engleski

Suppression of Mediterranean Fruit Fly Using Sterile Insect Technique in Neretva River Valley of Croatia.

Background: Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, is a pest of high economic importance in Croatia attacking several cultivated (Prunus armeniaca, Prunus persica, Prunus domestica, Ficus carica, Malus domestica, Pyrus communis, Citrus reticulata, Citrus sinenssis and Dyospiros kaki), wild (Arbutus unedo and Ficus carica) and ornamental host plants (Eriobotrya japonica, Fortunella kumquat, Feijoa sellowiana and Citrus aurantium). In Neretva valley, C. capitata affects production of mandarins, Citrus reticulata mainly for export to EU and Russia, with annual yield valued to over 25 million euros. Beside infestation in mandarin fruits, medfly also cause problems to exports due to quarantine and food safety regulations. After conducting economic and technical feasibility studies, two years of successfully suppression trough an Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) pilot project, the Croatian Ministry of Agriculture expand the project to the lower part of the Neretva valley, covering over 4000 hectares of fruit orchards, mainly mandarins. Since year 2013, grower associations from Neretva valley representing producers and industry joined to the project funding in terms of supporting part of the costs of labour, energy and sterile males. Methods: Fly emergence and release facility was build and equipped in the city of Opuzen, with current packing capacity of up to 30 million of sterile flies per week. Releases of sterile males are performed mainly with two ground release machines mounted on vehicles, using chilled flies. Trapping system is set and geo-referenced over the whole SIT treated (4000 ha) and non-treated area of the valley (additional 4000 ha) with Tephri Traps using 3component lures (ammonium acetate, trimethilamin and putrescin) as attractant. Captured flies are checked using fluorescent lamps to separate sterile from the wild flies and to provide information on the insect population levels. Routine fruit sampling is undertaken to evaluate fruit infestation and the consequent efficacy of the suppression methods. Results: Results of the application of sterile insect technique after two years of pilot project and during two years of suppression project showed that medfly population, measured as number of larvae per kg of fruit was significantly reduced. In comparison to non-treated area in the upper part of the valley, medfly population was reduced by 92.4% in figs, 73.9% in peaches and 96.8% in mandarins during 2012 and by 100% in figs, 57.3% in peach and 96.7% in mandarins during 2013. Conclusions: The aim of the project is to extend to the all production area of the valley and engage on aerial releases to target the whole population of the pest and to improve the effectiveness of the sterile insects.

Ceratitis capitata, mandarins, international trade, sterile releases

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