Genetic Control: Insect Pests in Africa • GeneConvene Virtual Institute

Genetic Control of Insect Pests in Africa

Past, Present, and Future

The use of genetics-based approaches to control insect pests (genetic biocontrol) has a long history on the African continent.

For example, in Tanzania 1943 the first field experiment testing the feasibility of using genetics to control an insect pest was conducted. It was designed to test hybrid-sterility as a means of locally controlling tsetse flies.

Between then and now there have been numerous instances of genetics-based insect control being developed, tested and applied to important pests threatening the economic and medical wellbeing of Africans.

Explore that history as well as contemporary and planned applications of genetic biocontrol to control a variety of medically and agriculturally significant insects in Africa.

Insect Pests Interactive Map

Tse-Tse Fly

New World Screwworm

Yellow Fever Mosquito

False Codling Moth

Mediterrean Fruit Fly

Human Malaria Mosquito

The STERILE INSECT TECHNIQUE is an insect pest control method involving the mass-rearing and radiation sterilization of a target pest. Sterile males are released into the target pest population. Wild females that mate with sterile males will not produce any offspring and the pest population is reduced.

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Insects carrying certain types of chromosomal rearrangements (translocations) when mated with wild-type insects result in sterile offspring, a phenomenon referred to as HYBRID STERILITY. Mass rearing and release of males carrying translocations followed by their mating with wild females will reduce the size of the pest population.

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Some genetic control technologies rely on the use of genetic engineering to create genetically modified insects of the pest species that act as the controlling agents. These GM-SIT-like technologies resemble the Sterile Insect Technique in that mass-reared GM insects when released into the pest population disrupt reproduction of the wild insects and reduce the pest population.

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GENE DRIVE refers to the preferential transmission of a gene and a ‘driving’ gene can increase (spread) rapidly in a population. Engineered (GM) gene drives are still experimental and can rapidly spread genes and traits through pest populations (in the laboratory) resulting either in a suppression of the population or its genetic modification. Insects with gene drives would not need to be repeatedly released into a pest population (as with all other genetic control technologies) in order to affect the population and would have a longer time of action.

Learn more about genetics-based pest control.