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Research article - Peer-reviewed, 2022

Field and greenhouse application of an attract-and-kill formulation based on the yeast Hanseniaspora uvarum and the insecticide spinosad to control Drosophila suzukii in grapes

Spitaler, Urban; Cossu, Carlo S.; Delle Donne, Lorenz; Bianchi, Flavia; Rehermann, Guillermo; Eisenstecken, Daniela; Castellan, Irene; Dumenil, Claire; Angeli, Sergio; Robatscher, Peter; Becher, Paul G.; Koschier, Elisabeth H.; Schmidt, Silvia

Abstract

BACKGROUND The invasive insect Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) is an important pest of several red grape varieties. The yeast Hanseniaspora uvarum (Niehaus), which is associated with D. suzukii, strongly attracts flies and stimulates them to feed on yeast-laden food. In the present study, a formulation based on H. uvarum culture with spinosad insecticide was applied to the foliage of vineyards and control of D. suzukii was compared to applying spinosad to the whole plant. After successful H. uvarum and insecticide application in the vineyard, we tested additional H. uvarum-based formulations with spinosad in a greenhouse to determine their capacity to control D. suzukii. RESULTS Application of the H. uvarum-spinosad formulation at 36.4 g of spinosad per hectare reduced the D. suzukii field infestation at the same rate as applying 120 g of spinosad per hectare and prevented spinosad residues on grapes. Leaves treated with H. uvarum and spinosad in the field and transferred to a laboratory assay caused high mortality to flies and reduced the number of eggs laid on fruits. Formulations with spinosad applied in the greenhouse showed that both H. uvarum culture and the yeast cell-free supernatant of a centrifuged culture increased fly mortality and reduced the number of eggs laid compared to the unsprayed control. CONCLUSION In comparison to typical spinosad spray applications, the use of H. uvarum in combination with spinosad as an attract-and-kill formulation against D. suzukii reduces pesticide residues on the fruits by targeting the treatment to the canopy and decreasing the amount of insecticide per hectare without compromising control efficacy.

Keywords

grapes; integrated pest management; invasive fruit pest; precision agriculture; spotted wing drosophila

Published in

Pest Management Science
2022, volume: 78, number: 3, pages: 1287-1295
Publisher: JOHN WILEY AND SONS LTD

Authors' information

Spitaler, Urban
Laimburg Research Center
Cossu, Carlo S.
Laimburg Research Center
Delle Donne, Lorenz
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
Bianchi, Flavia
Laimburg Research Center
Rehermann, Guillermo (Rehermann Del Rio, Guillermo)
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Plant Protection Biology
Eisenstecken, Daniela
Laimburg Research Center
Castellan, Irene
Free University of Bozen-Bolzano
Dumenil, Claire
Free University of Bozen-Bolzano
Angeli, Sergio
Free University of Bozen-Bolzano
Robatscher, Peter
Laimburg Research Centre
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Department of Plant Protection Biology
Koschier, Elisabeth H.
University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
Schmidt, Silvia
Laimburg Research Center

Associated SLU-program

SLU Network Plant Protection

UKÄ Subject classification

Agricultural Science

Publication Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ps.6748

URI (permanent link to this page)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/115060