Location: Horticultural Crops Disease and Pest Management Research Unit
Project Number: 2072-30400-001-017-A
Project Type: Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2026
End Date: Dec 31, 2029
Objective:
The objective of this agreement is to develop genomic tools to improve the identification, prediction, and management of insecticide resistance in spotted-wing drosophila (Drosophila suzukii). This is a top priority pest for most berries and cherries in the US, necessitating high levels of insecticide application to maintain suppression in the field. This rate of suppression increases risks of resistance evolution, which have evolved rapidly in some neighboring regions. The overall goal of this proposal is to use genomic tools to identify the basis of resistance and translate this understanding to improve management recommendations and towards developing new controls strategies. To do so, we will: (1) identify genomic regions associated with resistance to commonly used insecticides, (2) quantify how environmental stressors influence resistance evolution, and (3) develop predictive frameworks linking genomic data to resistance outcomes in field populations. These efforts will support the development of improved pest management strategies and facilitate the evaluation of novel CRSPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats) based sterile insect technique control approaches.
Approach:
We will integrate laboratory genomic mapping experiments, including a form of bulk segregant mapping ‘xQTL’ experiments, field sampling, and genomic analyses to achieve the project objectives. Experimental genetic genomic mapping populations will be exposed to insecticides and environmental conditions relevant to agricultural systems. Genomic regions associated with resistance will be identified by adapting existing statistical modeling frameworks. These alleles will be used as candidate loci for spatial and temporal genomic sequencing of OR and WA field collected spotted-wing drosophila (SWD). Field populations will be sampled to validate laboratory-derived predictions and assess resistance evolution under real-world conditions. Results will be used to develop a genomic panel, which will also include causal loci for genome edited sterile insect technique (SIT) SWD for tracking purposes, to identify the presence of key resistance loci and predict resistance dynamics. Together, these tools will be used to inform integrative pest management strategies aimed at maintaining suppression, reducing resistance evolution, and facilitating adoption of new SIT technologies.