Spanish researchers have developed an integrated system for the transport and release of sterile male Mediterranean fruit flies.
The initiative is the latest weapon in the armoury of Valencia regional executive's agriculture department and has been developed by the department's research arm Ivia.
Two machines on board crop-spray aircraft are now in the final stages of tests and the aim is that the technology will allow the release of sterile males en masse into Valencia's citrus groves from 2007.
The techniques involve keeping the flies at the right temperature right up to release without the need for dry ice, which evaporates too quickly, and also to keep the number of flights required to a minimum.
A key element is a dosage control connected to the plane's GPS system so that the right amount of flies are released in each area according to the pre-determined incidence of pest.
This new development has the potential to save growers in the Valencia region millions of euro in eradication efforts and lost crops by wiping out the Medfly population long term.
