Insights into pheromones could lead to environmentally friendly insecticides

Virginia Tech researchers have discovered insights into pheromones, which can be used to develop environmentally friendly and sustainable alternatives to pest controls. The discovery could save farmers millions.
Dorothea Tholl, a professor of biological sciences in the College of Science and a Fralin Life Science Institute affiliate, is interested in the chemical communication of organisms. Her team have been looking at the enzymes that produce stinkbug pheromones and have discovered that stink bugs have their own enzymatic machinery to make pheromones. She said: We have gained a deeper understanding of how stink bugs synthesize pheromones, and this knowledge may allow us to produce pheromones in expendable food crops to lure the bugs away from cash crops. Overall, we are excited about the prospect that our research has the potential to develop new pest management techniques.”
Thomas Kuhar, a professor of entomology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and a Virginia Cooperative Extension specialist, said: “Our recent paper provides valuable insight into our understanding of how insects synthesize complex sesquiterpene compounds that are typically used as pheromones. The work could pave the way in the future for plants to manufacture insect pheromones, which could be utilized in pest surveillance and pest management strategies, such as attract and kill.”
Jason Lancaster of Knoxville, Tennessee, said: “Pheromones for thousands of insects are known, but very little is known about the synthesis of the pheromones. This paper focuses on terpene derived pheromones from the harlequin stink bug Murgantia histrionica and encompasses many years of research. Besides the development of dead-end trap crops, this research may allow establishing RNAi interference type gene silencing mechanisms to disrupt the pheromone production of the insect.”