New orange-scented traps to combat Drosophila suzukii

28 Jun 2024
944

It's only a few millimeters in size, but its hunger is vast and it's becoming a plague for fruit growers and winegrowers: the cherry vinegar fly (Drosophila suzukii), introduced from Asia. It was first reported in Austria in 2011. The females infest ripe and healthy red fruits, depositing eggs with their characteristic heavily toothed ovipositors.

The fly's larvae then feed on the fruit's pulp, causing it to rot. According to the Food Safety Agency, it mainly attacks sweet cherries, but also peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, currants, and strawberries. Due to its short development time and successive generations, it can multiply explosively in orchards.

Previous control measures also harm other insects

"Currently, only a few effective control measures are known, but most of them are slowly biodegradable or are harmful to other insects such as bees," explained APA's Manfred Hartbauer from the University of Graz. His team has developed a biocide against this pest in fruit and wine growing. The biocide attracts cherry vinegar flies with the scent of orange peel, among other things, and simultaneously acts as an insecticide.

Hartbauer explained that he came across the idea of using orange peel "through literature." "In their area of origin, cherry vinegar flies lay eggs in damaged oranges because they feel safe there from their main enemies, parasitic wasps.

The essential oil of citrus acts as a natural insecticide against parasitic wasps," explained Hartbauer. The attractant is a mixture of various orange essential oils and a saline solution. All of this is then placed in a trap filled with very small holes that larger insects, like bees, cannot penetrate.

Laboratory tests have already shown that the biocide attracts cherry vinegar flies away from grapes and kills them, reducing larval infestation by 75%. "We are now about to define the key active substances that will then be submitted for approval.

Field trials will also be crucial in testing the biocide's effectiveness under field conditions. Once the product is ready for the market, orange peels will be obtained from leftover fruit juice production.

The Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) is funding the project with a scholarship for spin-offs, aiming to transform the concept into a marketable product. Hartbauer sees the greatest market potential in organic viticulture, especially in red wine cultivation.

Source: Austria Presse Agentur
Image: Austria Presse Agentur


Cherry Times - All rights reserved

What to read next

Sour cherry harvest hits historic low: prices rise and stocks deplete

Production

23 Jun 2025

Hungary's 2025 sour cherry harvest plummets to just 35,000 tons following devastating spring frosts. With key growing regions severely impacted and processing industry stocks nearly depleted, the market faces significant price hikes and widespread supply shortages across Europe.

Cold hardiness estimation models can help farmers to prevent frost damage

Tech management

31 Aug 2023

The primary aim of the present investigation was to construct predictive models for determining the lethal temperature thresholds (resulting in 10%, 50%, and 90% death rates) for two distinct cultivars of sweet cherry flower buds, during the autumn and winter period.

In evidenza

Biocontrol of brown rot on cherry and plum: e5icacy, limitations and prospects

Crop protection

25 Jul 2025

A recent study tested the effectiveness of biopesticides and native microbial strains against brown rot caused by Monilinia laxa on cherry and plum. Promising results in pre-harvest phase, but limitations emerged during post-harvest at room temperature.

Oregon’s sweet cherry season turns bitter: “A manmade disaster”

Markets

25 Jul 2025

2025 is a disastrous year for Oregon’s sweet cherries: top-quality harvests remain unsold, labor shortages tied to immigration fears, and a market paying less than production costs. Small family farms face an uncertain future amid ongoing economic strain.

Tag Popolari