Recent UK research into SWD led by Niab

Precision monitoring - filtering RIGA trap

While the first research project (SF 145) funded by AHDB, Defra, British Berry Growers and The Worshipful Company of Fruiterers improved our knowledge and understanding of spotted wing drosophila (SWD) management in UK conditions, the second project (SF/TF 145a) funded by AHDB focussed on developing novel approaches to controlling SWD which did not rely solely on chemical sprays. 

Three particularly exciting new control approaches were investigated in Project SF/TF 145a including the reduction of over-wintering populations, the use of a ‘push-pull’ technique and the use of bait sprays for control during the season. All of these concepts have been researched further since the end of this project through additional funding from AHDB, The Worshipful Company of Fruiterers and Innovate UK.

An additional project funded by Innovate UK and Berry Gardens Growers Ltd allowed Niab to work with start-up company BigSis to develop the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) which has been successfully shown to significantly reduce populations of SWD in soft and stone fruit plantations.

A Growing Kent & Medway funded project has also been carried out to screen strawberry and raspberry varieties for resistance to SWD.

Read more about the results of each of these projects and further work that has been done by PhD students and post-doctoral researchers:

Bait sprays
Push-pull control strategies
Reducing overwintering populations
Sterile Insect Technique
Strawberry and raspberry resistance
Further studies