An international expert on Mediterranean fruit fly biology and control is visiting Western Australia next week to help the local horticulture industry to better manage the pest.
Associate Professor Nikos Papadopoulos, from the University of Thessaly in Greece, is visiting the State as part of the Department of Agriculture and Food’s Visiting Specialists Program.
Department research officer Sonya Broughton said local fruit growers would have three opportunities to discuss their Medfly control issues with Professor Papadopoulos at Kalamunda, South Perth and Kirup.
“Controlling Medfly populations to ensure fruit quality has become much more complicated for commercial orchardists in the past two years, with the phasing out of the organophosphate chemicals dimethoate and fenthion,” Dr Broughton said.
“Professor Papadopoulos understands this problem well as the issue has been faced already in the European Union where Medfly is a problem pest.”
The professor has researched fruit fly control for about 20 years and worked in the Mediterranean, Middle East and United States.
He has a particular interest in overwintering, population dynamics and fruit fly dispersal and has also worked on olive fly and other insect pests.
Professor Papadopoulos will speak at the following events:
- Wednesday, 19 June at Kalamunda at 5.30pm – location to be confirmed
- Friday, 21 June, Department of Agriculture and Food Theatrette, South Perth from 1‑3pm
- Monday, 24 June, Donnybrook Orchard Improvement Group, Kirup Tavern at 6.45pm for a 7pm start – reply to Ron Robertson by telephoning +61 (0)8 9264 1272.
Media contact: Jodie Thomson, media liaison +61 (0)8 9368 3937