Fruit fly eradication has been all but aban\u2013doned in Hawai\u2019i in favor of post-harvest commodity treatments – irradiation, in particular. This is despite the demonstrated technological feasibility of eradication in Okinawa, California, and Florida.<\/p>\n
As late as 1993, members of the Hawai\u2019i Fruit Fly Committee still embraced eradi\u2013cation as an attainable goal in the state. For example, the HFFC’s Mike Kido reported in July 1993 to the HFFC executive commit\u2013tee that: Based on previous large-scale USDA experiments, and the success in Okinawa, California and Florida, it ap\u2013peared that the technology for eradication of both incipient and established fly popu\u2013lations is currently available. The only major hurdles to a Hawai\u2019i eradication pro\u2013gram are registration of the chemicals and answering the pertinent environmental questions.”<\/p>\n
Now, however, irradiation has been adopted as the state’s bright new hope for overcoming quarantine. Although eradication may be technically feasible, Kido told Environment Hawai’i<\/i>, \u201cWith the DOA, UH and the USDA, you get all this bureau\u2013cracy. They think themselves out of it and tie themselves into knots. That’s why they’re into post-harvest treatments. They wanted something successful because the rest was such a disaster.”<\/p>\n
The focus on irradiation is short-sighted, Kido went on to say, noting that, \u201cin order to have marketable fruit, you need to have control in the field.”<\/p>\n
While irradiation has broadened mar\u2013keting possibilities for Hawai’i’s fruit, it isn’t a solution to all of Hawai\u2019i’s produce problems. Irradiation sterilizes pests, but it does not kill them. Pristine areas where the fruits are shipped and sold may be spared from infestation, but without proper con\u2013trol, female flies can still damage the fruit by stinging it or laying eggs in it.<\/p>\n
A Happy Medium<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
A new approach to \u201ccontrolling the field” has been recently proposed by the USDA Agriculture Research Service. Roger Vargas, the ARS entomologist who is conducting the work, describes the approach as \u201cbridging the gap between eradication and com\u2013modities treatment.” Others working with Vargas on the study, called \u201cIntegrated Pest Management (IPM) of Fruit Flies in Ha\u2013waiian Fruits and Vegetables,” are Mary Purcell, research entomologist, USDA-ARS; Roy Cunningham, research entomologist, USDA-ARS; and Ron Mau, extension ento\u2013mologist, UH Department of Entomology.<\/p>\n
A brief description of the study suggests that because eradication programs have high environmental and economic costs, \u201cemphasis should shift toward area-wide pest management control programs and away from eradication. Furthermore, in the ab\u2013sence of eradication programs in Hawai\u2019i, systems approaches using IPM methodolo\u2013gies are the best approach to producing higher quality fruits for commodity treat\u2013ments such as irradiation.”<\/p>\n
\u201cWe will utilize technology developed by the lab for eradication and repackage it for a management approach,” says Vargas. \u201cThe cost of eradication was so high, people quickly looked in other directions; now they’re interested in commodity treatment. But the problem is that many people can’t grow fruit because of fruit fly attacks, so I came up with a management plan.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt hasn’t been funded yet,” he contin\u2013ues, “but the proposal is one of seven being considered. If it isn’t funded, the objectives will be pursued anyway because they make good sense.”<\/p>\n
A Total Approach<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
“Integrated pest management is the utiliza\u2013tion of environmentally sound techniques and methods to maintain the pest popula\u2013tion at levels below those causing economic injury,” according to a description of the project.<\/p>\n
The project includes a series of large-area management approaches.<\/p>\n
First, it involves the release of fruit-fly parasites, such as wasps, into the environ\u2013ment at key sites. This process is described technically as “augmentive biological con\u2013trol releases of parasites.”<\/p>\n
Second, there is the use of a bait spray that does not harm native species. Many bait sprays use malathion, which damages non-target species and sometimes allows incidences of secondary pest outbreaks. Xanthene dyes, which are less harmful to the environment, will be used instead. Be\u2013cause xanthene dye is photoactive, insects die when exposed to the sunlight after in\u2013gesting the bait. “This compound is used in lipstick and Pepto-Bismol,” Vargas says. “It’s a common coloring that has a low mammalian toxicity.”<\/p>\n
Third, the project will use male annihi\u2013lation lures. There is a group of plant-derived compounds, called male lures, that have a “magical effect” on fruit flies, according to Vargas. This technique uses a small trap and a bit of the lure on a cotton wick to attract and collect the insects. “Methyl eu\u2013genol and cue lure are the two most excep\u2013tional,” he says, although they have never been registered for use in Hawai\u2019i. “They’re relatively non-toxic,” Vargas adds. “People in Asia eat plants laced with methyl eu\u2013genol. The object [of this part of the program] would be to register or demonstrate the use of these lures in male annihilation.”<\/p>\n
Fourth, the project will employ the ster\u2013ile insect technique (SIT). This entails rais\u2013ing millions of male fruit flies in the lab, exposing them to irradiation to sterilize them, and then releasing them into the target areas.<\/p>\n
Fifth, and last, the project will use neem\u2013based insecticides. “Neem-based insecti\u2013cides exhibit low mammalian toxicity, are an effective control for many insect groups, and are compatible with the activities of many beneficial insects,” a project descrip\u2013tion states.<\/p>\n
According to Vargas, this approach “will allow for the expansion of citrus, mango, atemoya, and other tropical fruit” cultiva\u2013tion. The project, if approved, will have a budget of $5 million for five years. Possible collaborators include the University of Hawai’i Cooperative Extension Service, the UH Entomology Department, the UH Con\u2013servation Biology Program, the state De\u2013partment of Agriculture, the Tropical Fruit Growers’ Association, and various fruit and vegetable growers.<\/p>\n
Volume 7, Number 10 April 1997<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Fruit fly eradication has been all but aban–doned in Hawai’i in favor of post-harvest commodity treatments – irradiation, in particular. This is despite the demonstrated technological feasibility of eradication in Okinawa, California, and Florida. As late as 1993, members of … Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[181],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3435","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-april-1997"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/environment-hawaii.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3435","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/environment-hawaii.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/environment-hawaii.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/environment-hawaii.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/environment-hawaii.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3435"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/environment-hawaii.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3435\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/environment-hawaii.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3435"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/environment-hawaii.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3435"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/environment-hawaii.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3435"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}