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Argentina Tackles Fly Pests Using Nuclear Technology

14/12/2017

In a remote region of Mendoza, western Argentina, an insect-producing factory is open 24/7. <br /><br /> Every day, sterilized Mediterranean fruit flies are released across Mendoza and in Patagonia.

The idea is to reduce the population of the Mediterranean fruit fly, a harmful pest that damages fruit production and reduced fruit trade with other countries. Photo: IAEA

To do this, Argentinian insect specialists are applying the sterile insect technique (SIT), an insect birth control method that uses irradiation to sterilize and release insects to suppress pest populations. <br /><br />Infographic: Ritu Kenn/IAEA

One good advantage of the technique is that it reduces the need to apply strong pesticides that could harm the environment or people's health. <br /><br /> The IAEA and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have supported Argentina in applying SIT against fruit flies since the 1990s.

But rearing and sterilizing male Mediterranean fruit flies is an elaborate process. For example, insect specialists first have to separate the male flies from the female ones. They do this by keeping all eggs in water and increasing the temperature of the water to 34 degrees Celsius, which kills the female eggs and spares the male ones.

The eggs are then taken from one room to another, until they eventually grow into fly larvae. <br /><br /> Each room is kept at temperatures and humidity levels similar to the ones the larvae would face outside, in nature. <br /><br /> They stay in rooms like this one, with a special diet, until they turn into pupae and are ready for sterilization.

Before being sterilized, all the fly pupae are coloured with a strong dye so that experts can differentiate them from conventional pupae. <br /><br /> After irradiation, any Mediterranean fruit fly growing inside the pupae will be sterile.

Once the sterilized male flies are close to sexual maturation, they are released by airplane or ground over targeted areas. <br /><br /> Thanks to an integrated pest management approach that includes area-wide SIT and with the help of the IAEA and the FAO, Argentina has declared Patagonia free of this pest, and is maintaining the fly population at very low levels in most regions in the Mendoza province.

Argentina's plant protection authorities are also making efforts to keep the fruit flies out through controls in airports, ports and border crossing points.

Having a history of applying area-wide SIT successfully, Argentina is gearing up to apply it on other insects, including the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which transmit Zika, in addition to dengue and chikungunya. This possibility is still at the early research stage. <br /><br />Photo: IAEA

Photos and text: Laura Gil/IAEA

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Le programme de coopération technique L’Amérique latine et les Cara?bes La maladie à virus Zika Les maladies infectieuses Santé Technique de l’insecte stérile Lutte contre les insectes ravageurs Alimentation et agriculture Centre mixte FAO/AIEA des techniques nucléaires dans l'alimentation et l'agriculture Section de la lutte contre les insectes ravageurs Département des sciences et des applications nucléaires

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