$2 million grant awarded to UGA for Spotted Wing Drosophila management

[Gr8Figs]

"Spotted wing drosophila has emerged as a major threat to small- and stone-fruit production industries, and its management is challenging particularly in organic systems due to lack of organically approved control options," said Sial, who is an assistant professor of entomology. "I am glad to have the opportunity to lead this collaborative effort to help organic farmers develop effective management strategies to control this devastating pest in a more sustainable manner."

More at link...

[strudeldog]

Go Dawgs Fight this spawn from hell They are my major pest now. I hope somebody is sucessful they have not bothered my blue berries but really hit my figs.

[WillsC]

Not my BB either, think it is just too early in the year when they ripen but they are a pain to the midsummer figs.

[don_sanders]

I started getting them in my tomatoes at the end of the season too.

Here is a direct link to the article. http://news.uga.edu/releases/article...ying-fly-1015/

[cis4elk]

They got into my tomatoes a few years back, but it was only one variety..Carbon. I like to let tomatoes hang on the vine forever, because they keep better there than on the counter. I think I only got a handful of tomatoes from Carbon that year. That was the first year I had SWD but didn't know it yet, the following year nearly all my bramble type fruit were ruined and that's when I figured it out.

[don_sanders]

For me, it was my supersweet 100 cherry tomatoes. I hope they don't spread. I tried to make sure to clean everything out. Did you do anything to prevent them subsequent years?

[Rewton]

I'm glad the USDA decided to fund this research. Hopefully this research will provide us with more options.

[cis4elk]

I still think bug zappers are worth trying, but hopefully it takes a long time for them to rebound from the winter of 2014/15 here. Like never.

[greenfig]

What are they good for?
There is a purpose for everything in this Nature world as I understand , no?

[newnandawg]

I personally don't see anything they do that has a purpose. They were devastating last summer on mid and late crop figs here.