Optimising deployment of sterile insect technique to control spotted wing drosophila in blackberries: Black-Spot

斑点果蝇是危害软果类作物的头号入侵害虫。如果不进行干预，农作物损失可能高达90%。目前的控制非常依赖于传统杀虫剂，在英国，这些杀虫剂每年都要通过越来越困难的紧急批准来寻求。不育昆虫技术(SIT)使用害虫不育雄性的定期释放来与雌性交配，从而不产生后代。SIT是特定物种的，无毒，因此保护了生物多样性。Zytle已经使用机器人和人工智能自动化了不育雄性SWD的生产；这些苍蝇是非转基因的，已经被批准用于商业销售。最初的Stop-Spot项目是Zytle、NIAB和Berry Gardens Growers的成功合作，提供了几个有用的结果，帮助塑造了SIT服务，以控制草莓和覆盆子作物的SWD。该项目的实验室阶段指导Zytle开发其不育雄性生产流程，包括辐射剂量优化和恢复间隔，以确保不育雄性在释放前的健康状况。田间研究，包括关于这些作物的扩散和寿命的数据，给出了关于释放率的关键见解。分析野生SWD的全年种群动态，研究冬季变型SWD的交配竞争力，验证当前不育雄性释放的时机和位置的策略。本项目将重点关注黑莓，这是一种特别具有挑战性的作物，对SWD的控制。AHDB的数据显示，种植者仅在黑莓上投资11000 GB/公顷就可以控制黑莓上的SWD，这至少比其他易受伤害的作物高出60%。这反映了在黑莓上管理SWD的困难，因为浆果的成熟期较长；此外，茂密的树叶创造了有利于SWD发展的小气候，阻碍了有效的作物卫生。这个项目将首次量化与黑莓未经处理的对照相比的SIT效果。此外，它将使用详细的现场数据来产生一个针对社保人口的预测模型；这可能会改变目前使用回溯诱捕数据完成的不育雄性释放的目标。该项目还将研究雄性不育表现和成熟黑莓对社交病的易感性变化。综上所述，这些创新将促进黑莓的可持续虫害管理。成功的黑莓SWD控制解决方案将保护和提高英国种植者的收入，同时增强可持续性。通过优化黑莓的SIT协议，包括更好地预测野生SIT种群动态，我们将提高效率并降低治疗失败的风险。

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) is the number one invasive pest species damaging soft fruit crops worldwide. Without intervention, crop losses can reach 90%. Current control is very reliant on conventional pesticides which, in the UK, are sought through increasingly difficult emergency approvals every year.Sterile insect technique (SIT) uses the regular release of sterile males of a pest to mate with females which results in no offspring. SIT is species-specific and non-toxic, so protects biodiversity. Zyzzle has automated sterile male SWD production using robotics and artificial intelligence; these flies are non-GM and already approved for commercial sale.The initial Stop-Spot project, which was a successful collaboration between Zyzzle, NIAB and Berry Gardens Growers, provided several useful results that helped shape the SIT service to control SWD in strawberry and raspberry crops. The project's laboratory phase guided Zyzzle in the development of its sterile male production processes, including radiation dose optimization and recovery intervals to ensure the fitness of sterile males before release. The field studies, including data on dispersal and longevity in these crops, gave critical insights on release rates. Analysing the year-round population dynamics of wild SWD and studying the mating competitiveness of winter morph SWD, validated current strategies for timing and location of sterile male releases.This project will focus on blackberries, a particularly challenging crop for SWD control. AHDB data shows growers can invest \>£11,000/ha just to control SWD on blackberries, which is at least 60% more than for other vulnerable crops. This reflects the difficulty of managing SWD in blackberries, due to the long susceptible ripening period of the berries; also, dense foliage creates a microclimate conducive to SWD development and hampers effective crop sanitation.This project will for the first time quantify SIT efficacy compared to untreated control in blackberry. Furthermore, it will use detailed field data to produce a predictive model for SWD populations; this could transform targeting of sterile male releases, which is currently done using backward-looking trap data. The project will also research sterile male performance and the changing vulnerability of ripening blackberries to SWD. Together, these innovations will advance sustainable pest management in blackberries.A successful solution for SWD control in blackberries will protect and improve the incomes of growers in England, while enhancing sustainability. By optimizing SIT protocols in blackberry, including through better prediction of wild SIT population dynamics, we will improve efficiency and reduce the risk of treatment failure.