10097749Optimising deployment of sterile insect technique to control spotted wing drosophila in blackberries: Black-SpotClosedCollaborative R&DInnovate UKSpotted wing drosophila (SWD) is the number one invasive pest species damaging soft fruit crops worldwide. Without intervention, crop losses can reach 90%. Current control is very reliant on conventional pesticides which, in the UK, are sought through increasingly difficult emergency approvals every year. Sterile insect technique (SIT) uses the regular release of sterile males of a pest to mate with females which results in no offspring. SIT is species-specific and non-toxic, so protects biodiversity. Zyzzle has automated sterile male SWD production using robotics and artificial intelligence; these flies are non-GM and already approved for commercial sale. The initial Stop-Spot project, which was a successful collaboration between Zyzzle, NIAB and Berry Gardens Growers, provided several useful results that helped shape the SIT service to control SWD in strawberry and raspberry crops. The project's laboratory phase guided Zyzzle in the development of its sterile male production processes, including radiation dose optimization and recovery intervals to ensure the fitness of sterile males before release. The field studies, including data on dispersal and longevity in these crops, gave critical insights on release rates. Analysing the year-round population dynamics of wild SWD and studying the mating competitiveness of winter morph SWD, validated current strategies for timing and location of sterile male releases. This project will focus on blackberries, a particularly challenging crop for SWD control. AHDB data shows growers can invest \>£11,000/ha just to control SWD on blackberries, which is at least 60% more than for other vulnerable crops. This reflects the difficulty of managing SWD in blackberries, due to the long susceptible ripening period of the berries; also, dense foliage creates a microclimate conducive to SWD development and hampers effective crop sanitation. This project will for the first time quantify SIT efficacy compared to untreated control in blackberry. Furthermore, it will use detailed field data to produce a predictive model for SWD populations; this could transform targeting of sterile male releases, which is currently done using backward-looking trap data. The project will also research sterile male performance and the changing vulnerability of ripening blackberries to SWD. Together, these innovations will advance sustainable pest management in blackberries. A successful solution for SWD control in blackberries will protect and improve the incomes of growers in England, while enhancing sustainability. By optimizing SIT protocols in blackberry, including through better prediction of wild SIT population dynamics, we will improve efficiency and reduce the risk of treatment failure.