Semiochemical-based alternatives to synthetic toxicant insecticides for pollen beetle management

Mauchline, A. L. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1168-8552, Hervé, M. R. and Cook, S. M. (2018) Semiochemical-based alternatives to synthetic toxicant insecticides for pollen beetle management. Arthropod-Plant Interactions, 12 (6). pp. 835-847. ISSN 1872-8847 doi: 10.1007/s11829-017-9569-6

Abstract/Summary

There is an urgent need to develop sustainable pest management systems to protect arable crops in order to replace the current over-reliance on synthetic insecticides. Semiochemicals are insect- or plant-derived chemicals that are used by organisms as information signals. Integrated pest management tools are currently in development that utilise semiochemicals to manipulate the behaviour of pest insects and their natural enemies to provide effective control of pests within the crop. These innovative tools usually require fewer inputs and can involve multiple elements therefore reducing the likelihood of resistance developing compared with use of synthetic toxicants. We review here the life cycle of the pollen beetle Brassicogethes aeneus (previously known as Meligethes aeneus) which is a pest insect of oilseed rape (Brassica napus) and describe the current knowledge of any behaviour mediated by semiochemicals in this species. We discuss the behavioural processes where semiochemical-based control approaches may be appropriate and consider how these approaches could be integrated into an integrated pest management strategy for this important arable crop.

Item Type	Article
URI	https://reading-clone.eprints-hosting.org/id/eprint/73050
Identification Number/DOI	10.1007/s11829-017-9569-6
Refereed	Yes
Divisions	Life Sciences > School of Agriculture, Policy and Development > Department of Sustainable Land Management > Centre for Agri-environmental Research (CAER)
Publisher	Springer
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