Advances in the use of semiochemicals in integrated pest management: pheromones

Description

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 for the last 50 years. During this time, important advancements have been made in understanding pheromones and their uses, particularly 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. In this chapter, we present the latest developments of pheromones and their applications as key elements to specifically control insect pests within IPM programs.

Table of contents

1 Introduction 2 Structural diversity and specificity of pheromones 3 Established uses of pheromones 4 Pheromone inhibitors 5 Advancement and future perspectives 6 Conclusion and future trends 7 Acknowledgement 8 Where to look for further information section 9 References