The FraxiProtecTM solution
The solution is deployed through an assisted auto-contamination device comprised of a pouch coated with the active ingredient that is placed in a contamination chamber high up in an affected ash tree.
During the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) flight period, adults get attracted by the control device and become infected by the fungus. Contaminated males and females circulate in the surrounding trees and become vectors of the deadly fungal disease.
How it works
Both laboratory and field studies have demonstrated that FraxiProtec™ is an effective solution in controlling EAB adults. EAB adults getting in contact with the conidia (asexual, non-motile spore of a fungus) at the pouch surface were successfully contaminated, resulting in a mortality rate of up to 100 % within 7 days. Current research has also demonstrated promising results of horizontal transmission of the pathogen from male to female during the mating period. One of the major aspects of the effectiveness of FraxiProtec™ is that it contributes to a significant reduction in egg-laying in the surrounding area where the device is deployed. These aspects make FraxiProtec™ a very promising control tool since it directly impacts on the population dynamics where it is set up and indirectly allows the ash trees to better resist larvae invasion on an ongoing basis.
Safety information
The FraxiProtec™ active ingredient is a fungus, Beauveria bassiana, isolate CFL-A. After many lab tests, the efficacy of that isolate against EAB has been demonstrated. Furthermore, the fungus does not represent a threat to other beneficial insects since the active ingredient is contained in the contamination chamber and not sprayed in the environment. There is definitely no impact on Hymenoptera (bees and other insects of that order). Lab experiments have been conducted to document its innocuity. The safe use of B. bassiana is widely known and accepted in organic farming with documentation supporting the safety of its use. There is extensive literature regarding its innocuity on mammals, fish, humans and other elements of the environment. Pertinent literatures and commentary on these aspects can be found in the resources section.
