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South Africa's Fruit Fly SIT Programme – the Hex River Valley Pilot Project

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South Africa's Fruit Fly SIT Programme – the Hex River Valley Pilot Project Proceedings of 6th International Fruit Fly Symposium 6–10 May 2002, Stellenbosch, South Africa pp. 131–141 South Africa’s fruit fly SIT programme – the Hex River Valley pilot project and beyond B.N. Barnes1*, D.K. Eyles1 & G. Franz2 1ARC Infruitec-Nietvoorbij, Private Bag X5026, Stellenbosch, South Africa 2Entomology Unit, FAO/IAEA Agriculture and Biotechnology Laboratory, A-2444 Seibersdorf, Austria Three species of fruit fly of significant economic importance occur in South Africa – Mediterranean fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), Natal fruit fly, C. rosa Karsch, and mango (marula) fly, C. cosyra (Walker). The first two infest all deciduous fruit, table grapes and most citrus fruits. C. cosyra occurs only in the subtropical northeastern parts of the country, infesting most subtropical and citrus fruits. South Africa’s deciduous fruit industry is centred in the Western Cape, and has an annual export turnover exceeding US$450 million. In 1997 a pilot project to control fruit flies using the sterile insect technique (SIT) was implemented over an area of 10 000 ha in and around the Hex River Valley,where C.capitata makes up more than 99,9% of the fruit fly population. The goal was to suppress fruit fly populations in the Hex River valley to below the economic threshold in a cost-effective, ecologically compatible manner. Genetic sexing strains of C. capitata were used in a pilot facility to produce up to eight million sterile males per week. Aerial releases of sterile males started in the Hex River Valley in 1999. Good success was achieved despite many constraints and setbacks. High populations of C. capitata were substantially reduced, and fruit fly control costs, pesticide usage, and rejections of export table grapes due to tephritid fruit flies were also reduced. However, various factors highlighted problems experienced in a small, under-funded pilot rearing facility which resulted in below-normal sterile fly production. At the same time, inadequate ground control of wild fly populations in the release area emphasized the importance of good fruit fly host plant management in an SIT programme. An outbreak of C. capitata larvae in table grapes in the Hex Valley was initially suspected to have arisen from fertile females from the rearing facility, but was proven by DNA analysis to have most likely arisen from uncontrolled hotspots developing in wild host plants. Medium- to long-term goals for SIT are to commercialize sterile fruit fly production of both C. capitata and C. rosa, thereby expanding SIT to other production areas. With minimal government financing for the project, commercialization of SIT is considered to be the best means of sustaining viable SIT programmes in South Africa. INTRODUCTION annum (Mumford & Tween 1997). The economic The South African export deciduous fruit indus- impact of Tephritid fruit flies country-wide has not try is of great economic importance to the coun- been determined. A third species, the marula fly try. Nearly 90 million cartons are exported annu- (also called mango fly), C.cosyra, occurs only in the ally, earning approximately US$450 million per subtropical northeastern parts of the country annum in foreign exchange. The Western Cape is and is a pest of certain subtropical fruits. the most important region for the production Fruit fly control in deciduous fruit orchards is of deciduous fruit,with about 58 000 ha under cul- based on ground applications of insecticides, tivation (Deciduous Fruit Producers' Trust, pers. either as full-cover organophosphate sprays or comm.). low-volume malathion and protein bait sprays. A The Western Cape is host to two species of fruit grower can make up to 27 applications annually, flies of economic importance, the Mediterranean depending on the programme followed, with fruit fly, Ceratitis capitata, and the Natal fruit fly, varying degrees of success. C. rosa.Between them they attack a wide variety of However, the greatest potential cost of fruit flies subtropical, tropical and deciduous fruits in this lies in the fact that they are internationally area (Annecke & Moran 1982). Further details of proclaimed quarantine pests and can thus restrict their occurrence, behaviour and management in the international trade in fresh fruit. This puts fruit the Western Cape is given by Myburgh (1964) and flies into a higher phytosanitary category than Barnes (1994). It has been estimated that crop other pests. South Africa is the only southern losses and control costs due to fruit flies in the hemispheredeciduousfruitexportingcountrythat Western Cape alone exceed US$3.2 million per is not either fruit fly-free, or does not currently *To whom correspondence should be addressed. have a large-scale area-wide programme to create E-mail: [email protected] †Present address: School