Scaled-up Production and Validation of Midge and Weevil Pheromones for Pest Management

Midges and weevils are significant global pests of legume food production. Management of these pests provides a potentially lucrative and growing market in the pest management industry globally, including in the UK, continental Europe, North Africa and North America, where these pest problems are well established. Management of midges and weevils is problematic; the food harvest can potentially be exposed to pesticides when targeting specific stages of their life cycles, and these pesticides may subsequently enter the human and animal food chain. There is a growing global trend to move away from reliance on chemical pesticides in food production in favour of integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. The need for IPM strategies is driven by loss in efficacy of pesticides, reduced availability due to legislative regulation, and environmental issues associated with pesticide use. Pheromones form a critical component of IPM strategies, but compared to other crop pests, there are virtually no legume midge and weevil pheromones currently available on the market.

In this project, PheroSyn will, for the first time, develop synthesis routes for commercial-scale production of the pea midge sex pheromone and pea & bean weevil aggregation pheromone. Efficacy of the pheromone products in trapping and monitoring populations of midges and weevils in legume production systems will be undertaken by the UK Processors and Growers Association (PGRO), a centre of excellence for peas and beans, with a long and highly valued track record of providing authoritative, up to date information and project work based on solid, reliable research. With production capacity and product validation achieved, Koppert Biological Systems, a leading supplier of pheromone products to end-users (farmers and growers) in the UK and continental Europe, will market the pheromones for use in legume production systems from 2021\. Koppert have already confirmed their interest in marketing the pheromone products in these territories.

The project will establish a supply chain (manufacture -- validation -- distribution) for sale of hitherto-unavailable products that are in demand, into the agribusiness sector, thereby disrupting the long-established chemical pesticides market. The project will help PheroSyn accelerate its' business growth, supplying effective, long-lasting, safe and affordable pest management tools to farmers and growers worldwide. Availability of the pheromones for use in climate-smart IPM of legume pests will provide significant social and economic benefit to the UK by producing affordable, safe-to-eat food in a way that promotes zero-carbon agriculture through reduced chemical pesticide manufacture and deployment.