Naturalure Fruit Fly Bait Concentrate from Corteva Agriscience, has emerged as a leading option in the fight against fruit fly in orchards and vine crops throughout the country.

Corteva customer technology specialist Chris Brown said the simplicity of application and product effectiveness had meant Naturalure was widely used in Australia.

"Naturalure fruit fly bait concentrate is a complete bait complex. It's made up of humectants, attractants and the toxicant spinosad branded as Qalcova active. All you need to do is add water."

The most common use in citrus, pome, stone fruit, or grapevine crops is the dilution rate of one to 6.5, so one litre of Naturalure plus 6.5 litres of water, applying 7.5 litres of water per hectare.

Mr Brown said this can be applied as a series of spots as described on the label or as a band spray.

Fruit fly has become an endemic pest in all mainland states except South Australia, and it is now rife through the country and requires treatment every season. Some growers are now treating fruit fly 12 months a year, not just in the seasonal window.

Growers that ignore fruit fly could end up with fruit that was unsaleable.

The fly will lay eggs in the fruit, which become maggots.

Mr Brown said Naturalure was an excellent pest control option and had many advantages over other fruit fly products, including timing and application.

"Some fruit fly options need to be checked every three days. No one's got time for that. Naturalure can be applied every seven to ten days on a rotational basis.

"What Corteva recommends is applying it to every second row, and then going back seven to 10 days later, and applying to the next row over because it could still be working in that area you treated before.

"Naturalure fruit fly bait concentrate is a fully formulated product. It contains humectants that keep the product active, even in warm conditions. It is also organically certified, so it can be used in organic production.

"Naturalure is attractive to fruit flies. The females are looking for a protein source. They're attracted to the bait on the leaf, and when they digest the bait, it works quite quickly. It also attracts the males.”

Both Queensland fruit fly and Mediterranean fruit fly were attracted to the bait source quickly.

"When you start on a rotation with Naturalure, you do have that peace of mind that you've got the vineyard or the orchard protected," Mr Brown said.

"It then becomes a maintenance role of applying it once a week to maintain that level of protection through the vineyard or orchard.

“Heavy rainfall or irrigation can wash Naturalure off the leaves, so this should be considered when looking at timing.

"Naturalure can also be applied as a boundary spray.

"If you're bordering on urban areas or there's other vineyards or orchards, applying a boundary spray can also provide extra protection."

The insecticide should be applied as a band or a series of spots on the lower sections of the crop.

Mr Brown emphasised the importance of applying the formulation with water only, without any other additives.

"Naturalure fruit fly bait is a complete complex.

"Don't put a fungicide or an insecticide or anything else with it. It's fully loaded, and it's ready to go to control fruit fly."

He said the product had been used in Australia for over a decade and was originally developed in the United States by Dow Agrosciences with the help of the United States Department of Agriculture.

"In Australia, it has become a standard product because of that ease of use.

"Organic status means that it's very popular in urban areas, with businesses like Biosecurity SA using it for outbreaks throughout South Australia.

"It's become a soft product to use that works without reverting back to harsh chemistry."

It can be used as part of an IPM program, and the expansive label includes a wide range of trees vine and vegetable crops.