Prevention of pine wilt disease induced by Bursaphelenchus xylophilus and Monochamus galloprovincialis by trunk injection of emamectin benzoate

The pine wood nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner et Buhrer) Nickle is the causal agent of pine wilt disease. We evaluated the efficacy of emamectin benzoate (EB) for preventing wilt disease in the field and its effect on the vector Monochamus galloprovincialis (Olivier) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae). Four experimental plots were delimited in a maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Aiton) forest in Portugal. Trunk-injection trials with EB included three dose-rates: 0.032 g a.i. cm^?1 diameter at breast height—DBH, n?=?75 trees; 0.064 g a.i. cm^?1 DBH, n?=?75 trees; and 0.128 g a.i. cm^?1 DBH, n?=?50 trees; along with an untreated control plot (n?=?75 trees). EB was successfully injected and translocated in pines at an effective concentration. None of the treated trees died after a period of 26 months, contrasting with a 33% mortality of non-treated pines. Analysis of residues successfully detected EB in branches of treated pines, with the quantity increasing relative to the injection dose rate, and was found to have a clear effect on the longevity and feeding activity of adult M. galloprovincialis feeding on branches. EB was efficient in preventing wilt disease and bark beetle attacks in the terrain, and its application by trunk injection is a new option for wilt disease management programs in Portugal and in Europe.