Insect pests are responsible for a significant portion of global crop losses. While insecticides protect against the problem, they are heavily criticized in the public eye. Now, simple and harmless pheromones are set to replace harmful insecticides. These pheromones will be placed in special containers directly on the fields and in the immediate vicinity. From there, the pheromones will be released and will confuse male insects, preventing them from finding females for mating. As a result, there will be no explosive increase in pests, and crop losses will be avoided.
The international research team emphasizes the importance of avoiding insecticides, as they not only kill harmful insects but also beneficial ones such as bees or bumblebees. According to the researchers, pheromones could already be used to protect fields today, but the chemical synthesis is very complicated and therefore very expensive. The Danish company BioPhero will produce the pheromones in collaboration with the researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute using manipulated yeast cells. The researchers are responsible for the ecological balance, examining how much material and energy is needed for production and how this affects the environment. They also consider the costs and create a cost calculation. While the exact cost is not yet clear, it is certain that the cost of producing pheromones will be significantly lower than that of chemical synthesis.
In addition to the cost savings for farmers, there are other savings points: they no longer have to drive their tractors over the fields several times a year to spray insecticides. The pheromone containers only need to be set up once a year. The researchers hope to come within a similar price range as insecticides so that there is no financial reason not to switch to pheromone protection. First experiments on real fields are already planned for next year. With this new approach, harmful insecticides can be replaced with harmless pheromones, protecting crops and beneficial insects alike.
