EU project helps European citrus growers stay pest free
The Mediterranean is a key player on the global citrus market. However, the competitiveness of the region's citrus growers is being seriously compromised by the medfly, an agricultural pest which can cause up to 100% crop loss. Speaking at a conference on EU-funded food quality and safety research projects, Neil Goldsmith of Insecta Ltd. explained how the Cleanfruit project was helping Mediterranean citrus growers to tackle the medfly problem and improve their competitiveness in the process. The Mediterranean region is responsible for 20% of global citrus production and 55% of world exports. The Mediterranean fruit fly (medfly) damages crops by laying its eggs on the ripening fruit. When the larvae hatch, they eat the fruit, turning it to a pulp. Currently, most Mediterranean citrus farmers rely on insecticides to control the medfly and protect their crop. However, this is not always effective and has implications for human health and the environment. A more sustainable method of controlling medfly does exist and is already in use in other parts of the world: the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT). 'This is really a form of insect birth control,' commented Mr Goldsmith. SIT involves raising millions of male medflies, then sterilising them before releasing them into citrus growing areas in such large numbers that they heavily outnumber wild, fertile males. The wild females then mate with the sterile males, and any eggs produced are non-viable. The technique is extremely effective and has the added advantage of being more environmentally friendly. However, the technique remains largely unused in the Mediterranean as it is not well suited to the smaller farms and different infrastructure there. Unable to control the medfly effectively, Mediterranean farmers are finding their access to foreign markets threatened as overseas citrus growing areas seek to avoid importing the pest. In 2001 the US banned imports of Spanish clementines after larvae were detected in the fruit. 'The aim of the Clearfruit project is to lower the barriers to the adoption of SIT in the Mediterranean,' explained Mr Goldsmith. They are doing this through three activities. They are working to improve the way the male flies are reared and transported, to make the whole process more cost effective. Furthermore, they are developing effective ways of releasing the flies into affected areas. Currently the most common method of release is to drop sterile flies from a plane. However, this is extremely expensive and is not well suited to the smaller growing areas of the Mediterranean. The project partners are working on ways to release the flies from lorries. Finally, the project partners are running an awareness programme across the Mediterranean region to encourage the citrus industry there to take up SIT. Seminars have been held in 12 countries, and the information presented there is backed up on the website and in a training manual. Ten countries have since embarked on follow up initiatives. Ultimately the project partners hope to convert 25% of European citrus production to the use of SIT by 2010. After the presentation, Timothy Hall of the European Commission congratulated the project on its achievements so far. 'This project lends itself very well to EU funding,' he commented. 'It is a small project but it is having significant results with a great potential.'