"Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae), or spotted wing Drosophila, is an invasive, polyphagous vinegar fly that has rapidly spread across the United States. They have caused significant damages to the berry and stone fruit industries due to the female's ability to oviposit directly into mesocarp of soft-skinned fruit. Control is primarily obtained through calendar spray programs composed of broad spectrum insecticides, which are applied at weekly or shorter intervals. These intensive insecticide regimens paired with D. suzukii's high fecundity and short generation time has introduced the potential of insecticide resistance, especially in organic cropping systems where the number of insecticide classes are severely restricted. While there is an emphasis on grower training to ensure chemical rotation, the options for effective control are so limited that resistance management is difficult. Thus, this thesis explores alternative D. suzukii management strategies to reduce the current dependency on chemical management. Post-harvest crop sanitation strategies are a form of cultural control that involve the disposal of infested fruits and any ripe, overripe, and decomposing fruit that can act as a reproductive host. Burying and composting were identified as effective disposal methods for D. suzukii susceptible fruits. Burying D. suzukii infested fruit wastes 24 cm underground reduced adult emergence by 97%. Likewise, composting fruit waste with 25% chicken manure reduced D. suzukii's reproductive success > 95%. Integrating these cultural control tactics into existing management programs will help to restore IPM in D. suzukii susceptible cropping systems."--Page ii.
Read
