Ecology and preventive management of the turnip sawfly (Athalia rosae L.)

Turnip sawfly (Athalia rosae L.) is an established sawfly species in Finland, which reproduces on cruciferous plants. The ecology of turnip sawfly is interesting: it uses secondary compounds from cruciferous plants both to find its host plant and to sequester these compounds, using them for its own defence. Its abundance in Finland varies from year to year. It occasionally causes significant damages to crops, especially to autumn sown oilseed crops on organic farms. This project will study the ecology, occurrence and host plant selection of the turnip sawfly and identify its main natural enemies in Finland. The project will specifically investigate the role of chemical ecology for the behaviour and population dynamics of turnip sawfly. The project is a collaboration between Natural Resources Institute Finland, University of Eastern Finland and ProAgria Etelä-Savo, combining laboratory and field research methods and working with organic farmers.