The primary purpose of this agreement is to advance research in area-wide genetic control technology for suppression of spotted-wing drosophila (SWD), drosophila suzukii

Drosophila suzukii is an invasive pest that causes significant economic losses for producers of soft-skinned fruits such as strawberries and blueberries. Chemical controls are of limited effectiveness as resistance has been reported (gress and zalom 2019; ganjisaffar ET AL. 2022) and forested areas near farms provide a refuge as the flies can reproduce in many native plants (stockton ET AL. 2019). New tools are needed for development of environmentally friendly and sustainable control options to maintain U.S. Access to export markets, reduce crop losses and to protect the environment by reducing the uses of pesticides. Development of new control methods to respond to these pests will also provide benefits for technology transfer that will be transferable to target other invasive species. Obtain USDA-aphis-BRS permits for limited releases of fsridl SWD in containment field cages planted with blueberries or strawberries depending on timing of securing a field cage release permit. Establish field cages over blueberry or strawberry plants at a secure site in california. Make releases of fsridl SWD at two rates into field cages and evaluate damage and SWD population levels in release VS. Control cages. The following are expected outcomes of this project: objective 1: a permit will be obtained from BRS for this project. Objective 2: blueberry or strawberry plants will be established in the field cages. Objective 3: data will be obtained on the impact of repeated releases of fsridl males on wild type populations of drosophila suzukii established in field cages containing blueberry plants. If successful, the data could be used for an application to BRS to perform an open field test at a site to be selected. The beneficiary of this work includes: federal, state and county program officials charged with control of SWD outbreaks in fruit production regions of the united states, the grape, tree fruit, berry and ornamental nursery industries, and to farmworkers and the general public who will receive the environmental benefits of working and living in agricultural environments with less pesticide usage due to the development of more environment friendly insect control methods. No subawards are planned.