Olive Fruit Fly: Timing the Harvest to Manage the Pest

Kelly Cobourn, Emma Knoesen, Hannah Burrack, Rachael Goodhue, Jeffrey Williams, and Frank G. Zalom

from ARE Update Vol. 17, No. 6, Jul/Aug, 2014

View Article PDF: Olive Fruit Fly: Timing the Harvest to Manage the Pest

Abstract

The olive fruit fly is one of the primary pests of California olives. The choice of harvest date is one tool available to growers for managing economic losses from olive fruit fly infestations. Harvesting earlier reduces losses and
requires fewer insecticide applications for managing an infestation. However, harvesting earlier results in smaller olives. Growers face a trade-off between reduced losses and insecticide costs and a higher price per unit sold.

Keywords

pesticides, quality premium, market response, pest management

Citation

Kelly Cobourn, Emma Knoesen, Hannah Burrack, Rachael Goodhue, Jeffrey Williams, and Frank G. Zalom. 2014. "Olive Fruit Fly: Timing the Harvest to Manage the Pest." ARE Update 17(6): 5-8. University of California Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics.
https://giannini.ucop.edu/filer/file/1453327770/16940/