Automation for tsetse mass- rearing for use in sterile insect technique programmes

Foreword The Insect Pest Control sub-programme of the Joint FAO/IAEA Division of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture has worked for many years on developing the sterile insect technique (SIT) for tsetse fly control. A standard rearing system was developed twenty years ago that allowed the rearing of sufficient flies for research, development and small field operations, such as the BICOT project in Nigeria in the 1980's and the successful eradication of Glossina austeni from Unguja Island, Zanzibar in 1997. The research and development work of the Entomology Unit of the FAO/IAEA Agriculture and Biotechnology Laboratory in Seibersdorf, Austria and a number of collaborators through six previous and current Coordinated Research Projects has focused on tackling a number of issues critical to furthering the widespread application of SIT. These include using radiation and isotopes to develop diets for mass rearing haematophagous insects for sterile insect release and to study disease transmission by these vectors; improved attractants for enhancing the efficiency of tsetse fly suppression operations and barrier systems used in tsetse control/eradication campaigns; and genetic applications to improve the SIT for tsetse control/eradication including population genetics. It has become clear though that if the SIT is to be adopted more widely for tsetse control more efficient rearing techniques will be needed. The IAEA and FAO established a Coordinated Research Project in 1995 to address this issue and six scientists and engineers from five countries participated. Four Research Coordination Meetings were held in which the research programme was established and the results discussed.