The Ceratitis capitata or better known as the fruit fly, is considered one of the pests of the greatest economic importance for the production of fruits and vegetables, due to the damage it causes to the fruit and the associated economic losses. The suppression and suppression of this pest contributes to the opening of the market for pitahaya, blackberry, raspberry, uvila, tomato, pepper and avocado starting in 2017, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock (MAG).

Since 2014, MAG through the Agency for Phyto and Zoosanitary Regulation and Control (Agrocalidad) has been carrying out management and control activities through investment projects and cooperation with international organizations. In this context, he is implementing the project “Improving the application of the technique of sterile insects”. Among the main activities of this project is the weekly release of 3,550,000 sterile males Ceratitis capitata (fruit fly) in areas of fruit production important for sustainable pest control.

Scientists ‘hack’ the brains of wine flies and manage to remotely control their wings

The sterile insect technique is an environmentally acceptable pest control practice due to the expected reduction in fruit damage and insecticide use. It consists in the fact that sterile males when crossed with fertile females in the field will not produce offspring, progressively reducing the presence of pests.

These practices are also part of the activities of the National Fruit Fly Management Project, in which an economic feasibility study was prepared for population control Ceratitis capitata and Anastrepha fraterculus in thirteen native fruit and vegetable crops in coastal and Sierra regions, over ten years (2021-2030).

Sterile pupae Ceratitis capitata They come from the El Pino factory in Guatemala in places of interest for fruits and vegetables. This pupa is processed in Agrocalidad’s sterile fly packing area, located in Tumbac.

Vine flies were released on 611 ha

According to Agrocalidad, to date, 19 out of 20 sterile fly releases have been carried out on 611 hectares, distributed as follows: 225 in Imbabura, 219 in Tungurahua and 167 in Pichincha, representing fruit growing areas such as peach, tangerine, avocado, tree tomatoes, mangoes, guavas, lemons and cherimoyas which are sold in national and international markets.

On this occasion, adults were released in the previously analyzed and defined fruit growing areas in the provinces of Pichincha (low prevalence area), Tungurahua (free area) and Imbabura (fruit growing area), which represent fruit – crop growing areas such as: peach, tangerine , avocado, tomato, mango, guava, lemon and apple, which are sold in the national and international markets,” explained Agrocalidad.

The municipality of Palora takes over the tax collection for the pitahaya, which will finance the monitoring of the wine fly

Fruit drop areas are monitored by official traps, set according to the level of risk for each sector. Traps are used to check the effectiveness of control measures, including the Sterile Insect Technique.

For this latest edition, in the first week of October, Agrocalidad welcomed entomologist Dr. Walther Enkerlin, Technical Officer of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as part of the Ec 5031 project.

During this visit, Enkerlin oversaw the capture and integrated management activities of wine flies, including the technique of sterile insects in strategic point release areas in the Sierra for control Ceratitis capitata.