Biological Sciences, University of fruit fly-free areas. It is generally accepted that Liverpool, Crown Street, L69 7ZB, U.K. the best method of achieving fruit fly-free status 132 Proceedings of the 6th International Fruit Fly Symposium is afforded by use of the sterile insect technique annum for SIT (Mumford & Tween 1997). Initially, (SIT). All of South Africa’s major competitors on the objective of the Hex River Valley pilot project the international fruit export market reap the was to eradicate Medfly from the area in order for benefits of exporting fruit from fruit fly-free areas the growers to benefit from exporting grapes from after following eradication programmes using SIT. a fruit fly-free area.However,it was realized early on Europe (South Africa’s traditional fruit export in the programme that the relatively small size of market) is scheduled to harmonize phytosanitary the area,together with limited funding,made erad- requirements with countries such as the U.S.A., ication an unrealistic goal.The objective was subse- which impose very rigid import restrictions on quently changed to cost-effective suppression of fruit from fruit fly-endemic countries. It is likely to Medfly using an environmentally compatible tech- become increasingly difficult for South Africa to nique. International experts in various SIT-related maintain its current market share after phyto- fields provided advice to the project management sanitary harmonization. Only with areas of low to team over a number of years. zero fruit fly prevalence will it be possible for Unlike SIT projects in most other countries, this South Africa to export large volumes of fruit to the feasibility project was not significantly supported U.S..A market and other fruit fly-free markets managerially or financially by government, and such as Japan under optimum shipping conditions, relied on funding from growers in the Hex River and to reap the benefits of increased foreign Valley,the deciduous fruit industry,the Agricultural exchange. Research Council, and the IAEA. The Western Cape Provincial Government later provided finan- SIT feasibility study cial assistance through irregular grants. A study to determine the feasibility of eradicat- ing or suppressing fruit flies using SIT was initiated Hex River Valley in 1997. It developed into the Hex River Valley The Hex River Valley (or Hex Valley as it is also SIT pilot project. SIT experts from the Interna- called) is a long narrow valley approximately tional Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna first 20 km × 5 km in extent. It is well isolated by visited the Western Cape in 1996. Owing to the mountains, with a single town (De Doorns) and valley-system of fruit production in the area, the one major national road running through the area was considered to be suitable for one or more valley. Some 90–95% of the cultivated area of SIT programmes. This led to the IAEA’s approval ±6000 ha was planted to table grapes, with the in 1997 of financial support for a project to deter- balance mainly comprising small areas of citrus mine the feasibility of eradicating or suppressing (‘easy peeler’ varieties). The greatest proportion of Medfly in the Western Cape. Management of the crops are exported. About 140 growers farm project was vested in the Pest Management Divi- in the valley. The many farmyards and associated sion of the Agricultural Research Council’s labourers’dwellings, together with the small town, Infruitec-Nietvoorbij Fruit, Vine and Wine Re- harbour a great many fruit fly host plants. It has search Institute in Stellenbosch (ARC Infruitec- been estimated that there are at least 1000 sepa- Nietvoorbij). rate host plant sites in the valley (J. Kriel, pers. The project started with a number of visits to the comm.). Western Cape by various SIT experts. An initial With the original objective of Medfly eradica- cost–benefit study identified areas that were tion in mind, two smaller areas outside the val- financially favourable for SIT (Mumford & Tween ley, each comprising approximately 1 500 ha of 1997). The study indicated that a SIT campaign table grapes farmed by about 20 growers, were covering all 19 fruit production areas in the included in the pilot project. The De Wet area, Western Cape would be cost-effective in the immediately outside the western end of the val- long-term. However, owing to the high cost of ley, was included as a buffer area to reduce the such a programme it was decided to implement likelihood of fertile fruit flies moving into the Hex SIT in a pilot project in the area identified by the Valley from this area. The Brandwag area, approxi- cost–benefit study as most favourable for SIT. The mately 10 km further west, was also included area chosen was the Hex River Valley, site of the because table grapes from this area were routinely largest production of table grapes in South Africa. sent through to the Hex Valley for cooling and sub- The study indicated that fruit fly control in this sequent transport to the Cape Town docks.
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