Last week Summerfruit NZ attended the spotted wing drosophila (SWD) biosecurity webinar on behalf of growers. It was organised in Australia by PHA, Cesar and PFR with support from Hort NZ and PFR in New Zealand. The webinar presented the knowledge gained by these organisations through the SWD Preparedness Project initiated in 2018.
Currently SWD is not present in Australia or New Zealand, but it is in several of our trading partners. The webinar revealed insights on this pest and how it may impact Australia and New Zealand growers. In the webinar researchers covered predictions on SWD spread and establishment for Australia, tips for early detection, surveillance options and management practices currently in use overseas.
The SWD has potential to establish in both islands in New Zealand and most of the eastern coast of Australia. It spread rapidly mainly with human contact through trade and took only six years for SWD to spread from Asia across Europe. It mainly affects soft fruit such as blueberries, cherries, table grapes, and strawberries, among others. Its larvae causes damage on cherries by feeding on the pulp inside the fruit while the oviposition scars are a point of entry for secondary pests causing rots.
New tools for mass diagnostics and management are being developed in New Zealand. An IPM approach, including orchard hygiene and appropriate disposal of waste fruit, is highly recommended for the management of this pest.
If you would like more information on SWD, please contact Juan Rosales by emailing juan.rosales@summerfruitnz.co.nz or check out the biosecurity pages here on the Summerfruit NZ website.