High-tech pest control: fly breeding supports sustainable agriculture
In southern Peru, around 18 million sterile flies are bred every week to combat the fruit fly Ceratitis capitata – one of the most damaging pests for fruits and vegetables. The goal of the program is to reduce the population in the long term while simultaneously improving crop yields and quality.
To achieve this, the so-called Sterile Insect Technique is used. The flies are bred under controlled conditions and then sterilized by irradiation. Afterward, the male flies are released into the wild. They mate with wild females without producing offspring. In this way, the pest population gradually declines – entirely without chemical pesticides.
A central component of the facility is a steam-heated extruder. It processes the feed for the flies. Some of the larvae are dried there and subsequently reused as nutrient-rich, high-quality feed. This ensures a closed, efficient cycle and guarantees stable production.
Now, the Rotary Business Unit comes into play. With the Deublin N12 series, Rotary provides a key component for the extruder. The rotary union ensures that steam reliably enters the rotating system. This keeps the temperature and process conditions constant. It is crucial for the uniform drying of the larvae and for the high quality of the feed – two important factors for the entire breeding process. The collaboration between the Peruvian agricultural authorities and Deublin has been in place since 2018. Following an on-site analysis, the solution was jointly implemented and has since been continuously maintained and improved.