In this section:
Fruit Fly
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 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.
For more information
For more information on the problem, try the following worldwide websites.
Recently completed research project
Developing the sterile insect technique for eradication of incursions of Mediterranean fruit fly in South Australia
Dennis C Hopkins & Catherine Smallridge (Research Entomologist) and Vanessa Cockington (Research Officer)
Summary
The sterile insect technique (SIT) is a method of pest control that has been developed for use against medfly populations around the world. It is based on the premise that flooding a wild population with sterile individuals will mean that a large proportion of the wild, fertile insects will mate with the sterile individuals, and the reduced reproductive output will eventually lead to local population extinction. Variability in medfly populations, habitats and environmental conditions between SIT program locations worldwide requires that background research must be carried out for every SIT initiative.
Project aims
- to work collaboratively with the Western Australian Department of Agriculture to develop SIT for medfly control
- to develop a cost-effective strategy for the use of SIT in medfly eradication in South Australia
- to pursue the adoption of environmentally acceptable pesticides, in place of malathion, for use in eradication procedures wherever insecticides are necessary.
