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Applying the sterile insect technique to the control of insect pests

Abstract

The sterile insect technique (SIT) is basically a novel twentieth century approach to insect birth control. It is species specific and exploits the mate seeking behaviour of the insect. The basic principle is simple. Insects are mass reared in 'factories' and sexually sterilized by gamma rays from a {sup 60}Co source. The sterile insects are then released in a controlled fashion into nature. Matings between the sterile insects released and native insects produced no progeny. If enough of these matings take place, reproduction of the pest population decreases. With continued release, the pest population can be controlled and in some cases eradicated. In the light of the many important applications of the SIT worldwide and the great potential that SIT concepts hold for insect and pest control in developing countries, two special benefits should be stressed. Of greatest significance is the fact that the SIT permits suppression and eradication of insect pests in an environmentally harmless manner. It combines nuclear techniques with genetic approaches and, in effect, replaces intensive use of chemicals in pest control. Although chemicals are used sparingly at the outset in some SIT programmes to reduce the size of the pest population before releases of sterilized insects  More>>
Authors:
LaChance, L E; Klassen, W [1] 
  1. Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Vienna (Austria)
Publication Date:
Sep 01, 1991
Product Type:
Miscellaneous
Report Number:
STI/PUB-891
Resource Relation:
Other Information: 18 refs, 5 figs, 1 tab; PBD: Sep 1991; Related Information: In: Applications of nuclear techniques and research 1991. Part B of the IAEA Yearbook 1991, 84 pages.
Subject:
60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES; CERATITIS CAPITATA; DOMESTIC ANIMALS; FRUIT FLIES; GLOSSINA; IRRADIATION PROCEDURES; MOTHS; PEST CONTROL; RADIOSTERILIZATION; STERILE MALE TECHNIQUE; TRYPANOSOMIASIS
OSTI ID:
20273532
Research Organizations:
International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria)
Country of Origin:
IAEA
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
Other: ISBN 92-0-179191-7; TRN: XA0202357037782
Submitting Site:
INIS
Size:
page(s) B23-B33
Announcement Date:
Sep 12, 2002

Citation Formats

LaChance, L E, and Klassen, W. Applying the sterile insect technique to the control of insect pests. IAEA: N. p., 1991. Web.
LaChance, L E, & Klassen, W. Applying the sterile insect technique to the control of insect pests. IAEA.
LaChance, L E, and Klassen, W. 1991. "Applying the sterile insect technique to the control of insect pests." IAEA.
@misc{etde_20273532,
title = {Applying the sterile insect technique to the control of insect pests}
author = {LaChance, L E, and Klassen, W}
abstractNote = {The sterile insect technique (SIT) is basically a novel twentieth century approach to insect birth control. It is species specific and exploits the mate seeking behaviour of the insect. The basic principle is simple. Insects are mass reared in 'factories' and sexually sterilized by gamma rays from a {sup 60}Co source. The sterile insects are then released in a controlled fashion into nature. Matings between the sterile insects released and native insects produced no progeny. If enough of these matings take place, reproduction of the pest population decreases. With continued release, the pest population can be controlled and in some cases eradicated. In the light of the many important applications of the SIT worldwide and the great potential that SIT concepts hold for insect and pest control in developing countries, two special benefits should be stressed. Of greatest significance is the fact that the SIT permits suppression and eradication of insect pests in an environmentally harmless manner. It combines nuclear techniques with genetic approaches and, in effect, replaces intensive use of chemicals in pest control. Although chemicals are used sparingly at the outset in some SIT programmes to reduce the size of the pest population before releases of sterilized insects are started, the total amount of chemicals used in an SIT programme is a mere fraction of what would be used without the SIT. It is also of great importance that the SIT is not designed strictly for the eradication of pest species but can readily be used in the suppression of insect populations. In fact, the SIT is ideally suited for use in conjunction with other agricultural pest control practices such as the use of parasites and predators, attractants and cultural controls (e.g. ploughing under or destruction of crop residues) in integrated pest management programmes to achieve control at the lowest possible price and with a minimum of chemical contamination of the environment.}
place = {IAEA}
year = {1991}
month = {Sep}
}