Project Number: 5320-22430-025-17
Project Type: Reimbursable

Start Date: Oct 01, 2011
End Date: Sep 30, 2013

Objective:
1. Identify components of systems approaches that would be useful in implementation of such an approach for e.g. tomatoes based on selected scenarios when pests such as fruit flies are found to be present. 2. Quantify to the extent possible how the different components such as application of low-prevalence, or poor host status might be used to mitigate risk to an acceptable level. Determine if in-field and/or post harvest mitigations (i.e. inspection, sampling, packaging, etc) can lower infestations. Identify data gaps and provide research as needed to improve information. 3. Assess systems using probabilistic models and/or point and range estimates to quantify overall risk of establishment in the importing country.

Approach:
Our approach is to collect authentic pheromones from live ‘calling’ females and/or clipped abdominal tips and or plant kairomones from host plants and using headspace collection and or tip extraction to identify the chemicals present using GC-MS. Electrophysiological studies will be employed to identify biologically active constituents using GC-EAD on insect antenna. Those with activity will be tested and formulated for testing in a flight tunnel bioassay or other laboratory apparatus and if possible in the field. Next the pheromone and/or semiochemical will be synthesized and lures used to conduct field evaluations. Specifically we would like to correlate capture of targeted invasive species to field populations and damage levels in the different cropping systems unique to Hawaii. Lastly we plan to apply this information to develop systems approaches to relieve quarantine roadblocks of new invasive species which limit movement of host commodities.