Landcare Research - Manaaki Whenua

Landcare-Research -Manaaki Whenua

The Trojan Female Technique : a novel, non-lethal approach for pest control

A popular science article outlining the concept behind the Trojan Female Technique and the benefits potentially achievable through its use.

Summary

Although there are substantial gains in efficiency to be made from the more refined and coordinated application of existing pest control technology, the general consensus at the Pest Summit convened by the Department of Conservation in December 2012 was that the use of cutting-edge science to develop new tools and approaches is also needed to protect both agriculture and biodiversity in New Zealand. To this end, a research consortium comprised of Landcare Research, the University of Otago and Monash University have proposed a novel and cost-effective technology platform for the specific (i.e. no potential for non-target effects), persistent, non-lethal and non-GMO (genetically modified organism) control of vertebrate and invertebrate pests (i.e. the Trojan Female Technique or TFT).