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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Southern Insect Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #369625
Research Project: Alternative Approaches to Tarnished Plant Bug Control

Location: Southern Insect Management Research

Title: Advances in the use of semiochemicals in integrated pest management: Pheromones

Author
item Reddy, Gadi V.P.
item SHARMA, ANAMIKA - Montana State University
item GUERRERO, ANGEL - Institute Of Advanced Chemistry Of Catalonia(CSIC)

Submitted to: Biopesticides for Sustainable Agriculture
Publication Type: Book / Chapter
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/21/2019
Publication Date: 3/23/2020
Citation: Reddy, G.V., Sharma, A., Guerrero, A. 2020. Advances in the use of semiochemicals in integrated pest management: Pheromones. Biopesticides for Sustainable Agriculture. Cambridge, UK: Burleigh Doddds Science Publishing Limited. 30 p. https://doi.org/10.19103/AS.2020.0073.12.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.19103/AS.2020.0073.12

Interpretive Summary: The advanced understanding of pheromones and semiochemical applications is allowing us to improve the efficacy in managing insect pests through smart tactics, such as attract and kill and push-pull strategies among others. Pheromone and Lure Application Technology provides flexibility in the application and control release of pheromone formulations. In addition, new automatic mechanisms for easy handling are being explored, such as auto-dissemination and auto-confusion systems. Nevertheless, several aspects of pheromone use still need to be further studied, such as new strategies to improve cost-effectiveness of semiochemicals, early detection of new invasive species, durability of pheromones, characterization of pheromone range, and avoidance of resistance development.

Technical Abstract: It is known that semiochemicals enable intra- and interspecific chemical communication in insects. Among them, pheromones are species-specific and have been used in the management tactics for control of many insect pests from the last 50 years (a plethora of information can be accessed from the Pherobase and Pherolist websites). In this period, important advancements have occurred in the understanding of pheromones and their uses, particularly on pheromone receptor neurons and pheromone inhibitors. The advanced understanding of pheromones and semiochemical applications is allowing us to improve the efficacy in managing insect pests through smart tactics, such as attract and kill and push-pull strategies among others. Pheromone and Lure Application Technology (SPLAT®) provides flexibility in the application and control release of pheromone formulations. In addition, new automatic mechanisms for easy handling are being explored, such as auto-dissemination and auto-confusion systems. Nevertheless, several aspects of pheromone uses still need to be further studied, such as new strategies to improve cost-effectiveness of semiochemicals, early detection of new invasive species, durability of pheromones, characterization of pheromone range, and avoidance of resistance development. In this chapter, we present the latest developments of pheromones and their applications as key elements to specifically control insect pests within IPM programs.