MSU wins grant for biopesticide to battle invasive pest

Michigan State University (MSU) has received a $325,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to develop a biopesticide to combat spotted wing drosophila (SWD), a pest harming berry and tree fruit crops.

The project, led by Julianna Wilson, assistant professor in MSU’s Department of Entomology, focuses on a yeast-based biopesticide designed to disrupt SWD’s ribonucleic acid (RNA) protein translation, a technique previously effective against similar pests.

“This type of product is uniquely effective compared to conventional pesticides because it focuses on gene expression in target organisms, leaving non-target organisms unharmed,” Wilson said.

SWD, originally from East Asia, was first identified in North America in 2008 and has since spread widely, impacting crops such as blueberries and cherries. Unlike many pests, SWD females can lay eggs in ripe fruit, causing crop losses and increasing costs for growers.

In collaboration with Indiana University, MSU researchers will conduct lab and field testing, assess attractant durability, and explore deployment strategies. Results from this research could benefit growers nationwide, potentially reducing economic impacts and pesticide use in fruit agriculture.

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