Irradiating the Fruit Fly.

The article reports on the irradiation method of controlling the Mediterranean fruit fly, as announced by the International Atomic Energy Agency, in Vienna, Austria. The method involves a controlled experiment, wherein more than one billion flies were raised, irradiated to induce sterility and released among wild populations. According to the agency, the research continues improving the method in large areas. The method is receiving increasing attention due to undesirable residues brought by chemical control.