Improving integrated pest management in soft fruit crops

This project:-

1. researched and reported new and emerging pests which pose a future threat to UK soft fruit production informing the industry ahead of potential pest outbreaks, allowing better preparation for prevention and control options
2. tested the efficacy of the repellent successfully used in strawberry to control capsid in cane fruit and optimise the dispensing method for the repellent compound
3. investigated the ability of Orius to predate the capsid juvenile stages for use under warmer, summer, temperatures
4. determined whether early season aphids can be kept in check with a novel biocontrol strategy utilising mass releases of hoverflies with semiochemical attractants for retention in the crop
5. determined winter survival of parasitoids in aphids in strawberry crops and how insecticide use in the autumn and spring can be adjusted to protect these key natural enemies
6. gained scientific data on efficacy of floral margins on soft fruit crop protection and potential to harbour pest species to inform growers on sowings
7. pilot tested a ‘push-pull’ method to prevent non-western flower thrips entering strawberry crops and causing fruit damage
8. developed a culturing method for thrips so that cost effective experiments can be done to understand the biology, damage and control strategies for future use
9. field tested a semiochemical push pull strategy of control of midges in cane fruit.

This project covers a range of strategies targeted at key pests identified by AHDB soft fruit panel including capsids, thrips, early-season aphids, and spider mites. We offer testing and integrating of solutions that are often applicable across the range of soft fruit crops, including cane fruits, strawberries and blueberries and consider control measures being applied for spotted wing drosophila (SWD). In this project we aim to: 1) research and report new and emerging pests which pose a future threat  to  UK  soft  fruit production  informing  the  industry  ahead  of  potential  pest  outbreaks, allowing  better preparation for prevention and control options; 2) test the efficacy of the repellent successfully used in strawberry to control capsid in cane fruit and optimise the dispensing method for the repellent compound; 3) investigate the ability of Orius to predate the capsid juvenile stages for use under warmer, summer, temperatures; 4) determine whether  early  season  aphids  can  be  kept  in  check  with a novel  biocontrol  strategy utilising  mass  releases  of hoverflies with semiochemical attractants for retention in the crop; 5) determine winter survival of parasitoids in aphids in strawberry crops and how insecticide use in the autumn and spring can be adjusted to protect these key natural enemies; 6) gain scientific data on efficacy of floral margins on soft fruit crop protection and potential to harbour  pest  species to  inform  growers  on  sowings; 7) pilot test a ‘push-pull’ method to prevent non-western flower thrips entering strawberry crops and causing fruit damage; 8) develop a culturing method for thrips so that cost effective experiments can be done to understand the biology, damage and control strategies for future use and, finally; 9) field test a semiochemical push pull strategy for control of midges in cane fruit.