Michelle Cook has been appointed general manager of the Okanagan-Kootenay Sterile Insect Release Program (SIR) following a February 9 meeting of SIR’s board. She will officially take the helm of the organization when current GM Melissa Tesche formally succeeds Glen Lucas as general manager of the BC Fruit Growers Association in early March.
Cook joined SIR in 2016 as a project manager where she helped implement the BC Decision Aid System (BC DAS) and the launch of sterile insect release by drone. In her role as operations manager, Cook has been responsible for the day-to-day operations of the program’s five field offices, field supervisors and field staff.
SIR has established in 1992 to control codling moths in BC orchards through the release of sterile insects into BC orchards. The aim was to have sterile insects mate with wild moths, producing no offspring and causing populations to dwindle.
The initial release of sterile moths, reared at a specially built facility in Osoyoos, took place in the South Okanagan in 1994 and expanded to the central and north Okanagan in 2002.
Program funding comes from a current parcel rate of $162.68 per acre of planted host trees, while urban properties pay an average of $10 per year through an assessment paid to the regional district.
The payback is significant. The program has reduced the use of pesticides in BC orchards and contributes to cleaner, more sustainable production systems and fruit. Commercial growers and homeowners alike benefit SIR, which has reduced pest pressure in both commercial and backyard plantings.
The program’s success has drawn international interest and accolades, serving as a model for pest control in growing regions worldwide.
Meanwhile, the BC Fruit Growers Association annual convention takes place in Kelowna this week, with 16 resolutions on the table and opportunities to discuss the Agricultural Land Reserve, a proposed apple marketing commission and other issues affecting the sector.
Story updated February 21, 430 pm.
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