PMID- 33924539 OWN - NLM STAT- PubMed-not-MEDLINE LR - 20231101 IS - 2075-4450 (Print) IS - 2075-4450 (Electronic) IS - 2075-4450 (Linking) VI - 12 IP - 4 DP - 2021 Apr 13 TI - The Insect Pest Control Laboratory of the Joint FAO/IAEA Programme: Ten Years (2010-2020) of Research and Development, Achievements and Challenges in Support of the Sterile Insect Technique. LID - 10.3390/insects12040346 [doi] LID - 346 AB - The Joint FAO/IAEA Centre (formerly called Division) of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture was established in 1964 and its accompanying laboratories in 1961. One of its subprograms deals with insect pest control, and has the mandate to develop and implement the sterile insect technique (SIT) for selected key insect pests, with the goal of reducing the use of insecticides, reducing animal and crop losses, protecting the environment, facilitating international trade in agricultural commodities and improving human health. Since its inception, the Insect Pest Control Laboratory (IPCL) (formerly named Entomology Unit) has been implementing research in relation to the development of the SIT package for insect pests of crops, livestock and human health. This paper provides a review of research carried out between 2010 and 2020 at the IPCL. Research on plant pests has focused on the development of genetic sexing strains, characterizing and assessing the performance of these strains (e.g., Ceratitis capitata), elucidation of the taxonomic status of several members of the Bactrocera dorsalis and Anastrepha fraterculus complexes, the use of microbiota as probiotics, genomics, supplements to improve the performance of the reared insects, and the development of the SIT package for fruit fly species such as Bactrocera oleae and Drosophila suzukii. Research on livestock pests has focused on colony maintenance and establishment, tsetse symbionts and pathogens, sex separation, morphology, sterile male quality, radiation biology, mating behavior and transportation and release systems. Research with human disease vectors has focused on the development of genetic sexing strains (Anopheles arabiensis, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus), the development of a more cost-effective larvae and adult rearing system, assessing various aspects of radiation biology, characterizing symbionts and pathogens, studying mating behavior and the development of quality control procedures, and handling and release methods. During the review period, 13 coordinated research projects (CRPs) were completed and six are still being implemented. At the end of each CRP, the results were published in a special issue of a peer-reviewed journal. The review concludes with an overview of future challenges, such as the need to adhere to a phased conditional approach for the implementation of operational SIT programs, the need to make the SIT more cost effective, to respond with demand driven research to solve the problems faced by the operational SIT programs and the use of the SIT to address a multitude of exotic species that are being introduced, due to globalization, and established in areas where they could not survive before, due to climate change. FAU - Vreysen, Marc J B AU - Vreysen MJB AD - Insect Pest Control Subprogramme, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency, A-1400 Vienna, Austria. FAU - Abd-Alla, Adly M M AU - Abd-Alla AMM AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-7540-4462 AD - Insect Pest Control Subprogramme, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency, A-1400 Vienna, Austria. FAU - Bourtzis, Kostas AU - Bourtzis K AD - Insect Pest Control Subprogramme, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency, A-1400 Vienna, Austria. FAU - Bouyer, Jeremy AU - Bouyer J AD - Insect Pest Control Subprogramme, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency, A-1400 Vienna, Austria. FAU - Caceres, Carlos AU - Caceres C AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-2302-9602 AD - Insect Pest Control Subprogramme, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency, A-1400 Vienna, Austria. FAU - de Beer, Chantel AU - de Beer C AUID- ORCID: 0000-0002-6244-4905 AD - Insect Pest Control Subprogramme, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency, A-1400 Vienna, Austria. FAU - Oliveira Carvalho, Danilo AU - Oliveira Carvalho D AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-8168-4050 AD - Insect Pest Control Subprogramme, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency, A-1400 Vienna, Austria. FAU - Maiga, Hamidou AU - Maiga H AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-8662-4700 AD - Insect Pest Control Subprogramme, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency, A-1400 Vienna, Austria. FAU - Mamai, Wadaka AU - Mamai W AD - Insect Pest Control Subprogramme, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency, A-1400 Vienna, Austria. FAU - Nikolouli, Katerina AU - Nikolouli K AD - Insect Pest Control Subprogramme, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency, A-1400 Vienna, Austria. FAU - Yamada, Hanano AU - Yamada H AD - Insect Pest Control Subprogramme, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency, A-1400 Vienna, Austria. FAU - Pereira, Rui AU - Pereira R AUID- ORCID: 0000-0001-8976-3837 AD - Insect Pest Control Subprogramme, Joint FAO/IAEA Centre of Nuclear Techniques in Food and Agriculture, Department of Nuclear Sciences and Applications, International Atomic Energy Agency, A-1400 Vienna, Austria. LA - eng PT - Journal Article PT - Review DEP - 20210413 PL - Switzerland TA - Insects JT - Insects JID - 101574235 PMC - PMC8070182 OTO - NOTNLM OT - area-wide integrated pest management OT - autocidal control OT - competitiveness OT - genetic sexing OT - genetics and molecular biology OT - human disease vectors OT - livestock bests OT - mass-rearing OT - plant pests OT - quality control OT - radiation COIS- The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest. EDAT- 2021/05/01 06:00 MHDA- 2021/05/01 06:01 PMCR- 2021/04/13 CRDT- 2021/04/30 01:29 PHST- 2021/03/01 00:00 [received] PHST- 2021/03/30 00:00 [revised] PHST- 2021/04/01 00:00 [accepted] PHST- 2021/04/30 01:29 [entrez] PHST- 2021/05/01 06:00 [pubmed] PHST- 2021/05/01 06:01 [medline] PHST- 2021/04/13 00:00 [pmc-release] AID - insects12040346 [pii] AID - insects-12-00346 [pii] AID - 10.3390/insects12040346 [doi] PST - epublish SO - Insects. 2021 Apr 13;12(4):346. doi: 10.3390/insects12040346.