Drosophila suzukii control using Kaolin, lime and rock dusts.

The Spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, is an invasive pest in Europe and North America, infesting various soft-skinned fruits. Because D. suzukii attacks ripening fruits shortly before harvest, only insecticides with short pre-harvest intervals can be applied. Alternatively, kaolin, lime and rock dusts are non-toxic to non-target organisms, but the whitish coating on fruits potentially deters oviposition of D. suzukii. Therefore, we tested oviposition deterrence and insecticidal effects of such substances. Female D.suzukii flies were exposed to treated blueberries under laboratory conditions for 24 hours. Kaolin, clinoptilolite, clinoptilolite + Heliosol (pine-oil based wetting agent) and calcium carbonate significantly reduced oviposition, whereas calcium hydroxide only had a marginal effect and diatomaceous earth had no significant effect. None of the tested products had an insecticidal effect. Kaolin, lime and rock dusts are therefore a promising tool to reduce damage of D. suzukii in soft-skinned fruits

Kaolin, lime and rock dusts to control Drosophila suzukii

The spotted wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii, is an invasive pest in Europe and North America, infesting various soft-skinned fruits. Because D. suzukii attacks ripening fruits shortly before harvest, only insecticides with short pre-harvest intervals can be applied. Alternatively, kaolin, lime and rock dusts are non-toxic to non-target organisms, but the whitish coating on fruits potentially deters oviposition of D. suzukii. Therefore, we tested oviposition deterrence and insecticidal effects of such substances. Female D. suzukii flies were exposed to treated blueberries under laboratory conditions for 24 hours. Kaolin, linoptilolite, clinoptilolite + Heliosol (pine-oil based wetting agent) and calcium carbonate significantly reduced oviposition,whereas calcium hydroxide only had a marginal effect and diatomaceous earth had no significant effect. None of the tested products had an insecticidal effect. Kaolin, lime and rock dusts are therefore a promising tool to reduce damage of D. suzukii in softskinned fruits

Maßnahmen zur Bekämpfung von Drosophila suzukii im biologischen Weinbau

Die Kirschessigfliege hat sich in Deutschland und anderen europäischen Ländern etabliert. Auch wenn ihr Auftreten nicht in jedem Jahr einen wirtschaftlichen Totalschaden verursachen wird, gilt es trotzdem Maßnahmen zu ergreifen. Im Rahmen der Bachelorarbeit „Maßnahmen zur Bekämpfung von Drosophila suzukii im biologischen Weinbau“ wurden einerseits in einer Literaturstudie die vorbeugenden kulturtechnischen Maßnahmen zur Befallsprävention analysiert. Im Rahmen einer guten fachlichen Praxis sollten diese auf die mögliche Anwendung von den ProduzentInnen geprüft und auf individuelle Gegebenheiten in den jeweiligen Weinbaubetrieben angepasst werden. Andererseits wurde im Rahmen der Arbeit die Wirksamkeit von 28 Pflanzenschutzmitteln, die für den ökologischen Anbau geeignet sind, unter kontrollierten Laborbedingungen zur Bekämpfung von D. suzukii untersucht. Vier Produktkategorien wurden untersucht: - natürliche Insektizide (mehrheitlich Pflanzenextrakte und Spinosad) - Biocontrol-Präparate (lebende Organismen, Bacillus thuringiensis und entomopathogene Pilze) - ölige Produkte - stäubende Mittel. Die verschiedenen Mittel wurden jeweils in sechs Wiederholungen geprüft und mit Spinosad und einer wasserbehandelten Kontrolle verglichen. Dabei kamen drei Expositionsmethoden zur Einsatz: - direkte Exposition (durch direktes Besprühen der Fliegen; Erfassung der Fliegenmortalität) - indirekte Exposition (Kontakt der Fliegen mit trockenem Spritzbelag an den Käfigwänden; Erfassung der Fliegenmortalität) und - Exposition behandelter Früchte (behandelte Bio-Heidelbeeren wurden den Fliegen zur Eiablage angeboten; Erfassung von Fliegenmortalität und Eiablage). Die bekannte gute Wirkung von Spinosad konnte im Versuch bestätigt werden. Der Einsatz von Spinosad ist jedoch wegen der Nebenwirkung auf Nichtzielorganismen und der Rückstände im Ernteprodukt problematisch. Zudem konnte festgestellt werden, dass stäubende Mittel ebenfalls gute Wirkungen zeigen. Da Kalkprodukte negative Auswirkungen auf die Weinbereitung haben können, ist der Einsatz von Kaolin die bessere Option für den Weinbau. Prev-AM (Orangenöl) und Greenstim (Glycin-Betain aus Zuckerrübenmelasse) zeigten ebenfalls gute Ergebnisse und sollten in Feldversuchen geprüft werden. Die Behandlung mit Biocontrol-Produkten erhöhte Eiablage signifikant. Feldversuche sind nötig, um befallsfördernde Auswirkungen von Bt-Behandlungen gegen den Traubenwickler auf D. suzukii auszuschließen

Implication of Row Orientation Changes on Fruit Parameters of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Riesling in Steep Slope Vineyards

Row orientation, among others, is a crucial factor in determining grapevine performance and health status, thus affecting berry components that form the basis of the later wine profile. However, the literature about the impact of changes in row orientation at steep slope sites on grapevine fruit composition as well as the differentiation between canopy sides hardly exists. Thus, the aim of this work was to gain knowledge about the impact of row orientation in steep slope vineyards on selected primary and secondary metabolites in berries of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Riesling. Samples were taken from both canopy sides of different row orientations of terraced and downslope vineyards in steep slopes. Free amino acids in the juice and flavonols in the berry skin had a positive correlation to sunlight exposure. Furthermore, grapevines showed adaptations to constantly higher light conditions, e.g., physiologically in reduction in chlorophyll content or protective mechanisms resulting in a lower susceptibility to sunburn damage. Thus, grapevine fruit parameters are affected by row orientation change in steep slopes

Screening of 25 different natural crop protection products against Drosophila suzukii

Drosophila suzukii is a major pest of soft-skinned fruits, and insecticides are often used to prevent fruit damage caused by oviposition. As D. suzukii produces many generations per year, repeated insecticide applications are required. Furthermore, D. suzukii attacks ripening and ripe fruits shortly before harvest. Therefore, the use of synthetic insecticides is limited by long pre-harvest intervals and maximum residue limits. To be able to offer producers immediate and sustainable solutions, we tested 25 natural crop protection products with three different application methods in a laboratory screening. We show that application method is an important factor for the efficacy of the tested products. Of six natural insecticides, only Spinosad was toxic for D. suzukii and reduced the oviposition on treated blueberries. The tested oil products had no control effect and products based on different entomopathogenic fungi and Bacillus thuringiensis rather enhanced oviposition. Mineral products (Kaolin, CaCO3, Ca(OH)2 and clinoptilolith) applied as spray solutions were not toxic, but significantly reduced oviposition on blueberries. We provide the first study in which different application methods have been used to compare numerous, commercially available, natural crop protection products with different modes of action against adult D. suzukii. Our findings provide consultants and producers with important insights for the development of sustainable pest control strategies against D. suzukii