Pheromone insect control agent

Biotechnical control systems are beginning to make their appearance in the agrochemical marketplace One potential commercial application of a pheromone insect control agent is that of the grape berry moth pheromone produced by Shin-Etsu Chemical Company and investigated in the field by Dennehy and Roelofs (10,11). Before petitions could be filed, it was necessary that an analytical method for the two components Z-9-dodecen-l-yl acetate and Z-11-tetradecen-l-yl acetate (Z-9-DDA and Z-ll-TDA) in and on grapes be developed, and further, that residue determinations be conducted on samples from the cited field study ... 

The peripheral pheromone olfactory system in insects targets for species-selective insect control agents... 

In Vivo Synthesis in Yeast of Insect Sex Pheromone Precursors An Alternative Synthetic Route for the Production of Environmentally Benign Insect Control Agents... 

Chlorpyrifos inhibits substrate-borne reception and emission of sex pheromone in Tri-chogramma brassicae, an entomophagus insect massively used as a biological control agent of com borers, among survivors of an LC20 dose. Inhibition was probably due to nervous system effects and was not specific to pheromone communication (Delpuech et al. 1998). 

The chemical and behavioral aspects of the sex pheromones of several forest defoliating insects of economic importance in eastern Canada are presented, with emphasis on the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana. Studies conducted over several years in New Brunswick on the use of pheromones as potential control agents, using in particular the air permeation technique to effect mating disruption, are discussed. The identification and the behavioral effects of minor components of the spruce budworm pheromone system are presented and the potential exploitation of their behavioral roles in the mating sequence in terms of control strategies are addressed. 

Persoons, C.J. "Structure elucidation of some insect pheromones a contribution to the development of selective pest control agents" Thesis, Wageningen, 1977. 

PLETTNER, E., Insect pheromone olfaction new targets for the design of species-selective pest control agents, Curr. Med. Chem., 2002, 9, 1075-1085. 

Since the use of pheromones in pest control interferes with the natural communication system of insects, these agents are not expected to suffer the development of resistance, as is the case with conventional insecticides. In addition to the high environmental compatibility, this provides another distinct advantage in agriculture and forestry. 

An interdisciplinary group has examined the economies from the industrial viewpoint of several components of pest insect control bacteria, viruses, pheromones, conventional pesticides and a few miscellaneous agents. The following table from their report (577) summarizes the relative likelihood of pest suppression programs using pheromones ... 

Historically, terpenes have enjoyed a role as symptom-relieving therapeutics. Camphor and carvone (spearmint oil) have been used as soothing agents in the past history of pharmaceutical compounds. More recently, the role of terpenes in biochemistry has been more fully appreciated. P-Carotene, for example, may be cleaved into two units of vitamin A. Other terpenes, such as geraniol, are now recognized as pheromones (a chemical secreted by one individual of a given species in order to elicit a response in another individual of the same species). Pheromones are of interest in medicinal chemistry for a variety of indications for instance, attractant pheromones can be used for the control of insects known to spread human disease. 

Several delivery systems have been described in which the primary role of the polymer is to serve as a convenient carrier for the agent rather then serve any specific rate controlling function. Ashare et al, have described a hollow fiber system in whidi the agent is contained within the bore and release is effected by its evaporation and subsequent diffusion through the air above it within the bore. One of its intriguing uses is for release of pheromones, i.e. sex attractants, for control of insects. An alternate concept is release of such agents held within the pore of a suitably constructed open celled polymeric foarn. ... 

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