2007 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416) The objectives of this cooperative agreement are two fold:. 1)develop and evaluate non-toxic, environmentally suitable and publicly acceptable technologies and processes for fruit fly, insect pest management, and control to enhance Hawaii's competition in the interstate and international movement of Hawaii agricultural products; and. 2)Identify and characterize effective environmental and economic impacts of technologies and processes for fruit fly control to allow for interstate and international movement of Hawaii agricultural products. 1b.Approach (from AD-416) The approach to this project is to address the development and evaluation of currently acceptable or novel new non-toxic fruit-fly control strategies such as classical biological controls; post-harvest treatments, microbial control agents; behavioral genetic and ecological controls and others, while identifying potential environmental problems and developing solutions associated with currently acceptable or novel new fruit fly control strategies in a variety of Hawaii agricultural systems (such as coffee, papaya, guava, citrus, lychee, mango and other fruits). Replacing project titled "Minor Crops Pest Control" (ARS Project No. 5320-22430-020-02G) Documents SCA with HI Institute of Tropical Agricultural Human Resources. Formerly 5320-22430-020-09S (6/2005). 3.Progress Report This report documents research conducted under a Specific Cooperative Agreement between ARS and the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Additional details of research can be found in the report for the associated in-house CRIS 5320-22430-021-00D, Detection, Control and Area wide Management of Fruit Flies. Aster leafhopper transmission of aster yellow in Hawaii. Watercress plants were tested for phytoplasma infection by polymerase chain reaction assays using phytoplasma-specific primers. Amplicons of the expected sizes were produced from all symptomatic plants but not from healthy plants raised from seed. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene indicated that watercress yellows was caused by a phytoplasma in the aster yellows group, with sequence similarity to onion yellows from Japan. Six weed species collected from the vicinity of affected watercress farms, Amaranth sp., Eclipta prostrata, Emilia sonchifolia, Plantago major, Myriophyllum aquaticum and Sonchus oleraceus, were also determined to be hosts of this phytoplasma. Leafhoppers, identified as Macrosteles sp. (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae), collected from symptomatic watercress transmitted this phytoplasma to watercress, plantain and lettuce (Lactuca sativa) in greenhouse experiments. Augmentative Release Protocols for Trissolcus basalis (Scelionidae) for control of Nezara viridual (Pentamoidae) on Macadamia Nuts in Hawaii Augmentative releases of Trissolcus basalis, in which we demonstrate that T. basalis is ineffective in macadamia nut orchards following augmentative release, but provides substantial control if released in weedy borders adjacent to orchards, where N. viridula are most likely to reproduce. The economics of developing captive rearing systems and supplying adequate numbers of T. basalis to sustain such an approach are, however, unlikely to be attractive in macadamia nut production. This parasitoid is relatively expensive to rear, and large numbers are required to have a significant effect on green stinkbug populations. Further work in macadamia nuts has been conducted on tropical nut borer. Phenology of predacious beetles attacking tropical nut borer (Hypothenemus obscurus, Coleoptera, TNB) in orchards was investigated for 24 months by placing bagged nuts below trees in orchards at MacFarms. Samples comprised nuts that were placed below trees in January and then retrieved monthly, so that data were obtained for nuts on the ground for 1 – 12 months), and another set of data was obtained by exposing nuts for only one month each time through out the year. Samples were retrieved monthly, and nuts were cracked and assessed for TNB and predatory insects that feed on TNB eggs, larvae and pupae. Long-term quality control data from MacFarms were obtained and analyzed to determine the overall contribution of TNB to kernel losses at processing. TNB was indeed the most important cause of damage for the period sampled, with a correlation coefficient of 0.56 between total kernel lost and TNB damage. The project is monitored through meetings, email and telephone communications, and on-site visits.