Chile uses sterile insects to control fruit fly

Date:04-08-2021

By Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages

Chile is using the Sterile Insect Technique (TIE) by releasing every week, eight million sterile insects to control the Mediterranean fruit fly (Ceratitis capitata). 

Chilean technicians set traps with sterile males on fruit trees to attract females and reproduce. The resulting eggs, however, are unable to produce larvae.

The Mediterranean fruit fly is one of the most feared agricultural pests of Chileans due to the serious damage it causes to fresh fruits, which are the main crops in the country. The pest attacks more than 250 species, including figs, peaches, apricots, apples, pears, quinces and pomegranates, among others. The larvae deposited inside the fruits feed on them, rotting them.

The Agricultural and Livestock Service (SAG) has already applied macrobiological control last year. At the time, more than 390 million sterile insects were released, which ended up reducing the population of the pest.

Chile has been considered a “fruit fly free country” since 1995. On the American continent, it is the only country in this category, which has allowed it to export its fruits to the most demanding markets in the world, positioning it as an important world leader of the sector.

[Extended Reading] What is 'The Fruit Fly Exclusion Programme in Chile'?