Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/22
Outputs Target Audience:Researchers in fruit, biolocial and insect scienes and in related fields Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The University of Massachusetts Stockbridge School of Agriculture and UMass Extension faculties and staff are committed to providing research-based information, including findings from our own research, to commercial growers and to Extension specialists. In addition to accomplishing research objectives, this integrated project successfully implemented educational programs that targeted commercial growers. Over a 4-year period, we estimate that over 600 growers were reached via webinars, Extension publications, newsletter articles, field days, workshops and grower conferences conducted at the local and regional levels. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts What was accomplished under these goals?
The main goal of this project is to develop an integrated multi-stage management program forapple maggot fly (AMF), Rhagoletis pomonella, that minimizes the use of insecticides. Two major research contributions of this project are (1) the development of an effective grower-friendly attract-and-kill strategy to control AMF in commercial apple orchards and (2) the identification of two species of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs), Steinernema riobrave (355 strain) and S. carpocapsae (ALL strain) that are effective at killing AMF pupae in the soil, and The objective of the attract-and-kill study was to assess the level of AMF control achieved in commercial orchard blocks using an attract-and-kill strategy involving use of synthetic lures deployed in perimeter-row trees in combination with insecticide sprays with 3% sugar added to the tank mix. Sugar is a phagostimulant that readily induces feeding by adult fruit flies upon contact. We expected to bring AMF adults to perimeter-row trees where they could be killed by the insecticide sprays, before they could penetrate into interior trees. Subsequent flies arriving to the baited tree canopies were expected to continue sensing sugar on the foliage and fruit, inducing flies to ingest insecticide residue. Over a 3-year period in commercial apple orchards (6 in 2019, 11 in 2020, 9 in 2021) we assessed the efficacy of a novel attract-and-kill strategy for apple maggot fly, R. pomonella, management. Whole-block infestation levels did not differ significantly between the attract-and-kill IPM approach and the grower standard. The amount of insecticide applied in attract-and-kill blocks was reduced by 75% (2019), 82% (2020), and 78% (2021) relative to the amount applied to GS blocks. The objective of the EPN study was to quantify the efficacy of seven different species of EPNs against AMF pupae under laboratory conditions. Our results indicate that S. riobrave and S. carpocapsae have substantial potential to control apple maggot pupae, and therefore, their field application under the tree canopy in warm spring prior to adult emergence might be a good option for successful IPM of AMF.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Pi�ero, J.C. Using the principles of ECOstacking to develop ecologically-based IPM approaches in apple agroecosystems in New England. International Congress of Entomology, Helsinki. Finland, July 17-22, 2022.
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Progress 09/01/20 to 08/31/21
Outputs Target Audience:
Nothing Reported
Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?
Nothing Reported
How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Research-based information has been disseminated amongcommercial growers in Massachusetts and neighboring states, Nationally at professional conferences, and internationally (one Zoom presentationto Turkey scientists, and one Zoom presentation to Australian scientists and students).Our outreach efforts have reached approximately 400 fruit growers and 75 scientists. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?A one-year no-cost extension was granted (until 8.31.2022). During this time period, one research objective will be finalized, and Extension efforts will continue.
Impacts What was accomplished under these goals?
