The Okanagan-Kootenay Sterile Insect Release (OKSIR) Program has been nominated for an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Achievement Award, to be awarded this spring at the 8th International IPM Symposium in Salt Lake City, Utah, March 23 to 26.
The OKSIR program has been successfully controlling codling moths in the apple and pear growing areas of the Okanagan, Shuswap and Similkameen areas for more than 20 years.
The program has been garnering a lot of international interest from areas and companies looking to recreate its success with codling moths (USA, New Zealand, France), or looking to use its approaches with other pests (Switzerland, France).
The program operates from Salmon Arm to Osoyoos, and into the Similkameen Valley, under the direction of general manager Cara Nelson.
“It’s an honour to be formally recognized by the international integrated pest management community,” Nelson said.
Since the beginning of the program, the amount of pesticides used against codling moth has been reduced by 96 per cent, Nelson said.
