Vibrational pest control technology for soft-fruit crop protection

Overview

This solution targets two significant soft-fruit pests, Drosophila suzukii (spotted-wing drosophila) and Lygus rugulipennis, by interfering with the plant-borne vibratory signals they rely on for mate localisation and recognition during reproduction. Conventional pesticide applications and pheromone traps have proven insufficient to prevent fruit losses from these species. By broadcasting carefully tuned vibrational patterns onto plants, the technology aims to suppress mating success and egg laying, thereby reducing berry damage and yield loss without relying on chemical inputs.

The approach offers an alternative or complementary tool for integrated pest management (IPM) programs in berry production, addressing grower needs for sustainable, residue-free control methods that can be integrated into existing crop protection strategies.

Technical specifications

Key features:

• Species-specific vibrational disruption: Frequency patterns have been characterised and identified for D. suzukii that, when played back artificially, dramatically decrease reproduction and egg laying in laboratory mating assays (50 male and 50 female flies in cages and petri dishes)
• Targeted efficacy: Other tested frequency patterns produced no measurable effect, confirming the importance of precise frequency matching for disruption
• Validated control design: Each laboratory experiment was replicated five times with matched static control cages maintained under identical conditions
• Broader pest applicability: Preliminary trials with L. rugulipennis show reduced plant damage when subtle vibrations are applied versus static controls
• Non-target organism assessment: Field validation will include monitoring of effects on non-target insects, supporting ecological compatibility

How it works:

The technology exploits the fact that certain insect pests communicate through substrate-borne vibrations transmitted through plant tissue. By replaying specifically engineered vibrational signals through the plant or growing structure, the natural mating communication channel is masked or disrupted, preventing successful mate finding and reducing reproductive output.

Technology readiness level

Laboratory validation has been completed for D. suzukii, with consistent reductions in reproduction and egg laying observed across replicated controlled experiments. Preliminary laboratory evidence also supports the approach for L. rugulipennis. The next stage is field validation on strawberry plants using a trellis tabletop system, conducted in collaboration with NIAB EMR experts in soft-fruit IPM and D. suzukii entomology. The planned field trials will assess pest reproduction, plant damage, yield outcomes, and non-target insect effects to confirm efficacy in an applied agricultural setting before commercial deployment can be considered.