The main goal of this project is to develop an integrated multi-stage management program forR. pomonellathat minimizes the use of insecticides. Most of the research objectives have been accomplished. In 2021, nine apple growers evaluated a novel IPM approach that makes use of attractive lures in combination with perimeter-row applications of insecticide mixed with sugar as phagostimulant for reduced-input management of apple maggot fly. Insecticide applications against this pest were reduced by at least 70% in those orchards. At least two orchards will continue with this IPM approach on their own.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Usman, M., Gulzar, S., Wakil, W., Wu, S., Pi�ero, J.C., Leskey, T.C., Nixon, L.J., Oliveira-Hofman, C., Toews, M.D., and Shapiro-Ilan, D. 2020. Virulence of entomopathogenic fungi to the apple maggot Rhagoletis pomonella (Diptera: Tephritidae) and interactions with entomopathogenic nematodes. Journal of Economic Entomology 113: 2627-2633.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Saadat, D. and Pi�ero, J.C. 2021. Evaluation of a Grower-friendly Attract-and-kill Strategy for Apple Maggot Control in New England Apple Orchards: Research Results for Year Two. Fruit Notes 86: 1-4.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Pi�ero, J.C., Regmi, P., and Saadat, D. 2021. Evaluating the Efficacy of Multi-cultivar Grafted Apple Trees as Perennial Trap Crops for Multiple Pests: Research Results Year One. Fruit Notes 86: 11-14.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
IN PREPARATION:
Nixon, L., Leskey, T.C., Pinero, J.C. and Shapiro-Illan, D. Lethal and sublethal effects of non-nutritive sugars on two Dipteran species, Rhagoletis pomonella and Drosophila suzukii. In preparation for Pest Management Science.
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Progress 09/01/19 to 08/31/20
Outputs Target Audience:The primary target audience for this project is represented by hundreds of small- and mid-scale fruit farmers located in Massachusetts and neighboring states. This project is generating research-based information that will help fruit growers, including under-represented, low-income farmers, and beginning farmers, to improve management of apple maggot fly, Rhagoletis pomonella, a key pest of apple in eastern North America. For the reporting period, it is estimated that 400 fruit growers were reached via Extension activities (mostly online due to COVID-19). Changes/Problems:The COVID-19 situation impacted some of our research and Extension activities. Less field research than anticipated was achieved due to lack of student support. In terms of Extension, no field days, workshops or other types of face-to-face activities were done. Extension was conducted via Zoom and webinars, but it took some time to get this started. However, the delays and challenges are not considered major. The project continues to be in route for successful completion within the original timeframe. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Due to COVId-19 professional development opportunities were not offered to the graduate student. The project PD could not take any professional development during 2020. Online professional development (national conferences) will be offered via online for the remainder of 2020. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The University of Massachusetts Stockbridge School of Agriculture and UMass Extension faculties and staff are committed to providing research-based information, including findings from our own research, to commercial growers and to Extension specialists. Research findings have been disseminated mostly through growers and academic conferences, Newsletter articles, grower-oriented publications. Our outreach efforts have reached approximately 400 fruit growers. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We expect to the research activities for objective 3. We will continue to implement the multi-faceted extension component of this project in collaboration with collaborators M. Concklin (Univ. of Connecticut) and H. Faubert (Univ. of Rhode Island). The format of the Extension activities will likely change from face-to-face- to online, depending on the COVID-19 situation.
Impacts What was accomplished under these goals?
