Researchers at Collège Boréal in Sudbury have declared war on an invasive fruit fly that could threaten fruit crops in northeastern Ontario.
Morel Kotomale, an associate researcher in agricultural research, and Jean Pierre Kapongo, a professor in Collège Boréal’s agriculture programs, are leading a two-year project to find new ways of combatting the spotting wing drosophila, an invasive fruit fly.
The insect attacks most temperate-climate fruits, including cherries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries, the college noted. It was first detected in British Columbia in 2009 and had spread to most fruit-growing regions by 2010.
Crop losses can range between 20 per cent and 100 per cent of yields, representing an estimated annual value of $6.8 million.
Boréal will be aided in its efforts with $150,000 from the Ontario Agri-food Research Initiative, which Research and Innovation Boréal, the college's applied research arm, announced Nov. 28.
“Thanks to the growing expertise of our agriculture programs and the experience of our teams, Collège Boréal continues to fulfill its mandate of supporting the communities it serves, particularly through applied research projects that deliver concrete results for businesses in our regions,” Sabine Bouchard, director of Research and Innovation Boréal, in a news release.
“We are especially grateful to the Ontario Agri-food Research Initiative, whose support is essential to driving the growth of innovative businesses that strengthen food autonomy in Ontario and across Canada.”
Boréal researchers will combine monitoring, reduced spraying frequency, and the use of biological control methods to lessen the impact of this fly on farms in northeastern Ontario.
Three local businesses — Leisure Farms in Sturgeon Falls, Ferme Beaulieu Farm in Chelmsford, and Aidie Creek Gardens in Englehart — are partnering with Boréal on the initiative.