Crop protection multi targeted approach to fruit spotting bug management - ruth huwer and craig maddox
1. A multi target approach to fruitspotting bug
management
Dr. Ruth Huwer and Craig Maddox , NSW DPI
2. A multi target approach to fruitspotting
bug management
Fruitspotting bugs – Amblypelta
spp. are the most significant
pest problem for Australian
horticulture after fruit fly
This project is a multi industry
effort
It took a long time to pull
industries together to support a
major collaborative and multi
targeted research project.
3. Fruitspotting bugs (FSB) Amblypelta spp.
Amblypelta spp.
– Belong to the family Coreidae (squash bugs)
There are a number of closely related bug species
Pseudotheraptus wayi Amblypelta nitida Paradasynus spinosus Dasynus sp.
– Amblypelta spp. (15) (Australia, PNG, New Hebrides, Solomon Is.)
– Dasynus piperis (Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia)
– Dasynus coccocintus (Taiwan, Philippines)
– Paradasynus rostratus (India)
– Paradasynus spinosus (Japan)
– Pseudotheraptus wayi (East Africa including Kenya,Tanzania,
Zanzibar, South Africa)
– Pseudotheraptus devestans (Africa)
4. Amblypelta nitida and A. l. lutescens
Wide host range
Major pest in subtropical and tropical horticulture in
Australia
Lifecycle from egg to adult about 6 weeks
Adults are long lived
Amblypelta nitida Amblypelta lutescens
5. FSB feeding habits and damage
Amblypelta nitida feeds exclusively on fruit while A.
lutescens is also a shoot feeder
Feeding by FSB nymphs and adults
Feeding sites are entry points for pathogens
Low bug density can cause major damage
L= tip of labium
SH = stylet sheath
P = phloem sieve tube
From Miles & Taylor, 1994
6. Losses
Overall losses difficult to quantify
– Crop losses of more than 50% have been
attributed to FSB,
– Estimated to be in the order of tens of millions A
$$$ annually.
The Australian Macadamia Industry reports
the economic impact of FSB is estimated at
$8.9 million per annum,
7. Project components
Collation of past research
Chemical control options
Development of monitoring and trap cropping
– Trap crops
– Pheromones
Biological control options
IPM case studies
Area Wide Management (AWM)
Industry Adoption
8. Collation of past research
Responsibility: Alana Danne (PhD student (University of Queensland)
Collation of past research and management
practices of FSB and relatives
Chemical control
Responsibility: Ruth Huwer and Craig Maddox (NSW DPI)
New compounds from chemical industry
Biopesticides need to be considered
9. Monitoring and trap cropping
1. Trap cropping
Responsibility: Ruth Huwer and Craig Maddox (NSW DPI)
Monitoring FSB has been a challenge
FSB are known to show host preference
Developing a new monitoring strategy by using
trap crops
12. Evidence
Spatial distribution of FSB in Germplasm block in 2010 over
time (Total 618 trees)
Nov 2010 Dec 2010 Jan 2011 Feb 2011
before 1st spray before 1st spray after 1st spray after 2nd spray
13. Evidence (cont.)
Incidence of FSB in Germplasm block in 2010
Macadamia Macadamia Macadamia ternifolia Mixed hybrid
Maca- tetraphylla (n=188) integrifolia (n=162) (n=30) (uncertain) (n=266)
damia
species Trees Trees Trees Trees
Total % of Total % of Total % of Total % of
with with with with
FSB FSB FSB FSB FSB FSB FSB FSB
FSB FSB FSB FSB
17/08/
2010
1 1 100 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
23/11/
2010
5 5 22 0 0 0 8 16 70 1 2 9
9/12/
2010
8 11 14 1 2 2 12 50 62 12 18 22
7/01/*
2011
2 2 8 0 0 0 5 22 88 1 1 4
24/02/*
2011
3 3 7 3 1 2 5 32 78 3 2 5
3/03/
2011
1 2 6 2 9 25 6 22 63 2 2 6
*Reinfestation 3 weeks after beta-cyfluthrin spray
14. Evidence (cont.)
FSB damage in germplasm block 2010/2011
%FSB
Macadamia Trees Nuts Total KR
damage
species Sampled Examined Ave (sd)
Ave (sd)
M. tetraphylla 43 1311 11 (15) 32 (5.1)
M. integrifolia 54 1920 6.5 (8.9) 25 (4.3)
M. ternifolia 26 775 34 (21) 40 (8.2)
Mixed hybrid 13 391 4.2 (5.8) 30 (2.8)
15. Monitoring and trap cropping (cont.)
2. Pheromone traps
Responsibility: Harry Fay, (DAFFQ)
Pheromone compounds for
Amblypelta spp. have been identified
and now need to be fine tuned and
tested.
The following 4 aspects need to be
considered in this study:
– Adjustment of pheromone compounds
– Field evaluation of pheromones for both
Amblypelta spp.
– Design optimal trapping device
– Evaluate trapping device for both
Amblypelta spp. in the field in QLD and
NSW
16. Biological control (cont.)
1. Mass-rearing for FSB and Anastatus
and release strategies
Responsibility: Richard Llewellyn (BioResources)
Mass-rearing of fruitspotting bugs for testing and
rearing of biological control agents
Mass-rearing of biological control agents
Release strategies
Evaluation of biological control agents in QLD and
NSW.
Photos: Richard Llewellyn
17. Biological control
2. Ecology and initial evaluation of
various biological control agents
Responsibility: Ruth Huwer and Craig Maddox (NSW DPI)
Trichopoda
Searching for biological control agents in giacomellii
QLD and NSW
Ecology of biological control agents if Anastatus sp.
unknown (including live-cycle, investigation
of flora of their environment). Gryon sp.
Evaluation of biological control agents in
QLD and NSW
PhD project Alana Danne will cover Centrodora
darwini
aspects of biological control including
impact of cover crops
18. Biological control - Ecology
Screening of a number of insecticides on Gryon sp.
and Anastatus sp.
Screening Gryon sp. for cold storage
Screening Gryon sp. in insecticides field trial on
commercial farm at Alstonville
Quantifying impact of biological control agent is
difficult
19. IPM case studies
Responsibility: Pest consultants and Jeremy Bright (NSW DPI)
Case studies on commercial farms will be
established at a later stage of the project (possibly
for year 3)
Area Wide Management (AWM)
Responsibility: Consultants
The new developed control strategies will be
integrated and tested at farm level and regionally
via an Area Wide Management (AWM) approach
(possibly year 4).
20. Industry Adoption
Responsibility Mark Hickey (NSW DPI)
Adoption strategy and extension plan
A communication plan has been developed
Team includes DAFFQ and NSW DPI experts
21. Conclusion
The ecology of FSB is
fairly complex
A good understanding
of FSB ecology is
needed to achieve
sustainable control
– A number of tools need
to be combined to
maximise success of
control and adoption
22. Acknowledgements
I would like to thank
– all the funding industries
– all project members for their efforts
– all collaborators who have been helping us out
with on farm field sites
The project has been funded by R&D levies from the Avocado,
Macadamia, Lychee, Papaya, Passionfruit and Custard Apple industries,
with additional funding via the Across Industry Committee and matched by
the Australian Government through HAL. NSW Department of Primary
Industries (NSW DPI) and Queensland Department of Agriculture Forestry
and Fisheries (QDAFF) are also contributing in-kind funds to the project,
and NSW DPI is managing the project on behalf of all partners. Other
project partners include the University of Queensland, Australian Centre
for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) and BioResources.