This article has been provided by the Fresh and Secure Trade Alliance (FASTA).

Whether you need to manage, suppress or monitor fruit flies, the profitability of your business is likely to rely on insecticides that are increasingly being withdrawn from the Australian market.

Horticultural industries are heavily reliant on a limited number of insecticides for use in traps, male annihilation technique (MAT) and protein baits. Several of these, particularly organophosphates, are at risk of being withdrawn in the near to mid future.

The “Alternatives to malathion” project is identifying and assessing the suitability of new insecticides, paving the way for future registration and permits. These new insecticides will be used in:

• monitoring traps
• male annihilation technique (MAT)
• protein bait sprays.

The project is led by Lara Senior and involves collaboration between the Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Northern Territory Department of Agriculture and Fisheries, and Western Australia Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.

She describes the project as critical for “managing fruit flies now and into the future”.

“Traps, MAT and protein bait sprays form the basis of effective in field management of fruit flies,” she said.

“This approach has been proven to be extremely effective when used properly.”

These tools are essential for both routine management and emergency response. MAT and protein baits are used to rapidly attract and kill flies during an exotic incursion, while monitoring traps support surveillance programs such as the Torres Strait fruit fly response.

However, all three approaches rely on a small number of registered insecticides. Many of these are broad spectrum organophosphates, which can disrupt integrated pest management (IPM) systems, pose potential risks to workers and the environment, and face increasing resistance overseas.

Testing has identified several new toxicants that meet key performance criteria:

• equivalent effectiveness to malathion
• comparable persistence under field conditions.

The project has generated data on insecticides for use in traps, with research now focusing on candidates for protein bait applications. Promising options identified through laboratory screening will be progressed to larger scale testing under semi field conditions.

This work supports the development of more sustainable and resilient fruit fly management approaches, helping maintain industry productivity and market access.

The FASTA program is funded through Hort Innovation’s Hort Frontiers strategic partnership initiative, with co investment from state government agencies, research organisations and industry partners.

For more information about FASTA and its work, visit the Fresh and Secure Trade Alliance (FASTA) website.