Effects of interplanting peppermint (Lamiaceae) in strawberry (Rosaceae) onDrosophila suzukii(Diptera: Drosophilidae) and seed-feeding pests (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae, Miridae, Rhyparochromidae)

Abstract

AbstractSpotted-wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii(Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae)) is a pest of tender fruit and berry crops because female flies oviposit in ripening fruit. Frequent insecticide applications are needed for control during fruit ripening, with few noninsecticide options available. The effect of interplanting peppermint (Mentha × piperitaLinnaeus (Lamiaceae)) in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassaDuchesne (Rosaceae)) onD. suzukiifruit infestation was investigated because peppermint essential oil deterredD. suzukiifrom fruit in the laboratory, and interplanted aromatic plants reduced crop pest populations in other field studies. Regardless of whether peppermint was untrimmed or periodically trimmed to reduce shading of strawberries and promote release of volatiles,D. suzukiiinfestation was consistently lowest in strawberries adjacent to no peppermint. Interplanted peppermint also reduced strawberry yield in the second year of the experiment. Abundance ofLygus lineolaris(Palisot de Beauvois) (Hemiptera: Miridae), a strawberry pest, was higher in plots with peppermint, but abundances ofLigyrocoris diffusus(Uhler) (Hemiptera: Rhyparochromidae) andNeortholomus scolopax(Say) (Hemiptera: Lygaeidae), seed feeders but not common strawberry pests, were lower in plots with peppermint. Overall, interplanted peppermint is not recommended forD. suzukiimanagement, but other strategies for using volatile, repellent compounds in the field should be investigated.