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
31 Dec 2025
Cherry trees in Puglia are holding their own amid crisis and innovation: new rootstocks, cultivation methods such as multi-axis vase pruning, and technical strategies promise productivity, quality, and sustainability, reviving southern cherry cultivation.
24 Jun 2026
At Michigan State University in the USA, SWIR hyperspectral imaging detects pits in cherries intended for industrial processing with up to 100% accuracy. The non-destructive method supports faster, more reliable quality control on modern automated production lines.
18 Sep 2026
Canada and the US settle the dispute over Staccato® cherries. Monson Fruit Company will pay past and future royalties, stop propagating new Staccato® trees through 2029 and refrain from exporting fruit outside the US through 2032, ending a six-year long legal battle.
18 Sep 2026
Centro Fruticultura Sur will host a seminar in Chillán, Chile, on protected fruit cultivation, featuring two new publications on covered cherry production and European hazelnut physiology and management, with tools to address climate variability in modern orchards.
