FFAR, Almond Board fund $4.99M navel orangeworm project
FFAR and the Almond Board of California are providing $4.99 million to advance Flyttr’s biological control for navel orangeworm affecting California almonds and pistachios.
The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) and Almond Board of California are providing $4.99 million in matching funds to Flyttr to develop a biological control for navel orangeworm in California almonds and pistachios.
Navel orangeworm affects more than 1.5 million acres of almonds and pistachios and costs growers more than $800 million annually, according to the organizations.
The multi-year project will accelerate development of Flyttr’s Friendly navel orangeworm technology. The approach involves releasing male moths that mate with wild females without producing surviving offspring. Sustained releases are intended to reduce pest populations over time.
Funding will also support research on large-scale production systems and field studies intended to prepare the technology for potential use in California orchards.
“Sterile insect approaches have proven effective against several major agricultural pests, and this project advances their application to navel orangeworm by improving efficiency and cost-effectiveness,” Kathy Munkvold, FFAR scientific program director, said.
The technology is intended to complement existing pest management practices and provide growers with another option for controlling navel orangeworm while reducing reliance on chemical insecticides.
Flyttr said its work builds on the Sterile Insect Technique and more than a decade of deployments of its technology against other crop pests and disease-transmitting mosquitoes on four continents.
FFAR said its investment is intended to move the technology closer to practical use by tree nut growers and complements USDA’s research and development priority of increasing farmer and rancher profitability.