New video on sampling berries for spotted wing drosophila to guide your IPM program

Rufus Isaacs<isaacsr@msu.edu> and Steve Van Timmeren<vantimm2@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Department of Entomology -

How-to guide with equipment list for spotted wing drosophila sampling.

Rufus Isaacs holds a container of blueberries while standing in a blueberry field.
Michigan State University Extension berry crops entomologist Rufus Isaacs describing the berry sampling method to detect spotted wing drosophila.

Managing spotted wing drosophila is a critical component of integrated pest management (IPM) programs for most berry growers. The initial response to this invasive species was to adopt calendar spray programs to protect berries, but there is growing awareness of the potential for reducing sprays to times when we are confident the fruit are at risk. This requires information on the level of fruit infestation. A simple berry sampling method has been developed that can indicate when berries are free of spotted wing drosophila or are starting to be infested. This information can guide informed decisions to delay the start of spraying or stretching spray intervals. It might also be used to make product selection decisions.

To help train people on how to prepare and process berry samples to detect spotted wing drosophila, Michigan State University Extension has prepared a short video that explains the approach to use. The video is just over 8 minutes long, and can be seen here: Filter method for sampling for spotted-wing drosophila larvae - MSU MediaSpace

The research supporting this MSU Extension video was funded by Project GREEEN, United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture, and the Michigan Blueberry Commission.

For more information, go to Sustainable Spotted Wing Drosophila Management.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).

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