Mating Disruption: The New Standard for Insect Control

First, this talk will survey the benefits of mating disruption as a means of controlling insect populations near crops of interest. Traditional methods to control insects heavily rely upon seven broad classes of insecticides, some of which pose toxicity risks to farmers and consumers. Moreover, some traditional methods have been over-utilized, increasing the likelihood of resistance. By contrast, lowering insect populations through mating disruption is not toxic and is not subject to resistance. Further, we note that adopting mating disruption technology can potentially extend the lifespan of effective low-toxicity insecticides when incorporated into a diversified integrated pest management portfolio.

Next, this talk will explore the utility of mating disruption technology in existing markets, which include nuts, pome fruits and stone fruits. Further, this talk will also explore how Provivi is creating new markets for mating disruption in staple row crops including rice and corn, which supply nearly half the calories consumed across the globe each day.

Finally, this talk will highlight various strategies to synthesize the pheromones that enable the mating disruption technology.