Evaluation of Exclusion Netting for Spotted-Wing Drosophila (Diptera: Drosophilidae) Management in Minnesota Wine Grapes

Abstract Spotted-wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), an economically damaging invasive species of numerous fruit crops, was first detected in Minnesota in 2012. High fecundity, and short generation times facilitated a rapid rise in the global pest status of D. suzukii, particularly in North America and Europe. To date, the majority of crop injury research has focused on fruit crops such as blueberries, raspberries, and cherries. However, little is known regarding the impact of D. suzukii on the wine grape industry in the upper Midwest region of the United States. Field trials were conducted in Minnesota during the summers of 2017–2018 to examine season-long phenology of D. suzukii in wine grape vineyards and wineries, and to assess the efficacy of exclusion netting for control of D. suzukii. Four treatments were evaluated, 1) open plot check (control), 2) open plot treated with an insecticide, 3) exclusion netting, and 4) exclusion netting, with artificial infestations of D. suzukii adults. Exclusion netting was applied at véraison and removed at harvest. On each sample date, 20 berries (10 intact and 10 injured) were collected from each plot for dissection. The number of larvae and adults were recorded for each berry to determine infestation levels. As shown by mean larval infestations and injured berries across treatments, exclusion netting provided a significant reduction in the level of D. suzukii infested berries when compared with the untreated check. These results indicate that exclusion netting could provide an effective alternative management strategy for D. suzukii in wine grapes.

Download Full-text

The use of light spectrum blocking films to reduce populations of Drosophila suzukii Matsumura in fruit crops

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-72074-8 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Michelle T. Fountain ◽

Amir Badiee ◽

Sebastian Hemer ◽

Alvaro Delgado ◽

Michael Mangan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Control Strategies ◽

Field Trials ◽

Biological Data ◽

Insect Vision ◽

Invasive Pest ◽

Effective Control ◽

Fruit Crops ◽

Light Spectrum ◽

Drosophila Suzukii ◽

The Impact

Abstract Spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, is a serious invasive pest impacting the production of multiple fruit crops, including soft and stone fruits such as strawberries, raspberries and cherries. Effective control is challenging and reliant on integrated pest management which includes the use of an ever decreasing number of approved insecticides. New means to reduce the impact of this pest that can be integrated into control strategies are urgently required. In many production regions, including the UK, soft fruit are typically grown inside tunnels clad with polyethylene based materials. These can be modified to filter specific wavebands of light. We investigated whether targeted spectral modifications to cladding materials that disrupt insect vision could reduce the incidence of D. suzukii. We present a novel approach that starts from a neuroscientific investigation of insect sensory systems and ends with infield testing of new cladding materials inspired by the biological data. We show D. suzukii are predominantly sensitive to wavelengths below 405 nm (ultraviolet) and above 565 nm (orange & red) and that targeted blocking of lower wavebands (up to 430 nm) using light restricting materials reduces pest populations up to 73% in field trials.

Download Full-text

Biological Control of Spotted-Wing Drosophila (Diptera: Drosophilidae)—Current and Pending Tactics

Journal of Integrated Pest Management ◽

10.1093/jipm/pmz012 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Jana C Lee ◽

Xingeng Wang ◽

Kent M Daane ◽

Kim A Hoelmer ◽

Rufus Isaacs ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Biological Control ◽

Natural Enemy ◽

Life Stage ◽

Residual Activity ◽

Field Trials ◽

Spotted Wing Drosophila ◽

Drosophila Suzukii ◽

The Impact ◽

Near Future ◽

Dose Dependent

Abstract Spotted-wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) is originally from Asia, and in the last decade it has become a global economic pest of small fruits and cherries. Growers have expressed strong interest in biological control and other sustainable tactics to reduce reliance on insecticides. Biological control of spotted-wing drosophila has been studied intensively, with over 75 research publications. Here, we are reporting current information on predators, parasitoids, pathogens (fungi, nematodes, bacteria, endosymbiotic bacteria, and viruses), and competitors of spotted-wing drosophila. When relevant for the natural enemy group, the discussion focuses on the impact each natural enemy has been observed to have in the field, how to optimize control, the efficacy of commercial products available, and options that may be available in the near future. Studies are summarized in tables that can be sorted by species, spotted-wing drosophila life stage targeted, outcomes, lab/field trials, and studies that examined residual activity, dose-dependent responses, or other effects.

