APPLIED Horticultural Research has made it a bit easier to get up to speed with the most effective ways to deal with fruit flies.
The organisation has produced a series of five videos on the strategies growers can use to manage fruit flies in vegetable crops.
The videos focus on the fruit fly life-cycle, monitoring the population, use of protein baiting, MAT and female traps and finally, barriers and hygiene.
Fruit flies are recognised as one of the world's most serious pests for horticulture.
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They can breed rapidly, disperse widely and successfully infest most fruit and fruiting vegetables.
The larvae not only destroy infested fruit but are a major quarantine issue for both domestic and international markets.
The information in the videos is explained in more detail in the accompanying "Fruit fly management for vegetable growers" handbook.
Printed copies can be obtained directly from AHR by phoning (02) 8627 1040.
The videos can be viewed below:
1) Controlling fruit flies in vegetables: Targeted Control
2) Controlling fruit flies in vegetables: Monitoring
3) Controlling fruit flies in vegetables: Food-based Baits
4) Controlling fruit flies in vegetables: Male Annihilation and Female-biased Traps
5) Controlling fruit flies in vegetables: Netting, Repellants and Field Hygiene
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