Chapter 8: Fruit-infesting Tephritidae (Diptera) management in Argentina

LORENA SUAREZ; BUONOCORE BIANCHERI, MARÍA JOSEFINA; FERNANDO MURÚA; SERGIO BELTRACHINI; LUIS ERNESTO KULICHEVSKY; SERGIO M. OVRUSKI

Management of fruit flies in the Americas

Springer

Año: 2023; p. 23 - 40

AbstractThe Mediterranean Fruit Fly or Medfly, Ceratitis capitata (Wiedemann), and the SouthAmerican Fruit Fly, Anastrepha fraterculus (Wiedemann), are the only two economicallyimportant tephritid fruit fly species found in Argentina. Both species harshly affectsproduction, marketing and export of a wide range of commercial fruit and vegetableowing to their damage incidence and economic losses, and their quarantine restrictions.Although the exotic C. capitata is widely distributed throughout all Argentina fruitgrowing regions, the native A. fraterculus is mostly restricted to Northern Region. Since1994 in Argentina, the National Agri-Food and Animal Health and Quality Service(SENASA) has implemented the National Fruit Fly Control and Eradication Program(PROCEM). Argentina was strategically divided into export-oriented fruit and vegetableproduction zones according to its agro-ecological and environmental conditions, kind ofcrops and presence of one or both tephritid species. The aims vary in eradication and/orsuppression. The first fruit fly control strategy implemented through PROCEM has beenbased on integrated use of the sterile insect technique (SIT), cultural and air/groundchemical controls, and a rigorous quarantine system, although the tactics vary with theregion concerned. Nowadays in the Patagonia and Cuyo regions, the implementation offruit fly area-wide integrated management with SIT as main component led to theestablishment of Medfly free areas and reduction of postharvest treatments. This wasachieved with the IAEA technical cooperation program. Augmentative biological controlin central-western Argentina was currently added into biorational strategies of PROCEMSan Juan as a complementary tool with both the SIT and the mass-trapping method tocontrol Medfly populations in a more effective and environmentally friendly way. Thischapter reviews the current threat status of fruit fly pests in Argentina by reporting on theprogress in their management and emphasizing control strategies that should be deepened.