Download Full-text

Monitoring of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in Okanagan Valley vineyards, British Columbia, Canada, and assessment of damage to table and wine grapes (Vitaceae)

The Canadian Entomologist ◽

10.4039/tce.2020.39 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 152 (4) ◽

pp. 415-431

Author(s):

Susanna Acheampong ◽

Etienne Lord ◽

D. Thomas Lowery

Keyword(s):

British Columbia ◽

Weather Conditions ◽

Wine Grape ◽

Drosophila Suzukii ◽

Wine Grapes ◽

Apple Cider ◽

Table Grapes ◽

Soft Fruit ◽

Grape Cultivars ◽

Okanagan Valley

AbstractSpotted-wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae), has become a serious pest of soft fruit in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada since its detection in 2009. The study was conducted to determine the distribution of D. suzukii and damage levels in grapes. Apple cider vinegar-baited traps placed in table and wine grape (Vitis vinifera Linnaeus; Vitaceae) vineyards during 2011–2013 demonstrated that D. suzukii was numerous in all sites, with earliest emergence and highest numbers recorded in 2013. Drosophila suzukii were reared from intact and damaged table grapes and damaged wine grapes collected from the field, but not from intact wine grapes. Drosophila suzukii were reared in low numbers in 2011 from intact fruit of 11 wine grape cultivars exposed artificially in the laboratory. Susceptibility of intact wine grapes under laboratory conditions in 2011 when sour rot was widespread might relate in part to undetected infections of berries due to weather conditions. Identification of Drosophila Fallén species revealed that D. suzukii comprised a small portion of the total. Our results demonstrate that healthy wine grapes in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia are largely undamaged by D. suzukii, while certain table grape cultivars should be protected from attack.

Download Full-text

Octabor (boron) as a Low Toxicity Control Tactic for the Spotted Wing Drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura)

Journal of Agricultural Studies ◽

10.5296/jas.v6i3.13232 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 5 (4) ◽

pp. 63

Author(s):

Troy Cloutier ◽

Francis Andrew Drummond ◽

Judith Collins

Keyword(s):

Field Study ◽

The United States ◽

Fruit Production ◽

Spotted Wing Drosophila ◽

Drosophila Suzukii ◽

Delayed Effect ◽

Control Fruit ◽

Small Fruit ◽

Sugar Addition ◽

Wild Blueberry

The recently introduced spotted wing drosophila is one of the most serious pests in small fruit production in the United States and Europe. Most control relies upon multiple applications of synthetic insecticides. In an effort to find less-toxic insecticides to consumers, farm workers, and wildlife, we conducted two laboratory trials and a semi-field trial in order to assess the potential for disodium octaborate tetrahydrateformulated and sold as Octabor®(U.S. Borax, Inc.) as a control for spotted wing drosophila in wild blueberry. We found that Octabor at 0.6 and 1.0% (w/v) applied to wild blueberry fruit resulted in higher mortality of flies than non-treated control fruit. Addition of sugar to Octabor enhanced mortality in one of the two trials, with an interaction between sugar addition and Octabor rate suggesting that the addition of sugar provided the greatest enhancement at the low rate. Our semi-field study showed that an apparent repellency effect of Octabor provided protection of fruit from infestation for up to 3 days. Also in the semi-field study, we observed a delayed effect on fly mortality. Increased fly mortality occurred over time, relative to the non-treated control fruit. The greatest fly mortality, relative to the non-treated control, resulted from flies being exposed to fruit treated 3 and 7 days prior to fly exposure, but not immediately after the treatment of Octabor. We speculate on why this type of delay in mortality might have occurred.

Download Full-text

Postharvest Burial of Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) Infested Fruit Waste Reduces Adult Emergence

Environmental Entomology ◽

10.1093/ee/nvz147 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 49 (1) ◽

pp. 59-65 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Holly Hooper ◽

Matthew J Grieshop

Keyword(s):

Chemical Control ◽

Negative Impact ◽

Adult Emergence ◽

The United States ◽

Spotted Wing Drosophila ◽

Burial Depth ◽

Lipid Concentration ◽

Drosophila Suzukii ◽

Fruit Waste ◽

Fruit Wastes

Abstract The arrival of spotted wing Drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura), to the United States has caused many berry and cherry growers to replace IPM programs with calendar-based broad-spectrum insecticide programs. Alternative management tactics are urgently needed to mitigate the current dependency on chemical control. Postharvest burial is a cultural crop sanitation strategy that has the potential to reduce D. suzukii reproductive habitat and eliminate infested fruit wastes. This study revealed that D. suzukii rarely pupate on the soil’s surface or below 1 cm, but are capable of unburying themselves from depths up to 48 cm. Although zero emergence was not obtained in the field, adult emergence decreased exponentially with deeper burial depths. A burial depth of 24 cm reduced D. suzukii emergence by 97%, although soil texture may influence this optimal burial depth. Soils that had a higher concentration of sand had a negative impact on D. suzukii survival at shallower burial depths. The mechanism behind the reduction in adult emergence from differing burial depths remains unclear as the lipid concentration between emerging D. suzukii was the same regardless of burial depth.

