Control and management of insect populations by chemosterilants

Chemosterilants, i.e., chemical compounds that interfere with the reproduction potential of sexually reproducing organisms, can be used in three new approaches to insect control. In the sterile-insect release technique, the principal problem is to develop compounds and methods for their application that would not result in introducing harmful residues into the environment. Because of the unusual and often unique circumstances connected with releasing large numbers of sterilized insects, the residue problem and its cost-benefit aspects must be examined individually for each intended control or eradication program. In the direct application technique, chemosterilants must meet the same efficiency and safety standards required from approved insecticides. Combined insecticidal and sterilizing activity is characteristic for some compounds now being investigated. In the genetic technique, chemosterilants may be used for inducing heritable changes in the insect's genome under laboratory conditions, and such procedures would not present any residue problems. Only the first two chemosterilant techniques are approaching practical application, and their safety aspects require detailed evaluation and assessment.