In this section:
Sterile Insect Technique
Use of the sterile insect technique for eradication of incursions of Queensland fruit fly in South Australia
Dennis C Hopkins & Catherine Smallridge (Project leader) & Vanessa Cockington (Research Officer)
The sterile insect technique has been used in eradication programs of Queensland fruit fly (Qfly) since 1993. Although apparently successful to date, issues relating to Q-fly invasion risk and the value of the sterile insect technique for this species need to be re-assessed. Being fruit fly free enables South Australians to grow their own fruit with minimal pesticide use, and gives the South Australian horticultural industry a competitive edge since stringent restrictions are imposed on the sale of horticultural products from fruit fly affected areas.
The sterile insect technique
The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is a method of pest control that is being used to suppress medfly populations around the world. It is based on the premise that flooding a wild population of the target insect with sterile individuals will mean that a proportion of the wild, fertile insects will mate with the sterile individuals and therefore not reproduce successfully. The degree to which the population’s reproduction rate is lowered depends on how competitive the released sterile insects are, and the relative abundance of the sterile and the wild individuals.
Project aims
The project aims to:
- Work collaboratively with the Q-fly researchers and quarantine workers in the eastern states to improve the understanding of any increased risk of Q-fly into South Australia
- Research into whether the Q-fly SIT actually has as appreciable effect on outbreak populations in South Australia
- Research into alternative release methods in SIT programs
- Detailed analysis of Adelaide’s past Q-fly SIT programs
- Pursued the adoption of environmentally acceptable pesticides, in place of malathion, for use in eradication procedures wherever insecticides are necessary
The use of ginger root oil
Incorporating ginger root oil into sterile release programs has been suggested as a means of improving the effectiveness of the sterile insect technique. A brief overview of orchard and field tent experiments is included in Ginger Root Oil: Effect on Trap Catches of Sterile Male Mediterranean Fruit Fly, Ceratitis capitata (.PDF).
For more information
Additional information on the SIT and Mediterranean fruit fly control in this state can be found on South Australia’s Primary Industries and Resources (PIRSA) website (External Link)
For more information on the problem can be found on the Featured Creatures page of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences website (External Link)
