Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: International Atomic Energy Agency –
Sterile insect method – is an approach that uses ionizing radiation to sterilize large numbers of laboratory-reared insects, which are then released into pest-infested areas to mate with wild populations of the same species. Since these sterilized insects are unable to produce offspring, the pest population eventually declines.
When using MSN for many insect species, breeding of both sterile males and females is allowed. However, in most cases, breeding of males is more effective, including economically. There are several main reasons for this.
First, sterile males are much more effective at preventing reproduction in wild insects, as they actively seek out wild females for mating and can mate with multiple females. Therefore, breeding and releasing only males into the wild speeds up the process of introducing sterility – sterile males mate only with wild females, without being distracted by sterile females. Moreover, in the unlikely event of a failure in the sterilization process, using only males eliminates the risk of fertile females being released into the environment.
Secondly, when breeding only male insects, the costs of transporting and releasing sterile individuals are reduced by half compared to breeding both males and females.
Thirdly, it is much safer, since in some cases releasing female insects can have negative consequences and be more dangerous. For example, only females mosquitoes They bite people in search of blood as a source of protein and can spread deadly diseases.
MSN is one of the safest and most environmentally friendly methods of insect birth control, which protects the environment by reducing the use of insecticidesIn addition, since sterile insects cannot reproduce on their own, problems caused by insect pests are solved in the long term without the risk of introducing new species into the ecosystem.
Since the 1950s, SIT has been used successfully to control certain insect species that affect human and livestock health, such as the tsetse fly and disease-carrying mosquitoes, and to control insect pests that destroy crops and affect trade, such as fruit flies and butterflies.
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