DEVELOPING A NEW BAIT FOR SPOTTED-WING DROSOPHILA IN ORGANIC CHERRY PRODUCTION

Studies conducted at the USDA Laboratory in Wapato, WA and at Oregon State University were initiated in 2011 to improve the efficacy of an organically-certified formulation of the insecticide spinosad (Entrust^®) for control of the spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii. Our initial approach was to evaluate the possible benefits of adding a bait composed of brown sugar and compressed bread yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A direct comparison of the sugar-yeast bait with the protein-based baits, GF-120^® and Nu-Lure^®, in laboratory tests showed that it was more effective than either commercial product.
We found that fly mortality at 2 and 6 h significantly increased throughout the season with the addition of the sugar-yeast bait.
In particular, the addition of the sugar-yeast bait to Entrust increased fly mortality 4-fold in early-season bioassays with green and yellow cherries.
While the mean numbers of eggs laid and larval infestations of cherry was reduced (50%) with the addition of the sugar-yeast bait, these differences were not significant.
Studies are continuing in 2012 with a new yeast candidate that is an effective biofungicide combined with a higher concentration of sugar that may be an effective repellent of birds.
The potential of this bait to improve control of the western cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis indifferens is also being evaluated.

II International Organic Fruit Symposium

A. Knight, Wee Yee, R. Hilton

Drosophila suzukii, yeast, sugar, spinosad, attract and kill

https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2013.1001.15