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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Hilo, Hawaii » Daniel K. Inouye U.S. Pacific Basin Agricultural Research Center » Tropical Crop and Commodity Protection Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #196787
Title: AREAWIDE SUPPRESSION AS PART OF A SYSTEMS APPROACH TO MANAGING FRUIT FLY RISK

Author
item Jang, Eric
item Vargas, Roger
item MAU, RON - UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII
item WONG, LYLE - HAWAII DEPT OF AG

Submitted to: Fruit Flies of Economic Importance International Symposium
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/31/2006
Publication Date: 9/13/2006
Citation: Jang, E.B., Vargas, R.I., Mau, R., Wong, L. 2006. Areawide suppression as part of a systems approach to managing fruit fly risk. Fruit Flies of Economic Importance International Symposium.

Interpretive Summary: The need to create similar measures for managing quarantine pests in agricultural trade has resulted in many new concepts for ensuring commodities shipped from one country to another minimize “risk” of introducing new pests. One such method is called the “systems approach”. The systems approach evaluated the total risk associated with pest introduction from planting to harvest and even distribution. An important component of the systems approach is in-field pest management which will reduce the level of subsequent mitigation measures resulting in reduced risk. While single postharvest treatments such as fumigation and vapor heat are still being used, the systems approach can be a viable alternative. Other concepts are also being considered that manage risk based on biological information about the pest population and infestation of the crop being considered.

Technical Abstract: Areawide fruit fly programs have been shown to be successful in many demonstration programs worldwide. However their utility in actual practice ranges from successful to unsuccessful depending on the focus of the program and the desired milestones of the program. For fruit fly eradication, the application of areawide suppression can be considered as part of a multi-tactic technique that allows for further eradication technologies such as SIT to complete the program. The situation is different where established populations exist. Here areawide suppression is primarily used to drive the population to below economic threshold levels allowing for increased production, reductions in pesticide use or both. Areawide programs might also be used in these instances as part of an overall "systems approach" to quarantine security thus allowing for the movement of commodities from one area to another. Systems approaches, like areawide pest management, are concepts developed and implemented from research whereby multiple actions are cumulatively more successful than any single tactic alone. These "integrated" technologies are becoming more mainstream as single-tactic approaches fail to adequately address the needs of stakeholders. With the increase emphasis on trade, systems approaches have become part of an international effort to reduce risk of establishing new pests while providing a biological basis to risk assessment. The parameters that could allow for development of systems approaches including the use of areawide suppression are discussed.