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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Tifton, Georgia » Crop Protection and Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #236903
Title: Improved quality management to enhance the efficacy of the sterile insect technique for lepidopteran pests

Author
item SIMMONS, G - USDA APHIS PPQ
item SUCKLING, D - LINCOLN, NEW ZEALAND
item Carpenter, James
item ADDISON, M - STELLENBOSCH,SOUTH AFRICA
item DYCK, V - VIENNA, AUSTRIA
item VREYSEN, M - FAO/IAEA, VIENNA,AUSTRIA

Submitted to: Journal of Applied Entomology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/21/2009
Publication Date: 2/1/2010
Citation: Simmons, G.S., Suckling, D.M., Carpenter, J.E., Addison, M.F., Dyck, V.A., Vreysen, M.J. 2010. Improved quality management to enhance the efficacy of the sterile insect technique for lepidopteran pests. Journal of Applied Entomology. 134:261-273.

Interpretive Summary: Lepidoptera are among the most severe pests of food and fibre crops in the world and are mainly controlled using broad spectrum insecticides. This does not lead to sustainable control and farmers are demanding alternative control tools which are both effective and friendly to the environment. The sterile insect technique, within an area-wide integrated pest management approach, has proven to be a powerful control tactic for the creation of pest-free areas of areas of low pest prevalence. Improving the quality of laboratory-reared moths would increase the efficacy of released sterile moths applied in area-wide integrated pest management programmes that integrate the sterile insect technique. Factors that might affect the quality and field performance of released sterile moths are identified and characterized. Some tools and methods to measure, predict and enhance moth quality are described such as tests for moth quality, female moth trapping systems, “smart” traps, machine vision for recording behaviour, marking techniques, and release technologies. Methods of enhancing rearing systems are discussed with a view to selecting and preserving useful genetic traits that improve field performance.

Technical Abstract: Lepidoptera are among the most severe pests of food and fibre crops in the world and are mainly controlled using broad spectrum insecticides. This does not lead to sustainable control and farmers are demanding alternative control tools which are both effective and friendly to the environment. The sterile insect technique, within an area-wide integrated pest management approach, has proven to be a powerful control tactic for the creation of pest-free areas of areas of low pest prevalence. Improving the quality of laboratory-reared moths would increase the efficacy of released sterile moths applied in area-wide integrated pest management programmes that integrate the sterile insect technique. Factors that might affect the quality and field performance of released sterile moths are identified and characterized. Some tools and methods to measure, predict and enhance moth quality are described such as tests for moth quality, female moth trapping systems, “smart” traps, machine vision for recording behaviour, marking techniques, and release technologies. Methods of enhancing rearing systems are discussed with a view to selecting and preserving useful genetic traits that improve field performance.