Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD)
Drosophila suzukii, or small fruit fly, is a polyphagous pest that is highly damaging to many fruit species. It is an insect belonging to the order Diptera and fam. Drosophilidae. Native to Southeast Asia, the pest was found in the U.S. in 2008 while in Europe it was first detected in 2009 in Spain and Italy (Tuscany, Trentino).
The insect infests thin-skinned fruits of stone fruit (sweet cherry, peach, plum, apricot), berry fruits (blueberry, raspberry, blackberry, strawberry), as well as kiwi and grapes.
The adult male measures about three millimeters in length; it has large red eyes and a honey-brown body with characteristic dark spots at the wing tips. The female is able to cut the epidermis of ripe fruits still on the plant by inserting the egg into the flesh. In a short time (2-3 days), a mushy, depressed area first forms in the area affected by the lacerations, which quickly goes into disintegration.
Subsequently, fungal and/or bacterial rots may also be added, further complicating the pathological picture. In some field monitoring, production losses of up to 80%, sometimes even more severe, are reported.
It is a very fearsome insect due to its high reproduction rate: a female lays about 400 eggs, a generation is accomplished in 8-14 days already starting at 10° of temperature, making even 10 generations per year possible.
BioAksxter® natural fertilizer through a soil remediation action allows for the rebalancing of microbial fauna and reprogramming of crops by strengthening the self-defenses of plants that have the greatest potential to counter pathogen attack.
Also in the environmental context, when major imbalances occur, such as pest attacks and other pathological adversities, BioAksxter® exerts a progressive action of reconstituting the balance of the agroecosystem.