Download Full-text

Impact of Biocontainers on Plant Performance and Container Decomposition in the Landscape

HortTechnology ◽

10.21273/horttech.25.1.63 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 25 (1) ◽

pp. 63-70 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Youping Sun ◽

Genhua Niu ◽

Andrew K. Koeser ◽

Guihong Bi ◽

Victoria Anderson ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Growth ◽

Wood Fiber ◽

New Guinea ◽

The United States ◽

Field Trials ◽

Plant Performance ◽

Rice Hull ◽

The Impact ◽

New Guinea Impatiens ◽

Container Type

As the green industry is moving toward sustainability to meet the demands of society, the use of biocontainers as alternatives to petroleum-based plastic containers has drawn significant attention. Field trials of seven plantable biocontainers (coir, manure, peat, rice hull, soil wrap, straw, and wood fiber) were conducted in 2011 and 2012 at five locations in the United States to assess the influence of direct-plant biocontainers on plant growth and establishment and the rate of container decomposition in landscape. In 2011, container type did not affect the growth of any of the three species used in this study with an exception in one location. The three species were ‘Sunpatiens Compact Magenta’ new guinea impatiens (Impatiens ×hybrida), ‘Luscious Citrus’ lantana (Lantana camara), and ‘Senorita Rosalita’ cleome (Cleome ×hybrida). In 2012, the effect of container type on plant growth varied with location and species. Cleome, new guinea impatiens, and lantana plants grown in coir and straw containers were in general smaller than those in peat, plastic, rice hull, and wood fiber containers. After 3 to 4 months in the field, manure containers had on average the highest rate of decomposition at 88% for all five locations and two growing seasons. The levels of decomposition of other containers, straw, wood fiber, soil wrap, peat, coir, and rice hull were 47%, 46%, 42%, 38%, 25%, and 18%, respectively, in descending order. Plantable containers did not hinder plant establishment and posttransplant plant growth. The impact of container type on plant growth was smaller compared with that of location (climate). Similarly, the impact of plant species on pot decomposition was smaller compared with that of pot material.

Download Full-text

Deterrent Effects of Essential Oils on Spotted-Wing Drosophila (Drosophila suzukii): Implications for Organic Management in Berry Crops

Insects ◽

10.3390/insects11080536 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (8) ◽

pp. 536

Author(s):

Matthew Gullickson ◽

Claire Flavin Hodge ◽

Adrian Hegeman ◽

Mary Rogers

Keyword(s):

Essential Oils ◽

Field Studies ◽

Field Trials ◽

Spotted Wing Drosophila ◽

Rubus Idaeus ◽

Drosophila Suzukii ◽

Nepeta Cataria ◽

Botanical Products ◽

Berry Crops ◽

Number Of Plant Species

Due to concerns about frequent applications of spinosad and other broad spectrum insecticides for managing spotted-wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii Matsumura, SWD), we investigated the use of essential oils as an alternative to current insecticides. Essential oils from a number of plant species have been studied for their attraction and deterrence of SWD. However, these botanical products have not been thoroughly tested in the field. We conducted laboratory and field studies to determine the efficacy of botanical products, including lavender (Lavandula angustifolia Mill.) oil, catnip (Nepeta cataria L.) oil, KeyPlex Ecotrol® PLUS, and KeyPlex Sporan® EC2 on preventing SWD infestation in raspberry (Rubus idaeus L.) and blueberry (Vacciniumcorymbosum L.) crops. In a two-choice laboratory bioassay, lavender oil, Ecotrol, and Sporan treatments deterred SWD from a yeast-cornmeal-sugar based fly diet. In the field trials, raspberry fruit treated with Ecotrol had lower SWD infestation (6%), compared to the control (17%), and was comparable to spinosad (6%). No differences were seen in blueberry infestation. The combination of essential oils in Ecotrol may work to decrease SWD fruit infestation under certain conditions in the field, however more research is needed on the longevity of these products.

Download Full-text

First record of Spotted-wing drosophila Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae) in Martín García Island wildlife refuge, Argentina

Revista de la Sociedad Entomológica Argentina ◽

10.25085/rsea.800309 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 80 (3) ◽

pp. 53-57

Author(s):

Lautaro E. Bennardo ◽

Lucas E. Kreiman ◽

Luciano M. Gandini ◽

Johnma J. Rondón ◽

Lucía Turdera ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Host Plants ◽

First Record ◽

Small Population ◽

Spotted Wing Drosophila ◽

Fruit Crops ◽

Drosophila Suzukii ◽

Wildlife Refuge ◽

Baited Traps ◽

Fruit Orchards ◽

Live Yeast

Here we report on the first peculiar detection of the spotted-winged drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) on Martín García Island, a wildlife refuge located in the Río de la Plata estuary, Argentina. Flies were collected using banana baited traps fermented with live yeast, in sandy areas with abundant presence of cactus in the interior of the island. The absence of cultivated host plants, e.g., fruit crops, and the small population of humans inhabiting the island make the presence of D. suzukii in this wildlife refuge unexpected. Previous detection of this fly in South America happened mostly within commercial fruit orchards and/or neighboring fields.

