TECHNICAL
TRIALLING ACOUSTIC LURES FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF BLACK CRICKETS Words by Sophie Hunt : Plant & Food Research Ltd research associate
Close up of a black field cricket
Plant & Food Research has been breeding colonies of insects for more than 60 years. The institute deals mainly with fruit and vegetable pests, indigenous or introduced, as well as some more helpful insects such as parasitoids – tiny wasps that attack and kill other insects. The team researches new ways to deal with pests, from parasitoids to acoustics. Black field crickets (Teleogryllus commodus) are significant pests of vegetable crops and pasture in northern areas of New Zealand. In kūmara crops, valued at around $25 million per year, black field crickets can damage the tubers and make them unsaleable. Given rising temperatures, the population of black field crickets may become more dense and widespread in future. Black field crickets are currently controlled using bait containing maldison, limited to two applications per year owing to toxicity. This is supplemented with the use of broad-spectrum pesticides.
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However, pesticide resistance is a risk, and some pesticides are under review and may not be available in future. With kūmara growers potentially facing limited options for controlling cricket pests, developing an additional low-cost, non-chemical control for crickets could offer significant benefits for the industry, local communities and the environment. One safe, reliable option would be to use acoustic lures, which are effective overseas for other pests. Funded by an Agribusiness Innovation Grant from AGMARDT, Plant & Food Research recently conducted a collaborative investigation with kūmara grower Simpson Gardens in Ruawai, near Dargaville. The research explored the potential use of an acoustic lure/trap to control black field crickets.
In kūmara crops, valued at around $25 million per year, black field crickets can damage the tubers and make them unsaleable
