Lalat kecil dan kerugian besar
American entomologists and cherry producers are looking for ways to confront a dangerous enemy - the diverse Drosophila. These tiny insects, smaller than the nails in the little finger, have caused great damage to US agriculture and are now threatening fruit fields around the world.
The speckled drosophila was first seen in the United States in 2008 and spread across the continent for several years, says Business Insider. During her lifetime, the female insects placed more than 300 eggs, while, unlike any other fruit fly species, whose goal is a decayed or rotting fruit, spotted Drosophila affects healthy fruits. He puts the eggs under their skin, and the farmer probably did not know about the damage until it was too late.
He puts the eggs under their skin, and the farmer probably did not know about the damage until it was too late. In Michigan, where 75% of American cherry production is concentrated, only in 2016 this pest destroys about 21% of the crop.
Now the most promising way to combat the diverse Drosophila is regarded as the selection of early mature cherry varieties, which previously appeared to be very unprofitable farmers. The fact is that the cherries are ripe together with the cherries, which prevent the collection and processing of the latter. But the emergence of dangerous pests leads to priority reviews.
Now breeders are faced with the task of producing cherries, which will be late blooming and early maturation. Later, flowering will avoid the damage from frost, and thanks to early maturation, fruits can be harvested before July, when the common cherries are ripe, and the diverse Drosophila is at the peak of its activity. Simply put, the fruit must be ripe before the pest can reach them.
In the complex selection process, such a tree is found. Now, researchers are looking for ways to reproduce with further preservation of flowering, early maturation, and - most importantly - delicious fruit quality. This is a very difficult job, but scientists say that the most difficult stage is skipped, and the chances of success are quite high.
The most difficult thing in the fight against the diverse Drosophila is a little knowledge about these insects. But because of the extreme danger of this type of fruit fly to study and find an effective way to protect now devote more resources - the only Michigan State University has spent on this goal for $ 300 thousand in the past year.