The main goal of this project is to develop an integrated multi-stage management program for R. pomonella that minimizes the use of insecticides. Most of the research objectives have been accomplished. From our field-scale research, we showed that growers can control apple maggot fly by adding sugar to the insecticide tank and then spraying only the perimeter of the orchard blocks, as opposed to full-block sprays. This way, insecticide use can be reduced by at least 70%. Our research with beneficial nematodes applied to the soil to control the immature stages of apple maggot fl offer high promise for potential biological pest control.Efforts will be increased to disseminate findings among growers via Extension activities. Research objective:To evaluate the stage-specific susceptibility of R. pomonella to entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) species/strains under laboratory, semi-field, and field conditions. Progress made: 100% for the laboratory studies; 70% for the field studies. Laboratory research: The efficacy of seven different species of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN) were tested against pupae of R. pomonella under laboratory conditions. We conducted three bioassays: (a) short-term exposure (7 d), (b) long-term exposure (30 d), and (c) pot experiment. In the short-term exposure bioassay, all nematode strains (applied at 54 infective juvenile nematodes (IJs) cm-2) significantly reduced (range: 42.9-73.8%) insect survival relative to the control, but no differences were observed among the treatments. For the long-term exposure bioassay, using the same EPN application rate as the short exposure assay, all treatments reduced adult R. pomonella emergence compared to the control.Our results indicate that S. riobrave and S. carpocapsae have substantial potential to control R. pomonella pupae, and their field application under the tree canopy (prior to adult emergence) in the spring when temperatures are conducive might be a good option for successful IPM of apple maggot fly. A second laboratory investigation aimed at quantifying the virulence of four commercial available species of entomopathogenic fungi to pupae of Rhagoletis pomonella and to determine the potential to combine entomopathogenic fungi and entomopathogenic nematodes for biological control of this pest. In a small cup experiment, all fungi reduced adult emergence but no difference was observed among the fungal species. In the singly applied treatments, no differences were observed between species within the same entomopathogen group (fungi and nematodes). However, treatment with S. riobrave resulted in lower R. pomonella emergence than either fungal species. The present study revealed that field application of entomopathogenic nematodes and fungi under the tree canopy during summer when the environment is favorable could be an effective option to suppress the R. pomonella population. The goal of the field study was to evaluate the persistence of the EPNs S. riobrave and S. carpocapsae after being exposed to plum curculio larvae in an unsprayed section of an apple orchard at the University of Massachusetts Cold Spring Orchard. In early July 2020,we appliedbeneficial nematodes against plum curculio larvae in the soil, data were collected over a 7-week period. In mid-September, soil samples from each of the 28 experimental units were transported to the laboratory. Individual subsamples were exposed to apple maggot fly pupae to determine whether any of the EPN treatments continue to have live, virulent EPNs. Data will be collected in November, 2020. We conducted a parallel experiment using the remaining soil samples against wax moth larvae, a highly susceptible host. In a 48-hour period, we were able to determine that the soil samples that were taken from the experimental areas still had viable EPNs, as evidenced by high mortality of wax moth larvae exposed to EPN-treated soil when compared to the control. Objective 2: To optimize an attract-and-kill system for AMF involving odor-baited attracticidal spheres. Progress made: 100% During 2019 and 2020, we conducted field-scale research aimed at assessing the level of apple maggot fly (AMF) control in commercial orchard blocks (6 orchards in 2019, 11 orchards in 2020) using an attract-and-kill strategy involving use of synthetic lures deployed in perimeter-row trees in combination with insecticide sprays with 3% sugar added to the tank mix. We expected to bring AMF adults to perimeter-row trees where they could be killed by the insecticide sprays before they could penetrate into interior trees. Subsequent flies arriving at the baited tree canopies were expected to continue sensing sugar on the foliage and fruit, inducing flies to ingest insecticide residue. Results. In terms of AMF trapping,red sticky spheres deployed on perimeter-row trees in association with synthetic AMF lures in attract-and-kill blocks captured substantially more (9-60 times more) wild AMF than interior unbaited spheres in the same blocks. This result indicated that the lures were effective at pulling AMF to perimeter-row trees. Overall, AMF captures in unbaited monitoring spheres deployed in the interior trees of both blocks were very low, and there was virtually no difference in the level of AMF pressure in the interior of attract-and-kill