Quick and accurate identification is one way fruit growers can stay ahead of Spotted Wing Drosophila also known as SWD.
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has been tracking the pest since 2011 and it affects berry crops and caused significant losses in cherries in 2017.
Its impact on other Ontario stone fruit and grapes isn’t yet known.
SWD can penetrate the skin of healthy fruit to lay eggs inside, where the larvae develop and promote rot and often growers can’t see the problem until it’s too late to save the crop.
The current field monitoring method is lengthy and a time-consuming process.
Researchers are working on a new molecular method to identify and quantify SWD through the fly’s DNA, with the goal of improving the speed and accuracy of pest detection.
The Niagara Peninsula Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association, in collaboration with Ontario Tender Fruit, has accessed funding through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership to develop and validate this technology.
A network of pest traps across the province will support validation of the new identification method.
The project is also evaluating whether both current and test varieties of plums, peaches, nectarines and grapes are susceptible to SWD, which will help growers with pest management in orchards and vineyards.
