Monograph: Applications of the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT)

UN response to the Zika virus

Zika virus, a rare tropical mosquito-borne disease, is spreading rapidly in several parts of Latin America and the Caribbean. More than one million infections have occurred since the first outbreak in Brazil. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) have developed a nuclear system that controls these pests.Read more

Application of new technologies to the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT)

Application of new technologies to the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT). Within the framework of the European DEMETER project, an automatic trap system has been developed for monitoring ceratitis capitata, a pest that generates large losses in the citrus sector.Read more

How a nuclear technique prevents insects from damaging coffee beans

Using the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT), scientists from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are seeking to reduce the damage caused by the Mediterranean fruit fly to the coffee industry.Read more

Nuclear technique helps eradicate insect pests in the Dominican Republic

SIT is an environmentally friendly and effective method for suppressing or eradicating specific insect populations, and is particularly effective in areas that are difficult to reach with other pest control methods such as mass trapping and insecticide application. The method is routinely used in countries such as the United States of America to contain damaging insects such as Mediterranean fruit flies and screwworm flies.Read more

Vietnam guarantees fruit exports with the food irradiation technique

For decades, food irradiation has been used to disinfect and extend the shelf life of products such as spices, dried herbs and vegetable seasonings. Otherwise, insects could take up residence in these products and become "invaders" from other countries, causing damage not only to food production but also to the ecosystem at the destination.Read more