blocks (despite the lack of insecticides sprayed inside those blocks) and the grower control blocks. The percentage of fruit that was infested with AMF larvae was statistically similar regardless of whether the fruit was sampled from attract-and-kill blocks o from grower control blocks. The amount of fruit injured was numerically greatest on perimeter row-trees and lowest on interior trees, for both types of blocks. Because the number of AMF lures deployed on perimeter-row trees was greater than the number of red sticky-coated monitoring spheres, and therefore some trees had lures but no red sticky spheres, then the results from fruit sampling are presented separately for perimeter-row trees that harbored (or not) a baited monitoring sphere. Conclusions. Combined results from both years indicate that an attract-and-kill approach involving synthetic lures deployed on perimeter-row trees in association with perimeter-row sprays of insecticides containing 3% sugar was effective in controlling AMF, as determined by trap captures and infestation data, when compared to grower control blocks. For the second sub-objective involving evaluations of erythritol as a potential toxicant for adult AMF, the experiments have finalized. Results indicate that erythritol did not elicit significant mortality in AMF adults and therefore this material is not a good candidate for potential use as a toxicant in combination with attracticidal spheres. Additional research will be conducted with the goal to identify materials with insecticidal properties that would have the potential to be incorporated in the design of the attracticidal sphere for AMF control. Objective 3: Integration of attract-and-kill and biological control for insecticide-free management of AMF Progress made: 10%. The first phase of this objective has been designed but the field research component has not been initiated yet. The proposed research will provide scientifically-based, quantifiable evidence of the efficacy of the integrated system for apple maggot fly control in a reduced-spray environment. Extension objective. Progress made: 40%. One Fact sheet and 7 grower-oriented articles published in Extension journals and Newsletters have been written and published. Two Zoom presentations were made. The estimated number of growers reached through these educational materials/activities is 400. No field days, workshops, and other in-person outreach activities could be made due to COVID-19. Consequently, our efforts focused on online outputs and activities.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Usman, M., Gulzar, S., Wakil, W., Pi�ero, J.C., Leskey, T.C., Nixon, L.J., Oliveira-Hofman, C., Wu, S. and Shapiro-Ilan, D. 2020. Potential of entomopathogenic nematodes against the pupal stage of the apple maggot Rhagoletis pomonella (Walsh) (Diptera: Tephritidae). Journal of Nematology e2020-79 | Vol. 52.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Usman, M., Gulzar, S., Wakil, W., Wu, S., Pi�ero, J.C., Leskey, T.C., Nixon, L.J., Oliveira-Hofman, C., Toews, M.D., and Shapiro-Ilan, D. Virulence of entomopathogenic fungi to the apple maggot Rhagoletis pomonella (Diptera: Tephritidae) and interactions with entomopathogenic nematodes. Journal of Economic Entomology (in press).
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Pi�ero, J.C., Wallingford, A., and Koehler, G. 2020. Evaluation of a Grower-friendly Attract-and-kill Strategy for Apple Maggot Control in New England Apple Orchards. Fruit Notes 85: 6-9.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Fact Sheet: Pi�ero, J.C., Garofalo, E., Schloemann, S. 2020. Apple IPM: Apple maggot fly (Rhagoletis pomonella). IPM Fact Sheet Series, University of Massachusetts Extension, Fact Sheet # #AI-001.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Newsletter article: Pi�ero, J.C. 2020. Weekly report of insect pest captures in monitoring traps at Cold Spring Orchard, apple maggot fly and Brown Marmorated Stink Bug updates. Healthy Fruit Vol. 28:20.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Newsletter article: Pi�ero, J.C. 2020. Weekly report of insect pest captures in monitoring traps at Cold Spring Orchard, Pest Alert! Spotted Lanterfly now in NY and NJ, apple maggot fly and codling moth updates. Healthy Fruit Vol. 28:19.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Newsletter article: Pi�ero, J.C. 2020. Weekly report of insect pest captures in monitoring traps at Cold Spring Orchard, apple maggot fly, Oriental fruit moth and codling moth updates. Healthy Fruit Vol. 28:18.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Newsletter article: Pi�ero, J.C. 2020. Weekly report of insect pest captures in monitoring traps at Cold Spring Orchard, apple maggot fly and Lepidopteran pest updates. Healthy Fruit Vol. 28:17.
