The insects Oxythyrea funesta, Tropinota hirta and Tropinota squalida are considered a pest in vines because they feed on buds, clusters in formation and tender vine shoots, also causing damage to the crop with the hooks of their legs when attached to the shoot. Different colors, traps and volatile compounds have been used as bait for the control of these insects, however, these floral compounds are often nonspecific and can also affect beneficial insects.
The presented invention refers to the use of the volatile compounds 1-octen-3-ol, nonanal, geranil acetone, octan-2-one and hexanol, for the selective control of pests of these insects in vine cultivation. Among other benefits, this composition offers several advantages, allowing for a specific control of these insects without harming or affecting other beneficial insects for the plant, it also reduces the need of chemical products to control this plague, resulting in no chemical residues in the crop, avoiding damage to the environment and human health. These compounds have been tested in the field to prove their efficacy, where they have been tested against current methods with statistically significant positive results.
The researchers behind the innovation are from the Sustainable Agriculture And Engineering Group at the University of León (Spain) and at the University of Jaen (Spain). A patent application has been submitted for this technology and these universities are looking for a collaboration that leads to a commercial exploitation of the presented invention.
Institution: Universidad de León / Universidad de Jaén
TRL: 5-6
Protection status: Patent application
Contact: Vicente Barberá / vicente@viromii.com
