Coconut plantations have been in the ambit of ‘pheromone’-driven pest control technology for some time now with pheromones for common pests like the coconut rhinoceros beetle and red palm weevil already being synthesized for the market.
However, the existing technology uses either a polymer membrane or a propylene tube dispenser to dispense the lure. The technique, while effective, suffers from a lack of controlled release, leading to an often unwarranted and unnecessary high release rate. This implies a fast depletion rate and increased replacement frequency of the ‘lure’ chemical. Coconut plantations in India that are currently using this pest control technology have been incurring high expenses, in terms of both the raw material and labor, to replace the lure — a major deterrent in adopting this environment and consumer-friendly technology for farmers. Scientists from the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR), and the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR), Bangalore, India, Eswaramoorthy Muthusamy, Kesavan Subaharan, and Bosukonda Veera Venkata Surya Pavan Kumar, have now come up with a nanotechnology-based lure dispensing method that addresses this problem. The technology has recently been commercialized and is available in the market.
Pheromones are volatile chemical substances secreted or excreted by animals including insects that can be sensed by other members of the species in the vicinity, triggering a social response depending on the nature of the pheromone being released.
Pests affecting various crops congregate, or mate, spurred on by pheromones as well. Modern crop-saving techniques employ this science to their advantage; scientists have synthesized analogues of these pheromones, technically called ‘lures’, in the laboratory, and shown that releasing them in the air attracts insects that can subsequently be trapped, thus saving the crop. The method minimizes the need for pesticides, both the inorganic, a health hazard for the crop-cultivators and consumers, as well as the cost-prohibitive organic ones.
The research group at JNCASR uses a silica-based, amorphous nano-porous material to act as the matrix on which the pheromones for both the coconut rhinoceros beetle and the red palm weevil get suspended before being released. The nano-porous material arrests the uncontrolled release of the chemicals, reducing it to a more manageable level, thus extending the on-field life of the chemical and decreasing the cost of pest-control for cultivators using the technology. An added bonus is the materials’ reusability once the volatile pheromone lure gets exhausted.
Both the coconut rhinoceros beetle pheromone (ethyl 4-methyloctanoate), and the red palm weevil pheromone (4-methyl-5-nonanol + 4-methyl-5-nonanone) are now commercially available in India, and can be successfully uptaken by the silica nano-matrix. While the field-life of the heat-sealed polymer membrane sachets of the pheromones that are in the market, is only 90-100 days, and the efficacy rate is 72 beetles and 70 weevils per trap, the controlled-release nano-porous matrix delivery method doubles the field-life to 180-200 days, and even achieves a higher efficacy rate of 106 beetles and 101 weevils per trap. These statistics are for a distribution rate of one per hectare of plantation land for both the sachet and the nano-porous matrix methods, and point unequivocally towards the efficacy of the nano-porous matrix method over the sachet method currently in the market.
This new lure delivery technology has been tested at coconut plantations across various agro-climatic zones in the country, and the performance has attracted private companies to invest in harvesting this technology for commercial use. An Indian patent has also been filed.
The base material of the nano-matrix can be changed according to the chemical structure and properties of the pheromone being suspended. The structure of the nano-matrix itself is also amenable to change in response to changes in its chemical properties. This allows for plenty of room to modify the underlying inter-molecular and molecule-wall interactions in the matrix thus making the idea, and the technology, versatile in terms of end-applicability across crops and pests of various types.
The group at ICAR and JNCASR have now used the same idea and tuned it suitably to load the common tomato pest Tuta absoluta pheromone onto a nano-porous matrix. The dispenser is now being tested on the field and has already shown encouraging results.
In a still-developing country like India with an agriculture-dependent GDP, frequently battling pest-caused crop destruction, this technology offers hope as a possible alternative to the more widely used and unhealthy pesticide spraying methods. A case in point would be the recent farmer deaths in the cotton belt in Maharashtra due to inhalation of pesticides.
About the author
Debarshini is an erstwhile scientist with a deep passion for science communication, science policy and outreach – a person of many hats. Science, to her, is a way of thinking. Trained in theoretical soft condensed matter physics, through the years she has branched out in various directions away from pure academia although it’s always a scientist’s hat that goes on when she brings in her own spin to her work. Having worked in unusual roles in multiple research institutes, in an embassy science department and now in a bio innovation hub, C-CAMP Debarshini feels that strength in targeted communication requires command over both science and language, subject and matter. Debarshini is open to connecting with anyone who shares the same career goals on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Editor
Arunima Singh, obtained her PhD from the University of Georgia, and is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the New York University. A computational structural biologist by training, she enjoys traveling, reading, and the process of mastering new cuisines in her spare time. Her motivation to move to New York was to be a part of this rich scientific, cultural, and social hub.
Illustrators
Saurabh Gayali recently completed his Ph.D. in Plant Molecular Biology from National Institute of Plant Genome Research (JNU), New Delhi. He is currently working in the same lab in projects involving the study of abiotic stress response in crop plants apart from actively seeking the post-doctoral position. He has a keen interest in data analysis, visualization and database management. He is skilled 2D and 3D designer with a specific interest in scientific illustration. In leisure, Saurabh plays guitar and compose music, does photography or practice programming. Follow him on Instagram
Disha Chauhan did her Ph.D. in IRBLLEIDA, University of Lleida, Spain in Molecular and Developmental Neurobiology. She has post-doctoral experience in Cell Biology of Neurodegenerative diseases and is actively seeking a challenging research position in academia/industry. Apart from Developmental Neurobiology, she is also interested in Oncology. She is passionate about visual art (Illustration, painting, and photography) and storytelling through it. She enjoys reading, traveling, hiking and is also dedicated to raising scientific awareness about Cancer. Follow her on Instagram
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