In Brazil's São Francisco Valley, a key fruit-producing region, there's an increasing concern over fruit flies, particularly from the Ceratitis and Anastrepha genera. These pests pose a threat to the quality and yield of various crops, including mangoes, grapes, guavas, and citrus fruits, leading to economic losses and export challenges.
Chris Nazário, an agricultural engineer and regional coordinator at Satis, emphasizes the importance of an integrated control strategy, combining cultural, biological, and chemical methods to combat these pests. "Sustainability and food safety are fundamental pillars in combating this pest," she states. Strategies being employed include cultural control through the removal of infested fruits to disrupt the pest's life cycle, the use of traps with food attractants or pheromones for monitoring and capturing adult flies, the introduction of parasitoids for biological control, and the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) to curb pest reproduction.
The economic and environmental repercussions of fruit fly infestations are significant, with potential losses of up to 30% of production, increased pesticide use, and stringent international market requirements leading to possible export rejections.
Source: Abrafrutas