Whilst a blueberry with a fungal infection might end up in most people's compost bin, for a team of researchers in the US, it has provided a key to tackling the unsustainable use of insecticides. In a new study published in the SCI journal Pest Management Science , the team explored how blueberries infected with a specific fungus, Colletotrichum fioriniae, emit odours which repel spotted-wing drosophila – a fruit fly that is a destructive pest of berries and cherries. By recreating the repellent aroma from the fungus, they were able to trick the flies into perceiving healthy fruit as infected.

https://www.miragenews.com/fungus-scent-leads-to-insecticide-free-pest-1092223/

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