through an annual investment around $25 million. Medfly-free status has been estimated to have opened markets for Chile's fruit exports up to $500 million. When implemented on an area-wide basis and a scaled rearing process, SIT is cost-competitive with conventional control, in addition to its environmental benefits. Related techniques in plants A similar technique to SIT has recently been applied to weeds using irradiated pollen, resulting in deformed seeds that do not sprout. See also Inherited sterility in insects Gene drive Genetically modified insect References External links Mosquito birth control BBC Online article Plan to Eradicate the Tsetse Fly Sterile Insect Technique Improving Sterile Male Performance in Fruit Fly Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) Programmes BBC article Sterile Insect Technique Principles and Practice in Area-Wide Integrated Pest Management. Book 2021 Edition, CRC Press | Access-date=2022-01-13 A general-purpose species-specific eradication method Parasitology Insect control Insect rearing Infertility