Nontoxic Fruit Fly Control (HI) ($180,000)
The requested funding would be used to develop and evaluate nontoxic, environmentally suitable, and publicly acceptable technologies and processes for fruit fly control.
The project goals are to reduce pest impacts in Hawaii and to allow the interstate and international movement of Hawaii agricultural products.
Tephritid fruit flies in Hawaii—the Mediterranean fruit fly, oriental fruit fly, melon fly and solanaceous fruit fly—spend their entire immature stages feeding and growing in one of over 200 varieties of fruits. They are responsible for direct crop damage and economic losses as well as seriously hindering the expansion and diversification of tropical/ subtropical agricultural systems. In Hawaii and other American affiliated islands of the Pacific, the presence of fruit flies is considered a major obstacle to the expansion of agriculture through export from Hawaii.
Funding this project will ensure continued progress on the development of biologically based alternative and environmentally suitable pest management technologies for fruit fly control and to reduce the pest impacts, allowing for the interstate and international shipment of the products of Hawaii agriculture.
Recipient: College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources
University of Hawaii, 3050 Maile Way
Honolulu, HI 96822
Why this is a good use of taxpayer dollars: This project will reduce pest impacts in Hawaii and promote the interstate and international movement of Hawaii agricultural products.
