Helping eradicate the medfly from Mexico

The Mediterranean fruit-fly (Medfly) is a serious pest in Agriculture. It causes damage primarily by its larvae, which feed on the host fruit or vegetable. Agricultural production of about 30 km2 can be infested in 100 days by the progeny of 1000 females. In Mexico, the Medfly was first observed in 1977. It severely damages the agricultural economy and limits the trade balance and food supplies of the country. Realizing the gravity of the problem, the IAEA, in co-operation with the Governments of Mexico and the United States, implemented a joint pest management programme under the code-name of MOSCAMED. It utilized the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) on which the Agency has gained considerable experience from its previous involvements in many developing countries. The SIT is technically suitable and environmentally acceptable for Medfly eradication. A factory was built with all areas of SIT expertise. This factory could produce 2 thousand million Medfly eggs in 12 days. The Agency, including its Seibersdorf laboratory, was the primary back-up of the programme. As a result, the northward migration of the fly has been halted and the pest that had infested over 3 million hectares has been eradicated from Mexico as from early 1981