RHAGOLETIS CERASI (L.) IN WESTERN : PRESENCE, DAMAGES AND CONTROL IN ORGANIC CHERRY ORCHARDS

Manuela Palumbo Piccionello, Virgilio Caleca, Matteo Maltese

DEMETRA Department, Entomology, Acarology and Zoology Section, Università di , Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, . E-mail: [email protected], [email protected] Two already published papers:

• PALUMBO PICCIONELLO M., MALTESE M., CALECA V. – 2011 - Dannosità e controllo di Rhagoletis cerasi (L.) in ceraseti biologici della Sicilia occidentale. In: Progetto per lo Sviluppo dell'Agricoltura Biologica in Sicilia . Palermo, 28 -9-2011 : 229 -238 .

• PALUMBO PICCIONELLO M., CALECA V. – 2012 - Rhagoletis cerasi (L.) (Diptera: Tephritidae) in Western Sicily: presence, damages and control in organic cherry orchards. IOBC/wprs Bulletin 74:147-155. Rhagoletis cerasi (L.) Order: Diptera Cherry Fly Family: Tephritidae

A problem for late ripening cherry cultivar in organic farming Cherry orchards in Sicily (ISTAT, 2008) • Few news about R. cerasi in Eastern Sicily (Fimiani P. et al ., 1978, 1979)

• No news about R. cerasi in Western Sicily AIMS OF THE RESEARCH

Evaluation of the incidence of R. cerasi in organic cherry orchards in Western Sicily through: • survey on presence and population dynamic of the dipteran • assessment of V damage in cherries; V susceptibility of some late-ripening cultivar; • control tests with nets, pyrethrum and spinosad Cherry orchards monitored during the research

San Giuseppe Jato (2006-2011) Grisì

Palermo Province 140 ha

Chiusa Sclafani

Sciacca Bivona

Agrigento Province Traditional cherry area (TRAD) 20 ha Castrofilippo Few cherry orchards area (FEW)

Isolated cherry orchards (ISOL) Cherry orchards monitored during the research

Area 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 TOTAL Bivona TRAD X 1 Chiusa Sclafani 1 TRAD X X X 3 Chiusa Sclafani 2 TRAD X X X X X X 6 Chiusa Sclafani 3 TRAD X X 2 Chiusa Sclafani 4 TRAD X X 2 1 TRAD X X X X X X 6 San Giuseppe Jato 2 TRAD X X X 3 Castrofilippo 1 FEW X X X 3 Castrofilippo 2 FEW X 1 Grisì FEW X X X 3 Contessa Entellina ISOL X X 2 Sciacca ISOL X 1 TOTAL 5 6 8 4 6 4 33 MATERIALS AND METHODS Monitoring (weekly controls) from mid- April to the end of July by Rebell traps (3 per cherry orchard) Sex ratio ♂♂/♀♀ in yellow traps Control tests with nets, pyrethrum and spinosad

Mesh 1 x 2 mm Control tests with nets, pyrethrum and spinosad

3 treatments (1 per week) by:

Pyrethrum (Biopiren plus 160 ml/hl);

Spinosad (Laser 30 ml/hl). Sampling on cherries (at commercial harvesting: mid- May – June): 1. 100 fruits/ week/ orchard. Sampling on cherries (at commercial harvesting: mid- May – June): 1. 100 fruits/ week/ orchard. 2. Observation under the stereomicroscope RESULTS Average Rhagoletis cerasi captures in three different kinds of cherry orchards areas (from 2006 to 2011) 25

20

15

10 captures captures captures perper perpertrap trap week week Intervention threshold 5 R.cerasi 0 22 Apr 29 Apr 6 May 13 May 20 May 27 May 3 Jun 10 Jun 17 Jun 24 Jun 1 Jul 8 Jul 15 Jul Traditional areas Few cherry orchards area Isolated cherry orchards Rhagoletis cerasicaptures in traditional cherry orchards areas in five different years (from 2006 to 2011) 60

2006 50 2007

40 2008

2009 30 2010

20 2011

10 Intervention threshold R.cerasi captures per trap perperweek week perpertrap trap capturescaptures R.cerasi R.cerasi 0 29 Apr 6 May 13 May 20 May 27 May 3 Jun 10 Jun 17 Jun 24 Jun 1 Jul 8 Jul 15 Jul Average Rhagoletis cerasi captures of males and females in Rebell traps in cherry orchards in four different years (from 2007 to 2010)

16

14

12

10

8

6

Captures/ traps/ week week traps/traps/ Captures/Captures/ males females 4

2

0 22 Apr 29 Apr 6 May 13 May 20 May 27 May 3 Jun 10 Jun 17 Jun 24 Jun 1 Jul 8 Jul 15 Jul • Sex ratio ♂♂/♀♀= average 1/0.5 (from 1/0.3 to 1/1.9) • (1/1 in Campania, Italy, Fimiani et al. 1981; 1/0.5 in Hungary,Tuba 2009) Trend of Rhagoletis cerasi males and females captures in Rebell traps in five different years (from 2007 to 2011)

22 Apr 29 Apr 6 May 13 May 20 May 27 May 3 Jun 10 Jun 17 Jun 24 Jun 1 Jul 8 Jul 15 Jul 35 ♀'10 ♀'09 ♀'07 ♂'10 Highest captures → ♀'08 ♀’11 ♂’11 30 ♂'09 ♂'07 -08 males 2007

25 males 2008 males 2009 20 males 2010 females 2007 15 females 2008 females 2009 10 females 2010 Captures/ traps/ week week traps/ traps/ Captures/ Captures/

