Cape Town - In a pivotal breakthrough for South Africa's agricultural sector, University of Pretoria (UP) researcher Tania Pogue has delved into the behaviour of one of the country's most notorious agricultural pests – the fruit fly.
Amidst growing concerns over pest control costs, which exceed R300 million annually, Pogue's findings promise to reshape farmers' approaches to monitoring and combating these destructive invaders without incurring excessive costs.
With a solid academic foundation that includes a Bachelor of Science in Entomology and a distinction-awarded MSc in the same field, Pogue's passion for studying insects began with her early investigations into the mating habits of the Mediterranean and Marula fruit flies.
Her latest research aims to understand the complexities of fruit fly attraction to commercial lures, focusing intricately on the interaction of biological factors like age, sex, and diet with environmental conditions.
“My research has investigated how the biology of the fly – such as its age, sex, and diet – interacts with the weather and how this interaction affects how likely the fly is to be attracted to a lure,” Pogue explains.
This understanding is paramount for the South African fruit industry, as fruit flies threaten both domestic production and export capability. Infestations render fruit unsellable, and traditional pest management techniques drive up production costs.
One of Pogue's significant findings involves identifying the temperature threshold for effective trapping. “Fruit flies are highly unlikely to respond to a baited trap below 12°C,” she states.
Operating traps in cooler conditions can misrepresent fruit fly populations, leading to inadequate pest management responses and heightened crop losses.
“Incorrect timing or application of management techniques can cause more crop losses,” she adds, highlighting the critical nature of accurate population monitoring.
Pogue conducted her research within UP's Department of Zoology and Entomology, rearing various fruit fly species under controlled conditions while experimenting with different factors influencing their attractiveness to lures. Field experiments carried out at UP's Future Africa Institute further established how environmental conditions affect pest behaviour.
The transformative potential of Pogue's research reverberates throughout the agricultural sector. “This research will help improve trap capture estimates for fruit flies, making pest management techniques more accurate,” she emphasises.
The implications extend beyond science to the bottom line; a recent report from the Citrus Growers Association pointed out that the citrus industry alone incurs R386 million in annual control costs due to fruit fly infestations, a figure that balloons when assessing all fruit sectors.
Pogue's objective is clear: her findings aim to slash these losses by facilitating more precise pest management strategies. She believes that by reconciling environmental and biological data, farmers can transition towards more efficient and sustainable control methods that are both proactive and cost-effective.
As South Africa continues to solidify its position as a leading player in the global fruit export market, the relevance of innovative research like that conducted by Pogue cannot be overstated. Her work not only enhances scientific understanding but also provides practical solutions for farmers and pest control professionals alike.
Weekend Argus