Smart strategies to protect crops from fruit flies
Fruit flies (Tephritidae) are a major economic concern for farmers around the globe, attacking food crops and costing millions in lost sales. While some fruit fly species are native to Europe, invasive species present a significant new threat. “This is in part because of human mobility and intensified trading,” explains FF-IPM project coordinator Nikolaos Papadopoulos from the University of Thessaly in Greece. “People bring in fruits to Europe that are often infested. All the fly needs to do is drill a tiny hole to deposit its eggs.” The goal of the FF-IPM project was to sound the alarm over these threats and take steps to prevent the introduction of two new species – the peach fruit fly (Bactrocera zonata) and the oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis). The project also sought to develop new management approaches for a species already settled in parts of southern Europe – the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata, originally from sub-Saharan Africa).
Smart approaches to pest management
The FF-IPM project began by generating new biological data on the three target species. The goal was to better understand the behaviour of these flies, as well as their ability to withstand cooler temperatures and longer winters. This information was used to develop models to predict likely dispersion of invasive species. “The next step was to develop interception tools,” says Papadopoulos. “We wanted to identify infestations early. A highly successful approach was the development of an electronic multi-entry identification key.” Instead of using one characteristic at a time to identify a species, many characteristics can be used at the same time electronically. Molecular ID tools were also developed to speed up this process. So instead of waiting days for results, inspections can be carried out in a matter of hours. Smart fly traps were also developed, along with algorithms to automatically identify and count captured invasive species. These can be used at ports of entry, or at farms. “A real-time rapid alert system sends you results as soon as a fly is trapped and identified,” explains Papadopoulos.
Commercialising bioclimatic modelling platforms
The success of the project has led to the formation of a company to commercialise the bioclimatic modelling platform. This platform offers dynamic maps that predict windows of opportunity for target invasive species. “We also successfully developed models to predict Mediterranean fruit fly expansion across Europe,” adds Papadopoulos. “Another novel system we developed generates appropriate pest management scenarios for farmers, with a cost estimate. This system was trialled in farms in Greece, Italy and Spain, with impressive results.” Other tools, such as an electronic ‘nose’ to intercept infested fruit in commercial shipments, have been advanced but need additional research and collaboration with stakeholders.
Smarter pest management for Europe
Papadopoulos believes that FF-IPM has been a timely project, helping to raise awareness and bring closer to market advanced tools that will help protect European farmers. “This is critical not only for domestic crops but for exports,” he notes. “If a cargo shipment arrives from Europe and is found to be infested, this often needs to be destroyed at the expense of the exporter. This is a huge economic issue.” By preventing invasions of new fruit fly species, the project hopes to contribute towards maintaining the productivity and sustainability of Europe’s fruit-producing industries. Better understanding of fly population movement and behaviour will also lead to smarter pest management in the longer term.
Keywords
FF-IPM, crops, fruit flies, invasive, pest, bioclimatic, molecular