5

0 Forecasting the first adult emergence by daily soil temperature or weekly mean air temperature

100GDD for adult emergence Daily soil temperature 80 Weekly mean air temperature

60 Weekly adult captures in three cherry orchards 40

20 Intervention threshold (5 flies perSoglia week) d'intervento sulle catture

0 11-mar 26-mar 10-apr 25-apr 10-mag 25-mag 9-giu 24-giu 9-lug

Chiusa Sclafani (campo 1) Chiusa Sclafani (campo 2) Chiusa Sclafani (campo 3) AverageRhagoletis cerasiinfestation in traditional cherry orchards area in 5 years (from 2006 to 2011)

35 2006 30 2007

25 2008

20 2009

2010 15 2011 10 % infestation on cherries cherries onon infestationinfestation %% 5 Damage threshold 0 20 May 27 May 3 Jun 10 Jun 17 Jun 24 Jun Average Rhagoletis cerasi captures and infestation in three different types of cherry orchards areas (from 2006 to 2011) 25 30

25 20

20 15

15

10 10 captures captures captures perper week week perpertrap trap Intervention threshold 5

5 infestation infestation on on % % cherries cherries Damage threshold R. cerasi R. 0 0 22 Apr 29 Apr 6 May 13 May 20 May 27 May 3 Jun 10 Jun 17 Jun 24 Jun 1 Jul 8 Jul 15 Jul Infestation traditional areas Infestation few cherry orchards area Traditional areas Few cherry orchards area Isolated cherry orchards Correlation captures vs. infestation

Scatterplot (Max. captures of the year vs Max. infestation level of the year) 120 In 16 cases (out of 26) 100 r week) week) r r (low/high) captures agree with the (low/high) infestation 80

60 Damage threshold threshold Damage Damage (4% infested cherries) cherries) infested infested (4% (4%

40

20

Max. captures of the year (caught flies per trap pe pe trap trap per per flies flies (caught (caught yearyear the the Max.Max.of of captures captures Intervention threshold (5 captures per trap per week) 0 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 Max. infestation level of the year (% infested cherries) Sterile punctures of Rhagoletis cerasi on cherries in 6 years (2006-2011)

100 2006 90 2007 80 2008

70 2009 2010 60 2011 50

40

30

20 % sterile punctures on cherries cherries onon puncturespunctures sterile sterile % % 10

0 14 -mag 19 -mag 26 -mag 5-giu 12 -giu 19 -giu 24 -giu Susceptibility late ripening cherry cultivars in 2008

Cappuccia di Mora di Vignola Moscatella Chiusa Sclafani di Chiusa Sclafani Susceptibility of analyzed cultivar linked to the ripening period and not to a different attractant power of cultivars Control test in San Giuseppe Jato in 2009

Vertical bars show 95% confidence intervals 0.10

0.08 Untreated Net Pyrethrum n.s. Spinosad 0.06

0.04

0.02

Attacks per cherry cherry AttacksAttacksper per 0.00

-0.02

-0.04

-0.06 10Jun09 18Jun09 29Jun09 Control tests in San Giuseppe Jato in 2010

Vertical bars show 95% confidence intervals 0.14

0.12 Untreated ab Net b Pyrethrum 0.10 a

0.08

0.06

0.04

0.02

Attacks on cherry cherry AttacksAttackson on 0.00

-0.02

-0.04

-0.06

-0.08 26May10 31May10 7Jun10 Control tests in Chiusa Sclafani in 2010

Vertical bars show 95% confidence intervals 0.07

0.06 Untreated Net n.s. 0.05 Pyrethrum

0.04

0.03

0.02

0.01

Attacks per cherry cherry AttacksAttacks per per 0.00

-0.01

-0.02

-0.03

-0.04 24May10 1Jun10 8Jun10 Control tests in Chiusa Sclafani in 2011

Vertical bars show 95% confidence intervals 0.05

0.04 Untreated Net n.s. Pyrethrum 0.03

0.02 attacksattackscherry cherry per per 0.01 R. cerasiR. 0.00

-0.01

26May11 03Jun11 08Jun11 Control tests in San Giuseppe Jato in 2011

Vertical bars show 95% confidence intervals (Repeated measurements ANOVA) 0.25

0.20 Untreated 0.06 a Pyrethrum 0.03 b a'' Net 0.00 c 0.15 a''

a' 0.10 attacks per cherry cherry attacksattacks per per a 0.05 b' b'' R. cerasi R.

0.00

-0.05

26May11 03Jun11 10Jun11 21Jun11 CONCLUSIONS

• Rhagoletis cerasi recorded in all sampled orchards, except in the two isolated and new ones.

• Peaks of R. cerasi flies in the last ten days of May.

• Sex ratio of adults shows more males than females (1:0.5). CONCLUSIONS

• Not a high correlation between adults captures in traps and infestation in cherries.

• Low damages by R. cerasi in Western Sicily.

• Until 25 May infestation under the damage threshold in all cultivar. CONCLUSIONS

• Sterile punctures, here quantified for the first time, recorded in all period of fruit samplings.

• Pyrethrum lowered cherry fly infestation only in one case; the net was the best tool that reduced the infestation. AKNOWLEGEMENTS

• Farmers: Bono, Brucculeri, Fanara, Lucia, Lupo, Motisi, Perricone, Traina.

• Collaborators (students): A. Blanda, G. Catania, E. Lucia, G. Polizzi, G. Puccio, V. Russo, B. Vitrano.

•Antonino Raimondo and Antonino Abbate for contacts and helpfulness. attention

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