Iranian Knowledge-Based Company Produces Olive Pest Control Device

“This device is a combination of all methods of combating the olive pest and does not cause environmental damage. Two of these devices cover one hectare of land,” Mohammad Reza Masoudinejad, the managing director of the Iranian knowledge-based company said in an interview with the Iranian media.

“In the last 10 years, with the arrival of a large volume of olives from neighboring countries, the olive fruit fly arrived the country with them and became a pandemic due to its biological compatibility,” he said, adding, “This pest has stormed orchards and olive fields and has caused great losses to farmers and the country's economy.”

The olive fruit fly (Bactrocera oleae) is a species of fruit fly which belongs to the subfamily Dacinae. It is a phytophagous species whose larvae feed on the fruit of olive trees, hence the common name. It is considered a serious pest in the cultivation of olives.

Masoudinejad, who is a professor at Faculty of Health and Safety of Tehran-based Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, added that when the fruit reaches the stage of ripe and harvest, this pest starts spreading and destroys a large part of the product.

He added, “Previous studies show that up to 30% of the olives are destroyed due to pest infestation.”

Stating that there are several methods to eliminate the olive fruit fly, he explained, “In physical methods, they install and hang colored strips impregnated with poison on the branches of trees. Then by attracting and sticking flies to these papers, the pests are controlled to some extent.”

He said that, however that physical method comes with problems.

“Unfortunately, due to the fact that olive trees are short, the strips are also placed at a low height, also the areas where olive are grown are mostly exposed to wind. Therefore, these sheets are quickly filled with dust particles and lose their adhesiveness,” the professor added.

Saying that special compounds are used in chemical methods, he added, “Spraying is an aggressive chemical method, so there is a probability of contamination of raw olives or olive oil.”

Meanwhile, he pointed out that the “olive fly trap device” produced in their knowledge-based firm does not use any aggressive and poison-related methods.

“This device does not cause any damage to the environment, orchards and crops,” he said.

“The olive fly trap is placed in orchards. Two devices can cover one hectare. It uses several processes of attracting flies; Including absorption using color, humidity, chemical pheromones, as well as the mechanism by which flies are drawn into the device and trapped inside the container, and are collected and transported by means of a paddle inside the container. With this device, a large number of olive flies can be collected,” Masoudinejad explained how their olive pest control device works.

The managing director of the knowledge-based company went on to say that their machine is going through its trial phase and it has proven to be effective in fighting the olive tree pest.

He said they placed their devices in an olive orchard in Siahpoush village in Tarom County in Zanjan province and the videos and pictures sent from the device showed favorable results.

The researcher further expressed hope with the support from the government institutions and the private sector’s funding, they could develop their machine so that it can get a good share in both domestic and internal markets.

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