Download Full-text

Phenotypic and Transcriptomic Responses to Stress Differ According to Population Geography in an Invasive Species

Genome Biology and Evolution ◽

10.1093/gbe/evab208 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (9) ◽

Author(s):

Pierre Marin ◽

Angelo Jaquet ◽

Justine Picarle ◽

Marie Fablet ◽

Vincent Merel ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Oxidative Stress ◽

United States ◽

Invasive Species ◽

Environmental Changes ◽

The United States ◽

Short Time Scale ◽

Environment Interaction ◽

Rapid Adaptation ◽

Drosophila Suzukii ◽

The Impact

Abstract Adaptation to rapid environmental changes must occur within a short-time scale. In this context, studies of invasive species may provide insights into the underlying mechanisms of rapid adaptation as these species have repeatedly encountered and adapted to novel environmental conditions. We investigated how invasive and noninvasive genotypes of Drosophila suzukii deal with oxidative stress at the phenotypic and molecular levels. We also studied the impact of transposable element (TE) insertions on the gene expression in response to stress. Our results show that flies from invasive areas (France and the United States) live longer in natural conditions than the ones from native Japanese areas. As expected, lifespan for all genotypes was significantly reduced following exposure to paraquat, but this reduction varied among genotypes (genotype-by-environment interaction) with invasive genotypes appearing more affected by exposure than noninvasive ones. A transcriptomic analysis of genotypes upon paraquat treatment detected many genes differentially expressed (DE). Although a small core set of genes were DE in all genotypes following paraquat exposure, much of the response of each genotype was unique. Moreover, we showed that TEs were not activated after oxidative stress and DE genes were significantly depleted of TEs. In conclusion, it is likely that transcriptomic changes are involved in the rapid adaptation to local environments. We provide new evidence that in the decade since the invasion from Asia, the sampled genotypes in Europe and the United States of D. suzukii diverged from the ones from the native area regarding their phenotypic and genomic response to oxidative stress.

Download Full-text

Diversity, Pathogenicity, and Fungicide Sensitivity of Fungal Species Associated with Late-Season Rots of Wine Grape in the Mid-Atlantic United States

Plant Disease ◽

10.1094/pdis-01-21-0006-re ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Scott David Cosseboom ◽

Mengjun Hu

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Detrimental Effect ◽

Field Trials ◽

Fungal Species ◽

Wine Grape ◽

Wine Grapes ◽

Phenological Stages ◽

Fungicide Sensitivity ◽

Late Season ◽

Higher Sensitivity

Late-season bunch rots cause major losses in grape production every year in the Mid-Atlantic United States, but the causal agents are not well characterized. In this study, 265 fungal isolates were collected from rotten grapes from 2014 to 2020 and identified to the genus level according to ITS sequences. The most prevalent of the 15 genera were Botrytis, Colletotrichum, Aspergillus, Alternaria, Pestalotiopsis, and Neopestalotiopsis. Of these, isolates within three prevalent, yet understudied genera were identified to be Aspergillus uvarum, Alternaria alternata, and Neopestalotiopsis rosae. The pathogenicity of these three fungal species was evaluated in two field trials by artificially inoculating wounded and non-wounded grapes of four cultivars at the phenological stages of bloom, veraison, and pre-harvest. Upon ripening, fruit were weighed and assessed for severity of multiple diseases. On non-wounded fruit, A. uvarum caused significantly higher disease severity than the control in both seasons. On wounded fruit, each inocula caused significantly higher disease than the respective controls in the first season, but only A. uvarum and B. cinerea caused this in the second season. Also, wounding was found to have a detrimental effect on cluster weight, which was significantly influenced by inoculation timing and cultivar. Lastly, A. uvarum and N. rosae were tested for sensitivity to azoxystrobin, boscalid, and difenoconazole. The A. uvarum isolates were found to be more sensitive to boscalid and difenoconazole in general, with varying sensitivity to azoxystrobin. N. rosae isolates were resistant to boscalid and azoxystrobin but displayed much higher sensitivity to difenoconazole. Evidence from the isolate collection and field trials demonstrates that A. uvarum could be a significant pathogen of wine grapes in the Mid-Atlantic. Results from this study will be useful for the identification and management of the understudied Alternaria, Aspergillus, and Neopestalotiopsis fruit rots of wine grapes.

Download Full-text