Recipient Organization
AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH SERVICE
(N/A)
CORVALLIS,OR 97331
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
(N/A)
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
50%
Applied
50%
Developmental
0%
Goals / Objectives
ARS will test Agrageneâ¿¿s sterile male spotted wing drosophila (SWD) product to suppress wild populations of SWD on blueberry cultivars.
Project Methods
This novel CRISPR CAS-9 system efficiently produces 100% sterile males using a cross between two homozygous lines. Release of these sterile males will not alter the genetics of the wild population as no gene transfer is possible. Alternative ways to produce sterile males such as irradiation creates unpredictable changes in the insect DNA, creates males that are less fit than their normal counterpart, and requires manual labor for sexing. A dedicated chamber that is APHIS approved will be used to rear the CRISPR CAS9 and gRNA lines. Five ratios of sterile males will be released into a cage (75 x 75 x 115 cm) with wild SWD, 10 virgin females and 10 virgin males. Ratios may be 5:1 of sterile males to virgin females, 3:1, 2:1, 1:1, and 0:1 Fresh fruit will be placed and replaced mid-week for SWD to oviposit for 7 days.