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Progress 09/01/18 to 08/31/19
Outputs Target Audience:The primary target audience for this project is represented by hundreds of small- and mid-scale fruit farmers located in Massachusetts and neighboring states. This project is generating research-based information that will help fruit growers, including under-represented, low-income farmers, and beginning farmers, to improve management of Rhagoletis pomonella, a key pest of apple in eastern North America. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?One graduate student involved in this project has received one professional development opportunityat the local and regional level. Ms. Dorna Sadat participated in the81st New England, New York, Canada Fruit Pest Management Workshop held in Burlington, VT, on October 22-23, 2019. In addition, Ms. Saadat will also participate in the New England Fruit and Vegetable Conference, to be held in Manchester, NH. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The University of Massachusetts Stockbridge School of Agriculture and UMass Extension faculties and staff are committed to providing research-based information, including findings from our own research, to commercial growers and to Extension specialists. Research findings have been disseminated mostly through growers and academic conferences, Newsletter articles, grower-oriented publications. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We expect to finalize objectives 1 and 2, and to initiate research activities for objective 3. Plans are underway to implement the multi-faceted extension component of this project in collaboration with collaborators M. Concklin (Univ. of Connecticut) and H. Faubert (Uni. of Rhode Island). During the summers of 2020 and 2021, we will conduct on-farm demonstrations field days, twilight meetings, presentations at local, regional, and national growers and professional conferences, and farm walks at grower cooperator land.
Impacts What was accomplished under these goals?
Results from objective # 1 are expected to provide information for growers on the degree to which EPNs attack soil dwelling stages of R. pomonella and their potential as biocontrol agents. Estimated progress made: 70% for the laboratory studies. The semi-field and field investigations have not been initiated yet. The goal of the first laboratory evaluation was to screen different entomopathogenic nematode (EPN) strains and species to determine relative virulence to apple maggot pupae. In our first assay, we tested seven species of EPNs against R. pomonella pupae (see Fig. X for the list of EPN species). Newly pupated insects were exposed to the EPNs in 30 ml soil cups based on procedures described by Shapiro-Ilan et al. (2011, Journal of Nematology). Pupal survival was determined after seven days. Infection was confirmed by examining pupae under a dissecting microscope for presence of infective juvenile nematodes. There were three replicate of seven pupae per treatment and control. The entire assay was repeated once in time (hence two full trials). Treatment effects were elucidated with ANOVA and Tukey's test. Results indicated that there was no interaction between treatment and trial effects (P = 0.84); therefore, data from the two trials were combined. All treatments caused reduced survival relative to the non-treated control (F = 7.74; df= 7,32; P < 0.0001) yet there were no significant differences among them. That said, numerically S. carpocapsae caused the lowest survival (though not significantly). In process: we are currently repeating the assays described above but allowing pupae to complete their life-cycle by measuring adult emergence (rather than stopping the assay at 7 d as described above). In preliminary results, it appears S. carpocapsae and S. feltiae may have higher virulence than the other EPN species. For objective 2.1 (Overall estimated progress for sub-objective 2.1: 50%), one field investigation was conducted in order to assess the level of R. pomonella control achieved in orchard blocks having synthetic lures deployed in perimeter-row trees in combination with insecticide sprays with 3% sugar added. Sugar induces feeding in fruit flies upon contact. We expected to bring R. pomonella adults to the baited trees where they could be killed by the insecticide sprays. Subsequent flies arriving to the baited tree canopies were expected to continue sensing sugar on the foliage and fruit, which would induce flies to ingest insecticide residue. We had six cooperating orchards (3 in Massachusetts, 2 in New Hampshire, and one in Maine). For each orchard, two treatments were evaluated (1) attract-and-kill block, consisting of 5-component lures (densities: 5 per acre) deployed every ~30 meters along the four perimeter rows, insecticide sprays mixed with 3% sugar (3 lbs per 100 gallons of water) applied in mid-July, and on early- and mid-August, and (2) grower control block, consisting of whole-block insecticide sprays. Each of the two blocks received 4 unbaited sticky spheres (2 per block side) in the most interior trees to monitor AMF penetration. The