New Ag Research Grant Targets Navel Orangeworm Threat

California’s almond and pistachio orchards face major losses from the navel orangeworm, the state’s most destructive tree nut pest, which costs growers more than $800 million annually. The Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) and the Almond Board of California are matching funds to provide a grant totaling $4,994,419 to Flyttr to develop a biological tool that reduces the pest’s threat. The project aims to cut crop loss and lower reliance on chemical insecticides for nut growers in California and other states and ensure food safety for consumers.

The research will accelerate development of Flyttr’s Friendly navel orangeworm solution, which involves releasing Friendly male moths into pest-affected areas. When these males mate with wild females, the result is no surviving offspring, so, with sustained releases, the pest population declines over time. The Friendly approach is biological, non-toxic and does not harm non-target species like butterflies and bees. This work with navel orangeworm follows more than a decade of deployments of Friendly solutions to combat other crop pests and disease-transmitting mosquitoes across four continents. In addition to accelerating the development of this navel orangeworm solution, FFAR’s funding will also support research in large-scale production systems and field studies to prepare the technology for future use in California orchards.

“Novel pest management technologies are essential to maintaining the competitiveness of the U.S. tree nut industry,” said Dr. Kathy Munkvold, FFAR scientific program director. “Sterile insect approaches have proven effective against several major agricultural pests, and this project advances their application to navel orangeworm by improving efficiency and cost-effectiveness. FFAR’s investment will expedite the research needed to move this promising, species-specific technology closer to practical use for tree nut growers, giving them an additional tool to protect their crops.”

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