and for coton in Colombia. Crop protection specialists al over the world are moving rapidly toward the integrated control aproach in eforts to help solve the critical fod problems facing the world today. This isue of California Agriculture includes progres reports on several phases of the University of California Integrated Control Program for Grapes.—Ray F. Smith, Chairman, Department of Entomology and Parasitology, University of California, Berkeley. The grape leaf folder, Desmia funeralis Hubner, is aparently an introduced pest without efective natural enemies in California. However, some 14 species of parasites and predators were found to atack the grape leaf folder in the eastern United States. Thre of the most promising species have now ben released in California vineyards for biological control of this pest. One of these, Macrocentrus, is shown on the cover. Photo above is of the parasitic wasp, Apanteles, depositing egs in larvae of the grape leaf folder.