The Japanese beetle, Popillia japonica, has recently become the primary insect pest of blueberries in Michigan. As part of an integrated respons to this pest, cultural practices were investigated to determine their impact on its abundance. Soil samples were taken from 15 blueberry fields in Michigan that had a range of ground covers and tillage practices. Fields with rotovated row middles had siginificantly fewer larvae than those with permanent sod, and larval abundace was significantly lower on the inside, compared to the perimeter of the sampled fields.The response of adult beetles to ground covers that show potential for use in the blueberry production system was also evaluated. The results from this study will provide a basis for the for recommendations to help blueberry growers reduce Japanese beetle abundance.
Species 1: Coleoptera Scarabaeidae Popillia japonica
Keywords: Japanese beetle, blueberry
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA