Synthetic pheromones to keep crops away from voracious insects

Insects have this ability to communicate without seeing each other, only through smells. For this, they emit pheromones, volatile and natural chemical molecules and they are able to smell the pheromones of other insects thanks to the olfactory sensors, small eyelashes that equip their antennae. These pheromones can transmit different messages: for example, indicating the way to food, (technique used by ants). They can be used to alert congeners of danger or serve as a call for a group to found a colony.

There are sex pheromones, that is to say that the smell emitted by the female in general, serves to attract the male so that they can mate. Each species of insect obviously has its own olfactory signature.

It is possible to reproduce the pheromones of each species identically in the laboratory, which means that they can then be used as a lure on farms, to influence the behavior of insect pests of crops.

And there are generally two strategies: either these pheromones are used to attract pests to a trap, or sex pheromones are broadcast in a field to disorient pests. The males are attracted to the plot but the message is scrambled and they cannot find the females, so no mating and no offspring. All this without killing the insects, they are just disturbed.

The European leader in this market for the production of synthetic pheromones is a French company called M2i Life Sciences. She works with scientific organizations such as thethe National Institute of research for’agriculture, food and the environment. (INRAE) or the National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS) to identify the pheromones useful for each insect species, then takes care of producing them. She assures that this biocontrol system inspired by nature allows an efficiency comparable to traditional pesticides. This has no impact on the environment or residue on the crops.