MacCarthy Lecture in Pest Management

Lessons from the last 10 Years of Drosophila suzukii: Moving forward with management

Dr. Hannah Burrack, North Carolina State University

29th Annual H.R. MacCarthy Lecture in Pest Management –

presented by the UBC Centre for Sustainable Food Systems and the BC Food Web

Monday, December 7, 1:00-2:30 pm PST

Dr. Hannah Burrack, North Carolina State University

Since its detection in North America and Europe in 2008, Drosophila suzukii, commonly referred to as the spotted-wing drosophila, has rapidly spread throughout both regions and colonized all fruit producing areas within five years.

This unexpected invasion came with significant consequences in affected host crops (caneberries, cherries, blueberries, strawberries, grapes and others). Zero tolerance for infestation resulted in increases in pesticide use from 20% to 200% or greater, which in turn increased production costs and potential for market-limiting residues. Outbreaks of non-target pests have also been associated with D. suzukii management. We have made significant strides in understanding the biology of D. suzukii in its introduced range and are now translating this information into improved management strategies.

The rapid, global range expansion of D. suzukii presents unique opportunities to address broader issues associated with future invasive species, particularly those which are not currently considered high risk in their native range.

Register for this session

H.R. MacCarthy Lecture

The purpose of the H. R. MacCarthy Pest Management Lecture is to present an annual lecture by a distinguished pest management scientist or practitioner. The venue of the lecture will alternate between Simon Fraser University and the University of British Columbia. The Lecture is managed by the H. R. MacCarthy Lecture Committee, consisting of representatives of the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. It is funded by revenues from the H. R. MacCarthy Endowment Fund held by Simon Fraser University.

Session hosts

For more pest research join the Climate Adaptation Research for BC Agriculture workshop

Virtual Workshop

The annual provincial workshop hosted on Climate Adaptation Research for BC Agriculture is going virtual this year. All sessions are free with registration, including:

- Applied research webinars for berry and vegetable producers
covering pest management strategies, building soil health and innovative practices to adapt to and mitigate climate change

- Feature keynote presentation by Dr. Hannah Burrack, North Carolina State University on Lessons from the last 10 Years of Drosophila suzukii: Moving Forward with Management

- Interactive workshops to move collaborative strategies forward on cross-cutting issues from sharing pest data to strengthening BC agri-weather networks to applying an indigenous worldview to agriculture research and participatory tools for adaptive planning

- Student research presentation forum to hear from the future leaders in agriculture adaptation research and discuss how the ACARN network can better support early career researchers

Full workshop details