AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STA'ION
Oregon State Agricultural College
W. A. Sahoenfeld, Director
Corvallis
March 12, 137
Circular of Information No. 17].
SUGGESTIONS FOR THE CONTROL OF THE PEA WEEVIL, 1937
Prepared by the Pacific Northwest Cooperative
Pea Weevil Control Project Connnittee
I.
Weevil Control Important.
Ccntol of the pea weevil is essential to the continued welfare
of both canning and dry pea industry.
II.
Weevil Free Seed.
Never plant seed containing living weevil. Large numbers of weevil
are able to escape from seed and infest the growing crop,
III.
Separate Districts Necessary for the Growing of Dry said Cannery Peas.
Experience has shown that dry peas grown in canning pea areas are
the primary sources of pea weevil infestations.
Peas that are allowed to ripen
in
garden8 are a source of infes-
tat ion,
In general peas grown for
plantings by four or five miles.
be maintained year after year.
IV.
canning
should be separated from dry pea
This isolation of the two areas should
Care of Field Refuse.
Plow deeply using jointers iimnediately following harvesting. An
attempt to salvage overripe canning peas as seed only breeds more weevil
for succeeding crops, Peas grown as a soil conservation crop should be
thoroughly plowed under shortly after blossoming.
In the Austrian pea sections of the Willamette Valley where soils
are so dry and hard that plowing after harvest is not feasible, burning
the fields over immediately after harvest has been recommended as a means
of checking the weevil. This practice is the only one at present available under the conditions noted said while effective, it is hazardous arid
It is a serious
not the best from the viewpoint of soil fertility.
question as to whether the resulting progressive decrease in soil ferbenefits of partial weevil
tility does not outweigh the innnediate
control.
V
Care of Viner Refuse,
The best practice for weevil destruction and maintenance of soil
fertility is to return to the land and immediately plow under all vinery
refuse. If the vinery refuse is to be used. as livestock feed it should
2.
Few weevils esoape from staokod vinery refuse sinoc it decomposes rapidly. To further prevent weevil inorease pea ines should
not be allowed to dx'y for hay.
be stacked..
VI.
Border Trap Crops.
From experiments conducted in eastern Oregon and Washington and.
northern Idaho, the use of a border trap crop has proven of some value
in reducing weevil damages It is necessary that the weevils in these
borders be destroyed either by dusting or plowing under. For information
concerning the use of a border trap crop, consult your local authority
such as entomologist, county extension agent or cannery field man,
VII;J
Dusting.
Dusting of field margins or small acreages, shows promise of being
an additional means of combating the pea weevil. The use of .75 to 1.00
per cent rotenone-bearing dust at the rate of 20 pounds per aore has given
promising results. The early blossoming period is the most important time
for application of the dust.
VIII.
Seed Treatment,
Harvest as soon as peas are ripe and thresh as promptly as possible
in order to prevent shattering.
Place harvested peas in tight bags to prevent weevil from escaping.
Fumigate all peas before bags are opened or otherwise treat peas to
prevent escape of weevil.
Austrian winter peas should be fumigated as soon as harvested,
IX,
Conmunity Wide Cooperation Essential.
Active participation, in the accomplishment of the aforementioned
control practices, by the canners, pea growers and the entire agricultural and urban community is necessary.
Pacific Northwest Cooperative Pea Weevil Control Project Conmittee.
Claude Wakeland, Chairman
Entomologist, Idaho Experiment Station, Moscow, Idaho
R. L. Webster
Entomologist, Washington State College, Pullman, Washington
Do C, Mote
E3Fltomologist, Oregon Experiment Station, Corvallis, Oregon
T, A. Brindley, Secretary
Assistant Entomologist, U.S. Dept. of Agr., Moscow, Idaho
F. G. E&nman
Jr. Entomologist, U, S. Dept. of Agr., Moscow, Idaho
J C, Chamberlin
Associate Entomology, U, S.Dept,of Agr,, Corvallis, Oregon
IC. W, Gray
Agent, U. S.Dept.of Agr. and Oregon Experiment Station, Corvallis,
Oregon