SBIR-STTR Award

The most serious insect pest of organic crucifers in the south is the yellow margined leaf beetle (YMLB), Microtheca ochroloma (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Researchers and other stakeholders are challenged to develop effective alternative pest management practices for adoption by organic and conventional producers. For the past 6 years, ISCA Technologies and our collaborators have been working on the manipulation of the behavior of the pest using safe natural chemicals (semiochemicals) to effect the management of YMLB and we have identified several promising attractants. We will formulate these attractants into a proprietary long lasting matrix formulation called SPLAT. Successful development of SPLAT YMLB will bring a highly effective, low-input, and organic pest management technology to the market, one that will reduce the need for pesticide use in crucifer vegetable production, and consequently decrease the human health risks and adverse environmental effects associated with toxic conventional insecticides.

Here we propose to develop a revolutionary tool for the control of CFW, BHFW, and SFW at the adult stage: our Specialized Pheromone & Lure Application Technology (SPLAT ®) for cranberry fruitworm (SPLAT CFW), blackheaded fireworm (SPLAT BHFW), and Sparganothis fruitworm (SPLAT SFW); a long-lasting, flowable, amorphous formulation that can be mechanically applied using conventional spray equipment for the controlled release of CFW,BHFW, and SFW sex pheromones, respectively, to effect mating disruption. It is critical to develop these three formulations into one multi-targeted formulation, as the pests most often occur together, and an insecticide control action for one pest has an effect on all three and would render an application of a mating disruptant for another pest redundant.