attract-and-kill block received 8 unbaited red sticky spheres (3.5 inches in diameter) to quantify AMF densities on baited perimeter-row trees. We expected AMF numbers on perimeter-row monitoring spheres to be significantly greater than the number recorded on interior sticky spheres of attract-and-kill blocks. Trap capture data comparing densities of R. pomonella in the interior of attract-and-kill plots and grower control plots (which received full-block insecticide sprays) revealed no significant differences between treatments. No significant differences in level of fruit infestation were documented for both treatments, indicating good R. pomonella control using an attract-and-kill system that reduces insecticide spray by 70-80%. Additional field research will be conducted in additional orchards to validate our 2019 results. Sub-objective 2.2; overall estimated progress: 80%. There have been a lot of studies published in recent years examining the effects of non-nutritive sugars on pest Dipteran species, predominantly focused on Drosophila spp. Many of these publications show that Drosophila kept on a diet including erythritol leads to a significant decrease in longevity. For this study, we examined the practical applications of non-nutritive sugars, and whether any of these products could be utilized as a toxicant for Drosophila suzukii and Rhagoletis pomonella. For both species, the sucrose component of their diet was replaced with one of the following commercial sugar replacement products: Sweet 'n' Low, Splenda, Equal, Truvia, mannitol and Purevia. Positive and negative diets were sucrose and no sugar, respectively. For both species, Truvia (containing erythritol) significantly decreased the longevity of the flies compared to all other treatments, including the negative control. A similar trial replacing sugar with only Truvia or erythritol showed that erythritol was the active ingredient decreasing the fly longevity. Individual flies of each species were exposed to erythritol solution at rates of 1, 5, 10, and 20 % for 30 minutes, control flies were exposed to water, and survivorship monitored over 48 hours. There were no significant differences in survivorship between any of the treatments for D. suzukii or for R. pomonella. To encourage feeding, individual flies of both species were exposed to erythritol: sucrose solutions at rates of 20:0 %, 15:5 %, 10:10 %, 5:15 %, and 0:20 %, and survivorship monitored over 48 hours. There were no significant differences in survivorship between any of the treatments for D. suzukii and R. pomonella. To assess potential sub-lethal effects of non-nutritive sugar exposure, both species were exposed to approximately 2M solutions of each sugar replacement, Sweet 'n' Low, Splenda, Equal, erythritol, mannitol and Purevia, and water only as a control. A cohort of these flies were then transferred immediately to EthoVision to track their horizontal movement for 30 mins, held for two days on sugar solution then replaced onto EthoVision for movement tracking. There were no significant differences in horizontal mobility between any treatments for D. suzukii and R. pomonella. The rest of the exposed flies were held on their respective egg laying substrates (M:F, 1:1) for two weeks, and the emergence of offspring was recorded thereafter. There were no significant differences in offspring emergence between any treatments for D. suzukii and R. pomonella. Additional research will be conducted with the goal to identify materials with insecticidal properties that would have the potential to be incorporated in the design of the attracticidal sphere for R. pomonella control. The overall estimated progress for objective # 3: 0%. This research component has not been initiated because objectives 1 and 2 have not been completed yet. The proposed research will provide scientifically-based, quantifiable evidence of the efficacy of the integrated system for R. pomonella control in a reduce-spray environment. Extension objective. Research findings from objective # 2 involving using synthetic lures for attract-and-kill of R. pomonella have been shared with a reduced group of growers. One Extension-oriented article is being written at this moment. Overall estimated progress made: 10%.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Pinero, J.C., and Wallingford, A. 2019. Monitoring and Attract-and-Kill systems for two Dipteran pests: Spotted Wing Drosophila and Apple Maggot Fly. 81st New England, New York, Canada Fruit Pest Management Workshop, Burlington, VT, October 22-23, 2019.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Pinero, J.C., Wallingford, A., and Koehler, G. 2019. Evaluation of a grower-friendly attract-and-kill strategy for apple maggot control in New England apple orchards. Fruit Notes (submitted).
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Nixon, L., Leskey, T.C., Pinero, J.C. and Shapiro-Illan, D. Lethal and sublethal effects of non-nutritive sugars on two Dipteran species, Rhagoletis pomonella and Drosophila suzukii. In preparation for Pest Management Science.
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