Insect Pest Control
We assist FAO and IAEA Member States in the implementation of environmentally-friendly and sustainable methods to control major insect pests of crops and veterinary and human importance through strategic and applied research, technology transfer, capacity building, policy
advice, and information management.
Our efforts focus on an area-wide integrated pest management approach, by the use of the sterile insect technique (SIT), to enhance food security, introduce sustainable agricultural systems, reduce losses and pesticide use, preserve biological diversity, and facilitate international trade in food and agricultural commodities by promoting the development and application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Standards.
Highlights
Successful IAEA Project in the Field of Insect Pest Control.
IAEA/FAO has been effectively supporting the fruit industry in South Africa by expanding the integration of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) from the Mediterranean fruit fly on grapes to the environment-friendly management of other major insect pests such as the False Codling Moth on citrus and other crops, and the
Codling Moth on apples and pears. Full Story »
Costa Rica exports "gourmet" tomato to the international market based on a successful technical cooperation projects supported by the IAEA and FAO.
Costa Rica has now joined Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras as Member States that have build their success as exporters of vegetables to lucrative markets around FAO/IAEA pest control cooperation projects.
Full Story »
Review of the Ethiopian Tsetse Eradication Project STEP.
An IAEA delegation, headed by Deputy Director General Mr. Werner Burkart, discussed with Ethiopian partners in Addis Ababa, 20 - 23 July 2010, the status of the IAEA- and FAO-supported Southern rift valley Tsetse
Eradication Project (STEP). The project intends to expand the tsetse suppression operations to some 25 000 km² in the next 1-2 years. It is anticipated that, once developed for large scale application in Ethiopia,
the sterile insect technique (SIT) will complement the area-wide and integrated pest management efforts". Full Story »
Significant damage was avoided to the ecosystem based on prickly pear in Mexico thanks to the eradication of Cactus Moth outbreaks from Caribbean islands of Mexico.
The cactus moth (Cactoblastis cactorum) is a great threat to important Opuntia crops of Mexico. Opuntia cacti have a great economic, environmental and cultural significance to the people
of Mexico. Full Story »
ARS Scientists Help Fight Damaging Moth in Africa.
The sterile insect technique or its derivative for moths, inherited sterility, is being successfully applied to suppress the False Codling Moth (Thaumatotibia leucotreta) in an environment-friendly way. This approach was developed several years ago by the Joint FAO/IAEA Division
in a multiagency project in South Africa, and can also be used to keep this harmful insect out of the USA and many other countries. The False Codling Moth is still confined to sub-Saharan Africa, where it is resistant to many insecticides and a key
pest of citrus and many other crops. Full Story »
Use of the Sterile Insect Technique to Tackle Olive Fruit Fly.
Despite being revered by kings and symbolising peace, olive trees are attacked by Bactrocera oleae, more commonly known as the olive fruit fly. This small, insect can damage up to 90% of a farmer's fruit, damaging the crops and the livelihoods of the olive growers and export industry.
Scientists from the Joint Division FAO/IAEA are proving to control the pest using the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), a nuclear-based pest control technology. Full Story »
Development of the Sterile Insect Technique for Selected African Malaria Vectors.
A new supplement of the Malaria Journal reviews the potential use of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), as one suggested additional tool as part of an integrated approach to combat the problem of malaria in Africa. This supplement gives researchers and public health authorities
information about the state-of-the-art as well as identifying specific challenges and requirements for eventual successful implementation of the SIT. Full Story »