Thai farmers managed to protect their fruit crops and increase premium exports through nuclear techniques, said an agency linked to the United Nations system.
For years, numerous plantations suffered the ravages of the eastern fruit fly, one of the most invasive species in the world, capable of infesting more than 470 different types of plants, the International Atomic Energy Organization (IAEA) noted.
According to the agency, a fundamental tool to face the problem was the integral management of the crops and the use of sterile insect technique (SIT).
"The old-fashioned way was to use more and more pesticides, but the chemicals made many of us sick, and we could not control the fruit flies enough to eliminate various trade barriers," said farmer Chanapol Hoharn.
Producers were able to change of method thanks to a project supported by different Thai institutions, the IAEA, and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
"After adding sterile flies to our insect control methods, it only took us a few years to meet export standards," said the Chief of the Trok Nong District, Preecha Kanayat.
"Now we are exporting around four thousand tons of high quality fruits every year, and since we do not need to use pesticides, our production is environmentally friendly and we have access to markets that we could never have obtained before," he said.
TIE is a form of insect pest control that uses ionizing radiation to sterilize mass-produced male insects in special breeding facilities.
According to the IAEA, it is among the most environmentally friendly pest control tactics, and has also been used successfully against the tse-tse flies.
Scientists continue to investigate its use in other insects, such as mosquitoes that carry diseases.
Source: prensa-latina.cu
