Developing a push-pull bio-insecticidal strategy to control establishment pests in oilseed rape based on attractant and repellent semiochemicals

OSR is the second largest UK crop after cereals, but is under significant threat due to the withdrawal of the major conventional
pesticides previously used to control pests such as cabbage stem flea beetle and slugs. The use of volatile
semiochemicals (behaviour-modifying 'information signals' such as pheromones) to lure pests away from a crop is a
powerful strategy for crop protection; it can allow effective pest control without causing environmental harm or
generating unwanted residues on the crop itself.

Over the course of this PhD project you will develop "push-pull" strategies for OSR protection, whereby repellent
semiochemicals placed within or near the crop are used in combination with attractant semiochemicals placed as lures or
within trap crops at a more remote location. This will involve laboratory studies with the pests themselves,
determination of the most effective blends and formulations of semiochemical compounds and field trials to determine
their effectiveness for OSR protection - and any negative effects on non-target/beneficial organisms - under real-world
conditions. You will develop skills and experience in invertebrate rearing, handling and taxonomy, plant growth studies,
behavioural bioassays, invertebrate electrophysiology, analytical chemistry, semiochemical formulation and conducting
field trials (design and assessment methods).

The outputs of this work will have the potential for substantial economic and environmental impact, and contribute to
the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of food security and protecting the environment.