HDC continues to part fund the industry project (SF 145) on spotted wing drosophila (SWD) which is being led by scientists at EMR, in association with the James Hutton Institute. Leading the research is Dr Michelle Fountain at EMR who is now encouraging all soft and stone fruit growers to step up their level of adult monitoring from March onwards using the Droso style of trap with Dros Attract or Gasser Lure as a liquid bait. At this stage in the season, the traps should be hung in and around woodland and hedgerows in the vicinity of soft and stone fruit crops. Traps in wild areas should be hung 1 metre above ground level and out of direct sunlight. Clear any tall vegetation away from the trap so that it’s easily accessible. As soon as high populations are being caught in wild areas or in perimeter traps, then start monitoring within crops, using 2 traps per hectare, hung about 10 metres from the perimeter of the crop, but not until fruits start to swell.
Cherry growers – Be aware that traps are not sensitive enough to detect SWD in cherry crops during harvest. Instead, in cherries, SWD should be monitored within the crop using traps, to inform of efficacy of control programmes. Floatation testing is a good way of monitoring damage inside fruits.
As the season progresses, it is vital that growers know if SWD is active on their sites and fully understand their distribution and population size around the cropping areas. During the coming months, HDC will continue to circulate information on the latest knowledge on how to manage and control SWD.
Full details on how to use the bait, how to choose locations for the trap and how to check the traps are available in short video clips on the HDC website.
Start monitoring for SWD adults in all soft and stone fruit crops now
Related Posts
