2 billion lira support against pesticides: Samurai bees and sterile insects in the field

The use of pesticides is not the only method against pests that cause losses in agricultural production. There are also biological and biotechnical methods. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry started making support payments since 2010 against living species that harm agricultural production and forests. The amount of support for payments made to producers 'using biological and biotechnical control methods' increased 15 times, reaching 2 billion lira. 16 provinces benefited from the support.

Türkiye is a country rich in biodiversity due to its location. In addition, it is located on important migration and trade routes. For this reason, it is vulnerable to harmful species that come from both domestic and foreign animal migrations and trade in agricultural products. Especially in recent years, pests such as the brown skunk have begun to appear in the country.

There are many types of agricultural and forest pests in 20 different groups in Turkey. In addition to the brown skunk, field grasshoppers, green grasshoppers, field mice and snails harm production and human health. There are chemical drugs developed to combat these pests, but their use is limited. The Ministry supports biological control because it is sustainable, environment and human friendly. Within the General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policies (TAGEM), the fight against important pests, especially brown skunk, citrus pests and Mediterranean fruit fly, is carried out.

Beneficial insect production is carried out in 10 research institutes within the Ministry. 1 million 651 thousand 524 Samurai bees were produced and released into nature in 2026 against the brown skunk. Samurai bees are the natural enemy of the Brown skunk. Likewise, parasitoid and predator species were produced against citrus pests, mealybugs, scale insects and other important pests. In 2026, 1 million 357 thousand insects were produced and released into nature.

Within the scope of the project carried out on the 'sterile insect release technique (SIT'), which is one of the alternative methods to chemical control in the Mediterranean fruit fly, the Mediterranean fruit fly population was suppressed by approximately 95 percent in the release of sterile male individuals in an area of ​​​​approximately 25 hectares during 3 production seasons in Karaburun between 2022 and 2025. Within the scope of the 'Implementation of Sterile Insect Release Technique for the Eradication and Suppression of Mediterranean Fruit Fly in Turkey Project' carried out by the Bornova Pest Control Research Institute Directorate, 64 million 550 thousand sterile insects were produced as of September 2026, and 27 million 814 thousand sterile male individuals were released to the application area.

Monitoring is carried out in the light of technological data on an area of ​​4 million 625 thousand 796 decares in 41 provinces with 431 forecast and warning systems (TUS). The data obtained is announced to the producers. In addition, studies on 'Snout Forecast Warning Systems', which work with artificial intelligence, to combat the sunnip insect, continue in Central Anatolia. The development of smart spraying machines, adding cameras or sensors to the spraying equipment and spraying only the areas and plants where needed are among the studies carried out. Efforts to fight with natural methods continue by developing the pheromone hormone that attracts insects.

In addition to existing studies, it is aimed to transform the knowledge and experience gained from pilot applications into a national SIT program in the next 5-year period, and to establish a central production infrastructure and regional application, release, monitoring and quality control systems. In this context, a 12 thousand m2 SIT production center will be established to serve on a national scale, to be used for the production of sterile Mediterranean fruit flies, and to serve on a national scale, with an area of ​​2 thousand m2 to be used to produce biological control agents against other harmful species in citrus fields.

Source: TRT Haber Yaşam RSS (Open Press / Translated Full Text)