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Diari Valencià

Collaboration to control spotted-wing drosophila in cherry and red fruit crops

The Ministry of Agriculture and the Universitat Jaume I are promoting a biological control program against Drosophila suzukii, a pest affecting Valencian crops.

Image of a cherry branch with ripe red cherries, a spotted-wing drosophila fly, and a small parasitic wasp.
IA

Image of a cherry branch with ripe red cherries, a spotted-wing drosophila fly, and a small parasitic wasp.

The Ministry of Agriculture, Water, Livestock and Fisheries, through its Plant Health Service, is collaborating with the Universitat Jaume I of Castelló (UJI) on a biological control program to combat Drosophila suzukii, known as the spotted-wing drosophila, a pest affecting cherry and red fruit crops in the Valencian Community.

This initiative seeks a new tool for the integrated management of this significant phytosanitary challenge. The spotted-wing drosophila punctures healthy fruits during their ripening phase, causing substantial damage. Given the inadequacy of traditional chemical treatments, biological control is presented as an essential solution.
The program involves the experimental release of the parasitoid Ganaspis kimorum, a specific natural enemy of this pest. Initially, a single release has been designed, focused on two key production areas: cherry cultivation zones in the province of Castellón and in the Alicante Mountains.
This pilot phase is a necessary precursor to definitive deployment. If the successful establishment of the parasitoid is achieved and its respect for endemic biodiversity is confirmed, the medium-term objective is to carry out reinforcement releases. This would allow the parasitoid to establish itself naturally in the system and maintain pest levels below economic damage thresholds.
This measure complements the distribution, carried out this same week by the Ministry, of a low-environmental-impact biological insecticide (spinosad). This product has been distributed free of charge and will protect approximately 650 hectares of cherry cultivation in the regions of El Comtat, La Marina Alta, La Marina Baixa, L'Alacantí, L'Alcoià, and L'Alt Vinalopó. This will complete the biological control strategy for the spotted-wing drosophila, minimizing residues on the fruit and ensuring adequate pest control.
The Plant Health Service also monitors the biological cycle of Drosophila suzukii and recommends the application of insecticide treatments, especially in plots with fruit in initial ripening stages or that suffered significant damage in the previous season. The importance of adequately protecting ripe harvests, given the rapid development of the pest, and combining treatments with prophylactic measures, avoiding leaving unharvested fruit both on the tree and on the ground, is emphasized. Bait treatments are not effective, so applications must be generalized, ensuring good tree coverage. Authorized active ingredients include emamectin benzoate, potassium salts of fatty acids, spinosad, and deltamethrin.

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