The survey that led to the detection of spotted wing drosophila in South Africa. By Anna Mouton. The first records of damage by spotted wing drosophila are from Japan in 1916. By the 1930s, it was a serious pest of…
How can growers best protect their fruit against spotted wing drosophila? By Anna Mouton. The establishment of spotted wing drosophila in fruit-growing areas worldwide is associated with significant damage to susceptible crops. Berries and cherries have been especially hard hit,…
Spotted wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii) is a vinegar fly that can lay its eggs in undamaged fruit. This distinguishes it from other drosophilids, such as the common fruit or vinegar fly (Drosophila melanogaster) and the African fig fly (Zaprionus indianus),…
Spotted wing drosophila was first detected in Washington State more than 15 years ago, but cherry growers still have limited control options. By Anna Mouton. Tim Pitz manages approximately 800 hectares of pome and stone fruit for Mount Adams Orchards…
Spotted wing drosophila has forced European berry and stone-fruit growers to rethink their crop-protection strategies. By Anna Mouton. The first trap catches of spotted wing drosophila in Europe occurred in 2008 in Spain and Italy. The first economically significant damage…
Spotted wing drosophila invaded Europe and North America more than 15 years ago. What have researchers since learned? By Anna Mouton. The global spread of spotted wing drosophila has been alarming but impressive. These tiny insects are reported to fly…
Three new research projects aim to help fruit growers navigate the challenges of spotted wing drosophila. By Anna Mouton. Hortgro, BerriesZA, SATI, and SAWine have joined forces to fund two crop-protection projects led by Prof. Pia Addison of the Department…
This invasive pest was featured in the September 2023 Fresh Quarterly. What have we learnt since then? By Anna Mouton. Polyphagous shot-hole borers are wood-boring beetles that establish and cultivate fungal gardens in their host plants. The beetles feed on…
New technology offers exciting opportunities to complement traditional practices and optimise crop management. By Anna Mouton. Digital agriculture refers to the application of new technologies for data collection and analysis to help growers manage seasonal and environmental variability. Stellenbosch University…
Creating a virtual orchard requires advanced data collection and processing. By Anna Mouton. Innovation in pome- and stone-fruit production often progresses one orchard or one season at a time. Researchers developing new tree-training systems or growers trying to understand mixed…