Jan 9, 2018

National team to give latest info on biological control of SWD

A team of researchers from across the United States, including those from Michigan State University Department of Entomology, has been collaborating to improve management of spotted wing Drosophila. This invasive pest has challenged producers of berries and cherries across the United States and around the world in recent years. A key component of the project is to learn the role of biological control in controlling spotted wing Drosophila and to discover new biocontrol agents.

To update growers and other stakeholders, the team will report on the current state of their research during a one-hour webinar on Feb. 23, 2018, from 12 to 1 p.m. Titled “Good Bugs vs Bad: Using Biological Controls in SWD Management,” this webinar will include an overview of the project, an update on the native biocontrol agents that have been found in surveys at farms from Oregon to Maine, and the latest information on their search for parasitic wasps from Asia. Heather Leach of MSU Entomology will be one of the presenters on the webinar and will give an update on research in Michigan.

This webinar is free and open to all thanks to funding from the USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative. Register with your name and email address at Good Bugs vs Bad: Using Biological Controls in SWD Management.

Photo above: Female spotted wing drosophila. Photo: Danielle Kirkpatrick, MSU Entomology