This webpage serves as a guide consolidating information on SWD and outlining the standard IPM management program for Pacific Northwest small fruit growers. While individual farms must create tailored management plans that consider various farm, crop, and market factors, this guide presents the standard approach upon which these plans can be based.
SWD causes crop damage by laying its eggs inside ripe fruit and when larvae emerge, they feed upon the inside of the fruit.
Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) is a major pest affecting small fruit crops in the Pacific Northwest.
After years of studying SWD, we have a clear understanding of its behavior and the factors that contribute to its risk, which helps us develop effective ways to manage it and reduce economic losses.
Here are some important trends about SWD in the Northwest that can help us shape our Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies:
Consumers and buyers determine the level of SWD risk fruit can withstand. Processors enforce this expectation by setting an allowable amount of SWD larvae found in the fruit. With Zero Tolerance, that allowable amount is zero larvae in fruit. Growers have been responsible for adhering to this tolerance level by using Integrated Pest Management techniques. Most processors have a Zero Tolerance SWD requirement except in low yield years. 15 years of research and in field trials have demonstrated:
Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) is a major pest affecting small fruit crops in the Pacific Northwest.
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