Screwworm Strain Readied for Active Duty

Screwworm strain readied for active duty

American scientific ingenuity in the form of sterile fly releases helped eliminate New World screwworm from the country in the 1960s. Now, U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service researchers are combining that ingenuity with next-generation tools to counter new…

New sterile fly strain could boost screwworm fight

By Emmy Powell Communications Specialist A newly developed strain of sterile New World screwworm flies could significantly increase the number of male flies available to help fight the pest. NovoFly™ is an all-male strain developed by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists and university collaborators. The strain is designed to make the Sterile Insect

USDA Researchers Advance Sterile Insect Technique with Male-Only “NovoFly” Strain - Oklahoma Farm Report

According to reporting by Rod Bain for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D.C., scientists are making significant strides in modernizing the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT)—a biological control method that has formed the backbone of New World screwworm eradication across the United States and the North American continent since the 1950s and 1960s. The … Continue reading The post USDA Researchers Advance Sterile Insect Technique wi…