Homem Rafael A, Mateos-Fierro Zeus, Jones Rory, Gilbert Daniel, Mckemey Andrew R, Slade Glen, Fountain Michelle T
BigSis, 5 Weighbridge Row, Cardiff Road, Reading RG1 8LX, UK.
NIAB EMR, New Road, East Malling, Kent ME19 6BJ, UK.
Insects. 2022 Mar 26;13(4):328. doi: 10.3390/insects13040328.
Drosophila suzukii (spotted wing drosophila—SWD) is an economically important pest of soft and stone fruit worldwide. Control relies on broad-spectrum insecticides, which are neither fully effective nor environmentally sustainable. The sterile insect technique (SIT) is a proven, effective and environmentally friendly pest-management tool. Here, we investigated, for the first time, the potential of using SIT to control D. suzukii in field conditions without physical barriers that limit insect invasion. A proprietary method of rearing and irradiation with X-rays was used to obtain males that were > 99% sterile. Sterile males were released twice per week from April to October 2021 on a site in Kent, UK, where everbearing strawberries were grown in open polytunnels. The infestation of wild female D. suzukii was monitored weekly using red sticky traps with dry lure at the treated site and at two similar control sites that did not receive sterile male releases. Releases of sterile males suppressed the wild female D. suzukii population by up to 91% in comparison with the control sites. We thus demonstrated the feasibility of SIT to achieve season-long control of D. suzukii using early, sustained and dynamically targeted releases of sterile males. This provides a promising environmentally friendly method to control this important pest.
铃木氏果蝇（斑翅果蝇——SWD）是全球范围内对软果和核果具有重要经济影响的害虫。防治依赖于广谱杀虫剂，这些杀虫剂既不完全有效，也不具有环境可持续性。昆虫不育技术（SIT）是一种经过验证的、有效的且环境友好的害虫管理工具。在此，我们首次研究了在没有限制昆虫入侵的物理屏障的田间条件下，使用SIT控制铃木氏果蝇的潜力。采用一种专有的饲养和X射线辐照方法来获得不育率>99%的雄蝇。2021年4月至10月期间，每周在英国肯特郡一个种植四季草莓的露天塑料大棚场地释放两次不育雄蝇。在处理场地以及另外两个未释放不育雄蝇的类似对照场地，每周使用带有干式诱捕剂的红色粘虫板监测野生铃木氏果蝇雌蝇的侵扰情况。与对照场地相比，不育雄蝇的释放使野生铃木氏果蝇雌蝇种群数量减少了高达91%。因此，我们证明了通过早期、持续且动态靶向释放不育雄蝇，SIT实现对铃木氏果蝇进行全季控制的可行性。这为控制这种重要害虫提供了一种有前景的环境友好方法。
