Inundative Releases ofAphidius smithiAgainstAcyrthosiphon pisum

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Abstract
In 1965, 1966, 1967, and 1969, field tests were conducted in the Walla Walla, Washington, area with an estimated 100–300 million cage-reared Aphidius smithi Sharma & Subba Rao (inundative releases) in an effort to control populations of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum (Harris) on alfalfa. The objective was to prevent migration of the aphids from their overwintering site in the alfalfa to about 100,000 acres of peas grown for processing. Parasites from 14 pairs of cages effectively controlled pea aphids on 2500 acres of seed alfalfa in 1967, until the area was sprayed for Lygus spp. When parasitic, natural, and chemical control systems were compared in 1967, averages of 13, 56, and 82 aphids/100 sweeps, respectively, were obtained. The population in the field exposed to chemical control oscillated wildly, but the population in the field exposed to parasitic control remained uniformly low. Use of aphid parasites in this manner appears impractical at present because of production and distribution requirements.

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