Spotted Wing Drosophila, a well-known pest that infests ripe, ready-to-eat fruit, poses a significant threat to farmers because it is very difficult to control with standard pesticides. A new approach to tackling this pest involves manipulating the behavior of these insects by disguising healthy fruit as if it were infected with an unappealing pathogen.
By studying the specific odors emitted by infected fruit, researchers have identified the chemicals that repel the flies when applied to healthy fruit and are developing a slow-release device to disperse these fruity odors in the field, ensuring that they do not come into direct contact with the fruit. This method provides a new tool to help farmers protect their crops without relying exclusively on insecticides.
Source: USDA
Image: USDA
27 Apr 2023
With a turnover of over 60 million euro, Giacovelli srl is one of the leading producers and marketers of fruit and vegetables in Apulia. Its passion and specialisation for cherries makes it one of Italy's leading producers of the red summer fruit.
15 Jun 2026
German cherries open the season with strong prospects: Obst vom Bodensee expects high quality, attractive fruit sizes and stable volumes, supported by favorable weather, frost protection, regional supply chains and rising organic production in protected full-net systems.
02 Sep 2026
Ultra-early cherry trees are blooming in Jujuy, where 2,000 low-chill plants could produce fruit by late September. Genetics, quality levels reaching 29° Brix and a strategic commercial window are opening new opportunities for Argentina's early-season cherry exports to global mar
02 Sep 2026
In Uzbekistan, research on sweet cherry micropropagation evaluates culture media and growth regulators for cultivars and rootstocks. DKW medium and specific combinations of BAP, meta-topolin, NAA and TDZ improve in vitro shoot proliferation, growth and propagation efficiency.
