JULY 2019 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC


Headway made on organic SWD controls


Research projects explore repellant/attractants, parasites


by RONDA PAYNE


LANGLEY—Growers of berries and other soft-skinned fruit have been at the mercy of Spotted Wing Drosophila for far too long, but work at Oregon State University and by Delta’s ES Cropconsult Ltd. are finally identifying tools growers may be able to utilize to gain the upper hand. Since 2017, researchers at


OSU working under the leadership of entomologist Vaughn Walton have been working to create a behavioural control agent for SWD.


Research originally set out


to create a spray-on repellant suitable for organic and conventional crops but the project changed direction when one incarnation didn’t repel but instead attracted SWD. That led the team to develop an attractant that actually draws SWD away from ripe fruit. Team member Valerio Rossi-Stacconi notes that the latest version of the attractant was more desireable to SWD than fruit. Moreover, the pest found the attractant suitable for mating, egg-laying and food and would opt for it even when fruit was available. Trials in 2018 included blueberries, grapes, raspberries, cherries and strawberries. The results were encouraging. The attractant lasted 21


days from the date of application and proved just as effective as existing chemical controls. The number of eggs laid in four different varieties of blueberries was reduced by an average of 68.9%. The product is cost-


effective and is safer because it lacks the chemistries of existing products. Walton has fielded expressions of interest from his counterparts in BC. Additional trials will continue to improve the formula.


Traps effective


Traps are proving to be another effective option. ES Cropconsult berry IPM


supervisors Jen McFarlane and Allyson Kang explored the use of SWD traps in three organic blueberry fields in the Fraser Valley in 2018. With few management options for organic growers, Kang and McFarlane placed 20 large, yellow multi-lure


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BC FRUIT GROWERS’ ASSOCIATION 1-800-619-9022 (ext 1) email: replant@bcfga.com www.bcfga.com


traps from Great Lakes IPM along one edge of each field to ensure high density. The traps were filled with Scentry SWD lures. To monitor SWD pressure and gauge response, Contech SWD traps were baited with apple cider vinegar and positioned in specific areas of the field for comparison. “The mass traps did catch


large numbers of SWD with the highest estimate of 10,000 SWD captured in one field over the course of the study,” Kang says, while noting that results are not definitive because they based on just one season’s work. “The trap and lure combination was found to be highly effective and may have drawn more SWD into the traps than to the surrounding fruit.” Kang hopes a planned


follow-up study will provide three more years of data and more conclusions with a focus on both organic and conventional blueberries. She believes favourable results in blueberries could be applied to raspberries, blackberries and cherries. While biological controls


aren’t yet available, a pupal parasitoid found in Italy and in parts of North America, Trichopria drosophilae (Perkins), has been studied for


My turn!


Delilah, the fibreglass cow, is always a hit with youngsters wherever she turns up. With over 250 school children parading through Hutley Acres in Spallumcheen during Breakfast on the Farm, June 7, volunteer Carla Soutar was kept busy as they lined up to try their hand at milking. [JACKIE PEARASE PHOTO]


about five years. It reduces SWD populations outside orchards by 34% through augmentative release. California studies are


showing results with the parasitoids Ganaspic brasiliensis and Leptopilina japonica, found in South Korea, Japan and China. These have about 50% efficacy. Other options include


canopy and water management in the orchard or field. “Exclusion netting is also something that can be applied,” Rossi-Stacconi told growers during a presentation last fall. “It’s expensive, but [provides] up to 90% protection.”


In the meantime, chemical


sprays applied every five to seven days continue to be the most popular control method for SWD. “We’ve been able to have


emergency registration on chemicals on crops,” notes Rhonda Driediger of Driediger Farms in Langley. “Growers are much more conscious of it and the [bug’s] lifecycle. They are watchful of it and spraying on time so they are minimizing the risk [but] we’re hoping that technology will catch up and get us better


and safer chemicals that will lead us to control this pest.” With so many non-crop


hosts like honeysuckle, dogwood and American pokeweed that SWD can overwinter in, then easily build up and move into berries as fruit matures, identifying effective control measures is important, and the softer the better. “I would personally love to


see products that are softer and safer so that there is less divide between organic and conventional,” adds Driediger.


2020 Tree Fruit Replant Program ANNOUNCEMENT:


Application forms and the updated requirements of the 2020 Tree Fruit Replant Program are now available on the BCFGA website, www.bcfga.com.


Project applications (along with the required documents) will be received by November 30, 2019. Please avoid the last minute rush and get your application in early.


An horticultural advisor is required to sign individual applications for the 2020 Tree Fruit Replant Program. The following information will be provided to assist growers in completing applications.


a. A list of qualified advisors. b. Program operational policies. c. A series of reports on replanting and variety performance and selection are available and should be referenced when preparing a Tree Fruit Replant Program Application.


The Tree Fruit Replant Program provides funding for quality projects. Project approval is subject to funding availability and is allocated by the date of receipt of applications. Completed projects are verified by inspection and must attain minimum program standards.


The Tree Fruit Replant Program is a 7 year program, funded by the Province of BC.


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