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EmailFirst detected on the West Coast of the U.S. in 2008 and Michigan in 2010, spotted wing drosophila (SWD) is an invasive fly that damages a wide range of crops. SWD have now been reported in more than 30 states. Berries and cherries are especially affected, and some states have experienced near entire crop losses. SWD poses a significant threat to Michigan’s cherry industry, which is valued at more than $70 million per year and a crucial part of the state’s agricultural economy.
- Project GREEEN has invested heavily in SWD research, funding projects that are investigating SWD biology, attractants and management. Additional support has been provided by commodity groups.
- Leveraging Project GREEEN funding, MSU researchers received a $250,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Research Initiative to study sustainable management strategies for SWD.
- Following U.S. detection in 2008, SWD caused more than $500 million in annual crop losses in the following two years.
