Development and Field Testing of a Spatial Decision Support System to Control Populations of the European Cherry Fruit Fly, Rhagoletis cerasi, in Commercial Orchards

Abstract

The European cherry fruit fly, Rhagoletis cerasi (Diptera: Tephritidae), is a key pest for the cherry production industry in Europe and west Asia that has recently invaded North America. Insecticide applications are frequently employed to control this devastating pest, often without considering its population trends. We developed a novel decision support system (DSS), and field tested it in commercial sweet cherry orchards in central Greece. The DSS includes two algorithms that predict the timing of adult activity in the wild and support pest management decisions, based on R. cerasi population trends and pesticide properties, respectively. Preparatory monitoring of the testing area during 2014, using adult traps, revealed high population densities of R. cerasi in non-managed sweet cherry orchards and low densities in commercial ones. Implementation of the DSS during 2015 resulted in low R. cerasi adult population densities and zero fruit infestation rates in commercial cherry orchards. Similar population and infestation rates were recorded in conventionally treated plots that received on average two insecticide applications compared to the one-half that the DSS treated plots received. Simultaneously, high population densities and fruit infestation rates were recorded in non-managed cherry orchards. Apparently, the implementation of the simple DSS we developed reduces the cost of R. cerasi management and minimizes the chemical footprint on both the harvested fruit and the environment.