Examinations on the pupae of the fruit fly Rhagoletis batava Hering 1958 (Diptera: Tephritidae) and the role of applied scientific research in a “bottom-up” approach to control this pest

Abstract

In Germany, considerable damage of the sea buckthorn fly Rhagoletis batava Hering
1958 in fruits of sea buckthorn Hippophae rhamnoides L. is fairly new. Up to 100% of the
harvest can be lost and methods available for controlling the pest are limited both in organic and in integrated production systems. In response to this, growers, institutions, companies and scientists connected with this issue joined forces. They collected existing data about the pest, coordinated and carried out monitoring and tested first control measures. This comprehensive body of preliminary work was the origin of the MoPlaSa project, which is funded by the European Innovation Partnership (EIP-agri). The project was launched on 1st October 2018 to develop a control strategy against R. batava consisting of several non-chemically based control modules. In general, EIP-agri finances projects which combine a “bottom-up” principle in the identification of solutions to problems in agricultural through the application of directed scientific research. The aim is to achieve quick, sustainable and practicable results in the project. First findings of the
MoPlaSa project revealed the importance of gaining a deeper understanding of the phenological, ecological and biological characteristics of the pest. Accordingly, the scope of applied research was expanded with further experiments and the monitoring of additional parameters. Flexibility regarding the scope of scientific work is crucial in order to adapt quickly to findings which may emerge in the course of a project.