Grasshopper study in Washington could solve X-disease related problems

04 Mar 2024
1004

The outbreak of X-disease in cherry orchards in the Northwest has drawn research attention to the once little-known grasshopper Colladonus reductus. Although several grasshopper species can carry the phytoplasma of disease X, C. reductus accounts for most of the vector activity in Washington State.

Washington State University pathologist Scott Harper highlighted the ability of C. reductus to transmit strain 3, which is more aggressive in spreading due to pathogen/vector compatibility. This discovery is one of many emerging as scientists seek to understand the pathogen/vector complex in order to develop sustainable management strategies for disease X.

The goal is to develop an IPM approach, as WSU entomologist Tobin Northfield explains. They are working on phenological models to optimise pest management strategies in orchards, making them less attractive to leafhoppers, rather than relying on prophylactic spraying that could cause resistance.

Currently, more than a dozen research projects, funded with $1.6 million in federal grants and $540,000 in grants from the Washington and Oregon cherry industry, are underway.

Scientists have discovered that the transmission of phytoplasma by grasshoppers takes a different time than previously estimated. Adrian Marshall, a postdoctoral researcher at the US Department of Agriculture laboratory in Wapato, Washington, conducted a study that revealed that 50 per cent of grasshoppers were able to transmit X-disease by day 17 after force-feeding.

Marshall suggests removing super-infected trees to keep grasshopper levels low, highlighting the importance of understanding the dynamics of transmission under different conditions. Removing root suckers has been shown to reduce the risk of X-disease transmission. Removing broadleaf weeds and the use of herbicides are recommended to make ground cover less attractive to grasshoppers.

Researchers are also exploring potential biocontrols, including the use of large-headed flies and pincer wasps that parasitise grasshoppers. Eliminating weeds, such as dandelion and mallow, may reduce the risk of disease X in orchards. Genetic studies on grasshoppers and phytoplasma offer interesting perspectives. Identifying key genes could pave the way for new approaches, such as the use of biopesticides or gene silencing techniques.

The fight against X-disease involves a combination of strategies to reduce the density of locusts and remove infected trees. By reducing the percentage of harmful trees, scientists hope to eliminate phytoplasmas from the system, solving the grasshopper problem.


Read the full article: Good Fruit Grower
Image: Good Fruit Grower


Cherry Times - All rights reserved

What to read next

Argentina: focus on early varieties and logistics to diversify market destinations

Production

10 Jan 2025

Anibal Caminiti explained that Rio Negro had an exportable production of early varieties, with young plantations that had not been treated with cyanamide, which in the future will allow an advance in production, with an entry into the foreign market in week 42.

Season 2024: Expectations for the season after an early start

Production

18 Apr 2024

In Apulia they are preparing for an early blossoming, kicking off the 2024 cherry season. According to Maurizio Simone (Doctor Farmer agronomic office), one of the main reasons for this unevenness in flowering could be the lack of cold weather.

In evidenza

Monticello hosts the first major Chilean technical conference on cherry trees: 28 and 29 May

Events

21 Apr 2025

On 28 and 29 May, the first Redagrícola Cherry Conference, a technical reference event for the cherry sector, will be held in Monticello. Chilean and international experts will participate, focusing on innovation, climate and market.

BioMagnet Ruby sustainably protects cherries from Drosophila suzukii and Rhagoletis

Crop protection

21 Apr 2025

Discover BioMagnet Ruby, the sustainable and innovative solution to protect cherries in Italy from the pests Drosophila suzukii and Rhagoletis cerasi. Preventive action, no maintenance, guaranteed crop quality. Also ideal for other red fruits.

Tag Popolari