Abstract
The invasive spotted-wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, is a major pest of fruit crops worldwide. Management of D. suzukii relies heavily on chemical control in both organic and conventional systems, and there is a need to develop more sustainable management practices. We evaluated the efficacy of three colors of plastic mulches at reducing populations of D. suzukii in fall-bearing raspberry and assessed the mulches’ impacts on canopy microclimate factors relevant to D. suzukii. Black, white, and metallic plastic mulches reduced adult D. suzukii populations by 42–51% and larval populations by 52–72% compared to the grower standard. The mulches did not change canopy temperature or relative humidity, but metallic mulches increased canopy light intensity compared to the black mulch. Radiance in the visible spectrum (401–680 nm) was higher for the white and metallic mulch plots, but the black mulch plots did not differ from the control. In the UV spectrum (380–400 nm), all three plastic mulches had higher radiance than the control plots. Future studies will determine whether changes in radiance are associated with the observed reduction in D. suzukii populations. Plastic mulches are a promising cultural practice for managing D. suzukii since they can reduce adult and larval populations and could be incorporated into an integrated pest management program in both organic and conventional systems.
Highlights
Production of small fruit crops is threatened by damage from spotted-wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae), an invasive pest of soft-skinned fruit crops
White, and metallic plastic mulches reduced the number of adult female D. suzukii in the canopy and decreased larval infestation of raspberry fruits compared to the control
Radiance in the UV spectrum was higher in the canopy above all three plastic mulches compared to the control, while radiance in the visible spectrum was higher above the white and metallic mulches compared to the black mulch and control
Summary
Production of small fruit crops is threatened by damage from spotted-wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae), an invasive pest of soft-skinned fruit crops. First detected in the continental US in 2008 (Hauser 2011), the fly has quickly spread from its native range in Eastern Asia into most major fruit-producing regions of the world (CABI 2016). Females lay their eggs in undamaged, ripening fruit using their serrated ovipositor (Kanzawa 1939; Walsh et al 2011), and larvae feed inside the fruit, resulting in unmarketable fruit. Journal of Pest Science (2022) 95:525–536 yield of marketable fruit, making susceptible crops difficult to grow profitably or sustainably (Farnsworth et al 2017; DiGiacomo et al 2019). For growers producing for fruit processing, D. suzukii infestation can lead to complete loss because of zero-tolerance policies for insect infestation set by processors (Bruck et al 2011)
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