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Protecting Produce

Spinosad products fight fruit fly devastation around the world

Fruit flies, such as the Mediterranean Fruit Fly or "MedFly", are devastating pests of many fruits and vegetables in key production areas around the world. These pests are so important that governments institute quarantines and create laws to manage the control and prevention of infestations.

Dow AgroSciences' new fruit fly bait product, GF-120 NF, containing the active ingredient spinosad, has become an important tool for preventing fruit flies from ruining both local and export fruit and vegetables markets. Last year, GF-120 NF was used during a Mexican fruit fly outbreak in San Diego County, California. The use of this spinosad fruit fly bait not only controlled the infestation, but allowed the local quarantine to be lifted and the $75 million annual sales of fruits to continue. San Diego County has one of the largest concentrations of organic farms in the world and the use of spinosad in the quarantine program provided a unique benefit. Because spinosad is derived from Saccharopolyspora spinosa, a naturally occurring soil microbe, the GF-120 NF bait qualified for use on "organic" crops, and organic farmers in the affected area were able to sell their treated crops under the United States Department of Agriculture (U.S.D.A) National Organic Program (NOP).

Additionally, the Moscamed Program, a consortium between the United States (U.S), Mexican and Guatemalan governments, is charged with containing the MedFly in Guatemala in order to protect the Mexican and U.S. fruit and vegetable markets. The MedFly is considered one of the most damaging fruit flies due to its aggressive behavior and broad host range. The Moscamed Program and the U.S.D.A. helped develop and subsequently adopt the spinosad-based GF-120 Naturalyte Fruit Fly Bait as the primary tool to reduce MedFly populations, followed by sterile insect release. Since 2000, GF-120 Naturalyte Fruit Fly Bait has been sprayed aerially over more than 370,000 acres by Moscamed in Guatemala. As a result, some areas, which had been severely infested with the MedFly are now considered MedFly free or low prevalence; a task which was impossible prior to the development of the spinosad bait.

Spinosad is the winner of the 1999 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award., one of the top environmental honors in the U.S. The award, presented by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on behalf of the White House, recognizes technologies that incorporate the principles of green chemistry into chemical design, manufacture and use. Green chemistry encompasses chemical processes that reduce negative impacts on human health and the environment relative to the current state-of-the-art.

Dow AgroSciences - improving the quality and quantity of the earth's food supply through products and technology.

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