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
15 Dec 2023
Rabobank senior analyst Gonzalo Salinas monitors global trends in the cherry trade as the Southern Hemisphere prepares for the 2023/24 season. At the end of 2023, there are mixed trends in the entire cherry sector.
05 Jan 2024
The study covers the growing seasons from 2011/12 until 2019/20 for the development of the model and 2020/21-2022/23 for its validation. The M1 model is based on an inverse modelling methodology, M2 and M3, on the other hand, are more physiologically grounded.
29 Jun 2026
I bioreattori SETISTM migliorano crescita, vigore e radicazione dei portinnesti di ciliegio dolce Prunus avium e Gisela 6. Lo studio evidenzia vantaggi produttivi e sfide legate a iperidricità , genotipo e protocolli di micropropagazione per vivai più efficienti.
29 Jun 2026
In Germany, per capita consumption of cherries and sour cherries fell to 1.7 kg in 2025, while national production rose 33% thanks to favorable weather. Spain, Greece and Italy remain key suppliers, supporting both fresh fruit sales and industrial processing.
