Development and Field Testing of a Spatial Decision Support System to Control Populations of the European Cherry Fruit Fly, Rhagoletis cerasi, in Commercial Orchards

Charalampos S Ioannou,Stella A Papanastasiou,Nikos T Papadopoulos,Kostas D Zarpas,Miguel Angel Miranda,Andrea Sciarretta,David Nestel

doi:10.3390/agronomy9100568

Abstract

The European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi (Diptera: Tephritidae), is a key pest for the cherry production industry in Europe and west Asia that has recently invaded North America. Insecticide applications are frequently employed to control this devastating pest, often without considering its population trends. We developed a novel decision support system (DSS), and field tested it in commercial sweet cherry orchards in central Greece. The DSS includes two algorithms that predict the timing of adult activity in the wild and support pest management decisions, based on R. cerasi population trends and pesticide properties, respectively. Preparatory monitoring of the testing area during 2014, using adult traps, revealed high population densities of R. cerasi in non-managed sweet cherry orchards and low densities in commercial ones. Implementation of the DSS during 2015 resulted in low R. cerasi adult population densities and zero fruit infestation rates in commercial cherry orchards. Similar population and infestation rates were recorded in conventionally treated plots that received on average two insecticide applications compared to the one-half that the DSS treated plots received. Simultaneously, high population densities and fruit infestation rates were recorded in non-managed cherry orchards. Apparently, the implementation of the simple DSS we developed reduces the cost of R. cerasi management and minimizes the chemical footprint on both the harvested fruit and the environment.

Highlights

The European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi (L.) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is a major pest of both sweet and sour cherries in Europe, the near and middle East, as well as East Asia [1]
Adult captures were significantly lower in commercial orchards than in traps placed in control unsprayed trees (Mann–Whitney U = 0.5, p < 0.05)
The adult flight period did not differ between commercial orchards and reference trees (Mann–Whitney U = 3, p > 0.05); adult captures in the control site may have started approximately one or two weeks earlier than trap deployment

Summary

Introduction

The European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi (L.) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is a major pest of both sweet and sour cherries in Europe, the near and middle East, as well as East Asia [1]. R. cerasi has been the only fruit fly infesting cherry fruits in these regions and the main pest for the cherry production systems in Western Europe and Asia. R. cingulata is a rather minor pest of sweet cherries in Europe, causing fruit infestation in late ripening cultivars and mainly in sour cherries [1]. The more recent invasion of Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae) into Europe has established a new, much more complicated reality for cherry production, since both R. cerasi and D. suzukii are considered key pests of sweet and sour cherry production in Europe [3]. There is currently enormous pressure on the sustainability of established Integrated Pest Management (IPM) systems in cherry production since several insecticide applications, close to harvest, are required to assure zero, or very low infestation rates, and zero residue on the fresh fruit that the cherry market demands

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Results

Conclusion