Shielding Crops From Pests With Cutting-Edge Compound Solution

Researchers came up with a novel chemical solution based on the scents of predator bugs to repel herbivorous pests and safeguard crops.

Herbivorous insects are currently a major danger to farmers’ crop output. Predator insects that feed on herbivorous insects emit smells that the insects can detect. To escape being eaten, bugs change their behavior all the way down to their physiology. With insects becoming more resistant to conventional pesticides, threatening plant survival and food security, it is vital to create strategies to combat this problem.

To protect crops from pests, the’smell of dread’ is being bottled.

The research community have devised a technology that allows them to bottle the’smell of fear’ produced by predator insects, which then repels and disrupts destructive pests without the need of toxic pesticides.

The researchers presented their findings this week at the American Chemical Society (ACS) fall meeting. The work was presented by Jessica Kinsman and Sara Hermann, both of the University of Pennsylvania.

The fact is that it is not uncommon for us to use our senses to avoid perilous situations. “If a building catches fire, we can use our senses of sight and smell to locate the threat,” explained Sara Hermann, the project’s principal investigator. Fortunately, there is evidence for this type of behavioral response to risk across taxa, indicating that prey microorganisms can detect predation threats; however, the detection mechanisms are not well understood, particularly with insects.

Because pests rely on olfactory cues to find food, mates, and places to live, this is a wonderful chance to investigate exactly how to use these smells to influence their behavior, said Jessica Kinsman, the postdoc who presented the work at the conference.

Ladybirds and Aphids

Aphid testing are a particularly harmful pest to a wide range of commodities. Their ability to transfer plant infections and improved resistance to insecticides imply that they will continue to pose a problem for farmers. Nevertheless, aphids are also a favorite food source for ladybirds, which both farmers and backyard gardeners appreciate as a source of sustainable insect management positions.

The Hermann and her colleagues’ study has proven that aphids and other herbivorous insects would flee fields and gardens if they can detect predators nearby. In addition, direct exposure to the odor cues emitted by ladybirds can result in aphids decreasing their reproduction rates and boosting their ability to grow wings, both of which are defensive actions.

Keeping the research discovery in mind, they began another investigation to see if the olfactory cues generated by the ladybirds could handle pests on their own. They started by identifying and removing the volatile odor profile from live ladybirds using gas chromatography, which separates and detects the various components of the ladybirds’ aroma.

Identifying the most potent chemicals in the repellent odor

To determine which chemicals the aphids would react to the most strongly, scientists hooked the antennae of live aphids to an electroantennogram (EAG) machine and exposed them to each odor emitted by the predator to determine which compounds they discovered. The EAG machine detected a signal, which was used to assess the intensity of their reactions. Aphids displayed the greatest visceral response to methoxypyrazines, including isopropyl methoxypyrazine, isobutyl methoxypyrazine, and sec-butyl methoxypyrazine, among the different chemicals produced by ladybirds. Following the discovery of the compounds, the team set their sights on creating a one-of-a-kind odor mix that can be used as part of an essential oil diffuser to gradually spread the scent throughout a garden or area.

The truth is something the team hopes to achieve in the future. They can utilize smell diffusers to conduct field experiments to see if the effect on aphids and ladybirds in their natural environment is equivalent to what they documented in the laboratory.

In addition, Hermann and Kansman want to know if the diffusers’ distribution area can be expanded and if the same strategy can be used to additional pests, predators, and crops. Furthermore, they are collaborating with a manufacturer in order to develop special diffusers for eventual commercial use by both farmers and gardeners.

Read the original article on Innovation News Network.