SPOTTED WING DROSOPHILA-

THE MENACE TO BLUEBERRIES Proposal By: Vanessa Paz-Barreiras, Andrew Lam, Mahad Omar & Daniela Araujo

Department of Chemistry and Biology, Ryerson University

The Blueberry & Canada

Berry cultivation- the growing industry in Canada

British Columbia houses more than twenty-five thousand acres worth of berry crops

$153 million in cash receipts from 2013-2014

http://www.agannex.com/production/bc-blueberry-harvest-on-schedule-for-mid-july

BRITISH COLUMBIA AGRIFOOD INDUSTRY YEAR IN REVIEW. (2013, January 1). Ministry of Agriculture.

Spotted Wing Drosophila- the menace to blueberry crops

• SWD is an invasive pest that feeds on more than 20 different types of berry plant species

• Female SWDs use a serrated ovipositor to pierce and deposit their eggs into berry flesh

• Most active when fruits begin to ripe and change colours

Walsh, D et. al (2011). Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae): Invasive Pest of Ripening Soft Fruit Expanding Its Geographic Range and Damage Potential. Journal of Integrated Pest Management,Entomological Society of America, 1-8

Infestations are characterized by softening in the area of feeding, fruit collapse, and the formation of tiny holes

Rapid spread attributed to a short incubation time of two weeks and female flies can deposit up to a hundred eggs per day.

Isaacs, R. (2011). First Detection and Response to the Arrival of Spotted Wing Drosophila in Michigan. NEWSLETTER of the MICHIGAN ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY, 56, 10-12.

Pest Control Strategies

Insecticides are a common method of management that targets female D. suzukiiContributes to overall environmental

pollution, a loss of biodiversity and contamination of city effluent

New Strategy: to incorporate the use of Genomics to develop an alternative method of pest control!

SWD’s attraction to ripening blueberries SWD are attracted to ripened berries because of the

distinctive smell and colour changes associated with ripening.

The Goal: breeding berry plants with altered physical properties, namely changing the colour of their skin.

Knowing that the blue colour of blueberries is due to the presence of anthocyanin, a gene will be introduced and prevent blue colouration; the resulting white blueberries will resemble their

unripe forms.

Using Genomics to Improve the Natural Resource Process

Gene Insertion and the Agrobacterium Transformation System will be used common genomic

tool in which the material from one chromosome is inserted into another non-homologous chromosome

Electroporation will then be used to transport the modified plasmids back into the Agrobacteria cells

modified plasmids containing the pigment inhibiting gene will be delivered & incorporated into the bacteria genome

Gelvin, S. (2003). Agrobacterium-Mediated Plant Transformation: The Biology behind the “Gene-Jockeying” Tool. American Society for Microbiology, 67, 16-37. Retrieved from http://mmbr.asm.org/content/67/1/16.long

Agrobacterium tumefaciens

Napoli, C., Lemieux, C., & Jorgensen, R. (1990). Introduction of a Chimeric Chalcone Synthase Gene into Petunia Results in Reversible Co-Suppression of Homologous Genes in trans. American Society of Plant Biologists, 2(4), 279-289. Retrieved from http://www.plantcell.org/content/2/4/279.short

Impact to Canada- Goals of the Experiment To reduce the reliance of chemical

pesticides & increase crop yields previously dampened by pests and diseases

Reducing the probability of pest infestations by altering characteristic blue peel in ripe blueberries, to resemble their unripe stages

Lohachoompol, V., Srzednicki, G., & Craske, J. (2004). The Change of Total Anthocyanins in Blueberries and Their Antioxidant Effect After Drying and Freezing. BioMed Research International, 248-252. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1082901/http://m.plantcell.org /content/2/4/279.short