Semiochemical-based pest insect management in strawberry and raspberry

Summary

Introduction: For many insect species, pheromones and host plant volatiles are of major importance in mate finding and host plant location. Therefore, there is potential for using these interactions to develop new strategies and effective control measures. The strawberry blossom weevil (Anthonomus rubi), the European tarnished plant bug (Lygus rugulipennis) and the raspberry beetle (Byturus tomentosus) cause large losses (10->80%) in both conventional and organic strawberry and raspberry production. We investigated whether the natural semiochemical mechanisms of these key pests can be exploited to develop effective traps for their management through mass trapping.
Methods: Attractive traps and lures with host plant volatiles and pheromones were developed and combined into a “multitrap” for management of these pests simultaneously. These traps were deployed within and around the perimeters of the soft berry fields. Insect catches were evaluated according to species, habitat and environmental variables. Plant damage was also assessed.
Results/Conclusion: For both crops it was possible to combine lures so that different targeted insect species were caught in the same trap simultaneously, but optimal insect traps in strawberry were not the same as in raspberry. Perimeter traps and multiple traps placed inside the plantations showed the potential to reduce pest numbers and subsequent fruit damage. In addition, bycatch of non-targeted invertebrate species were low. Thus, it is possible to develop new plant protection strategies by using these techniques. In this paper we will discuss the benefits and difficulties in using these techniques as part of integrated or organic pest management.