Combining 2-pentylfuran repellent with an attract-and-kill component for managing spotted wing drosophila

Spotted-wing drosophila (SWD) poses a significant risk to various soft-skinned fruit crops, causing huge economic losses. We investigated a behavioral manipulation tactic using 2-pentylfuran (2pf) as a repellent. We hypothesized that 2pf works more effectively when combined with other control strategies than when used alone. In our previous field study, where 2pf was combined with below canopy insecticides, we observed a small reduction in SWD infestation in plots treated with 2pf compared to those without 2pf. However, the addition of insecticides did not significantly enhance the repellent effect. There are various challenges to using semiochemicals in the field, resulting in limited success. In this study conducted in the summer of 2024, we focused on improving the effectiveness of 2pf using it in a push-pull system. We conducted this experiment in an open raspberry planting under high SWD pressure with four different treatments: a) push, b) pull, c) push-pull, and d) control. 2-pentylfuran was deployed as the push component in combination with an attractive odor plus kill agent and assessed SWD infestations among treatments. In addition, we monitored the abundance of natural enemies using yellow sticky cards and visual sampling for pollinators. Furthermore, in laboratory tests, we investigated the 2pf repellent activity depending on the physiological state of the flies. We will discuss the implications of field and laboratory experiments for using behavioral manipulation to protect berry crops in a way that is compatible with beneficial insects.