SUVA, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- Fiji's Ministry of Agriculture and Waterways has made progress in researching sustainable methods to control the invasive African tulip, local media reported on Saturday.
The research, conducted by the ministry's Koronivia Research Station, involves two imported insect species, which are a gall-forming mite and a leaf-mining flea beetle, to manage African tulip populations in Fiji.
Shalendra Prasad, director of research and agriculture scientific services, said biosecurity and environmental safety remain central to the research, emphasizing that neither agent has yet been released into the wild.
Before considering future field releases, the team is focusing on gathering scientific evidence through host-specificity testing and confined trials, Prasad noted. ■