LUBBOCK, Texas (RFD News) — The fight against New World screwworm is extending beyond today’s control methods as USDA invests in new technologies designed to strengthen future eradication efforts. Agragene is among the companies exploring improved sterile insect systems through USDA’s New World Screwworm Grand Challenge.
Chief Executive Officer Bryan Witherbee says traditional sterile insect programs have proven effective for decades, but they release both sterile males and females. Agragene’s precision-guided sterile insect technique produces only sterile males, allowing every released insect to compete directly with wild populations and potentially improve suppression.
Witherbee says no single technology will solve the screwworm problem. Surveillance, livestock movement controls, treatments, sterile insect releases, and emerging technologies will all play important roles as producers work to keep the pest from becoming reestablished in the United States. He also notes that new invasive insects are expected to become more common over time, making continued research increasingly valuable.
USDA continues reviewing proposals under the Grand Challenge initiative.
