Spotted Wing Drosophila IPM in Raspberries and Blackberries

Description: Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) represents a major challenge to producers of soft skinned fruit crops in the northeastern U.S. and elsewhere. Raspberries and blackberries are a preferred host for SWD and therefore especially vulnerable. The arrival of SWD in the Northeast in 2011 prompted considerable research activity to develop strategies for its management. Although more research is needed, there is enough information available to recommend a set of best management practices (BMPs) that emphasizes the use of multiple tactics including monitoring, cultural control, and chemical control.

This document summarizes BMPs with a focus on brambles. Note that brambles include red and black raspberries and blackberries, all susceptible to SWD. Production practices differ among cultivars and this may influence which BMPs are relevant.

Authors: Greg Loeb, Juliet Carroll, Nicole Mattoon, Cesar Rodriguez-Saona, Dean Polk, Laura McDermott, and Anne Nielsen. Input provided by the Northeast IPM SWD Working Group, 2018.

Publication date: March 2019

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