Improving rearing, handling, and field components for fruit fly SIT application

Fruit flies are one of the most destructive pests affecting production and international trade of fruits and vegetables worldwide. As such, fruit fly pests are a significant?constraint?on reaching the sustainable development goals of the UN by affecting food security and safety as well as poverty reduction and the environment.?In the past?decades?the sterile insect technique?(SIT)?has been successfully incorporated to?area-wide?integrated?pest?management against some of the most important fruit fly pests?in?a number of?Member States.?Nevertheless,?application?of?SIT could be?further improved and?optimized?by incorporating?recent?technological innovations and?by?harmonizing?technologies?and?tools?through applied research.?To achieve this?objective?the following?research topics should be addressed:?improved?breeding colonies?by?maintaining?genetic diversity,?application of?more efficient?diets for?mass-rearing,?better nutrition of sterile flies?to enhance?male mating?performance,?decision support tools to?optimize?sterile fly release,?improved?monitoring?and detection through?more effective trapping systems, optimization of trapping networks?through decision support?tools?and?increased efficiency in population suppression using novel bait station technology.?This research?is expected to further?advance the?application of the?SIT?against fruit fly pests?of economic and quarantine importance,?as well as related technologies including surveillance and?other fruit fly population suppression?methods.?Those improvements will be?made available?to the Member States?through?technology transfer.?