Fruit Trees and Spotted Wing Drosophila with Nikki Rothwell

Nikki Rothwell of Michigan State University's Northwest Michigan Horticulture Research Centre talks about spotted wing drosophila (SWD). Unlike other fruit flies that target mostly rotting or fermenting fruit, SWD targets fruit right on the tree, laying their eggs in the young fruit and eventually turning it into a wormy mess.

SWD targets a wide range of crops including cherries, apricots, plums raspberries, currants, and elderberries. The bad news is that spotted wing drosophila is spreading across North America, benefiting from our warming climate.

Nikki has found that there are ways to make our orchards less hospitable for SWD. Simple tools like pruning and orchard floor maintenance are a large part of the equation.

The host of the Orchard People radio show and podcast is Susan Poizner of the fruit tree care education website www.orchardpeople.com.  

Susan is the author of four books on fruit tree care. Learn more here: https://learn.orchardpeople.com/books

She is also the creator of five-star rated premium online fruit tree care education at: https://learn.orchardpeople.com

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For premium fruit tree care education visit: https://learn.orchardpeople.com/. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON GROWING FRUIT TREES THAT THRIVE:

✂️ How to Prune Fruit Trees:

https://orchardpeople.com/how-to-prune-and-train-fruit-trees/

🪲 Fruit Tree Pests and Diseases:

https://orchardpeople.com/protecting-fruit-trees-from-pests-and-diseases/

🌳 How to Feed Fruit Trees:

https://orchardpeople.com/how-to-feed-fruit-trees/

🍎 The Best Fruit Trees to Grow:

https://orchardpeople.com/best-fruit-trees-to-grow/

🌱 How to Graft Fruit Trees:

https://orchardpeople.com/how-to-graft-fruit-trees/

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• (00:00) - Introduction to Fruit Flies
• (00:32) - The Menace of Spotted Wing Drosophila
• (01:40) - Meet the Expert: Nikki Rothwell
• (02:14) - Understanding Spotted Wing Drosophila
• (06:12) - Impact on Cherry Crops
• (08:33) - Consumer Concerns and Solutions
• (21:00) - Research and Modernization Efforts
• (22:28) - Mechanical Harvesting of Cherries
• (23:12) - Impact of Temperature and Humidity on Spotted Wing Drosophila
• (24:00) - Pruning Strategies to Reduce Infestation
• (25:45) - Innovative Tools for Pruning
• (26:47) - Listener Questions: Winter Survival and Consumption Safety
• (29:56) - Barrier Covers and Biodiversity
• (35:47) - Mowing and Orchard Floor Management
• (41:13) - Future Research and Hope for Growers
• (43:08) - Conclusion and Farewell