welcome

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 Pheromone and lure application
technology (SPLAT) for lepidopteran
insects

Presented By
Nandeesha, C V
Reg. No.: 1010118018
Ph. D. (Pl. Pathology)
College of Agriculture
JAU, Junagadh

Major Advisor Minor Advisor

Dr. L. F. Akbari Dr. M. F. Acharya
Professor and Head Professor and Head
Dept. of Pl. Pathology Dept. of Agril. Entomology
College of Agriculture College of Agriculture
JAU, Junagadh. JAU, Junagadh. 2
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Introduction

Semiochemicals

SPLAT

Mode of action

Case Studies

Conclusion
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 Semiochemical terminology

Semiochemical

Pheromone Alellochemical

Sex pheromone Allomone

Aggregation Pheromone Kairomone
Alarm Pheromone Synomone
Host marking pheromone Apneumone
Trail Pheromone

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 Sex Pheromone: brings together opposite sexes for mating. eg.
Cotton boll worms
 Aggregation pheromone: attracts both sexes for feeding on food
source or for mating. e.g., Bark beetle
 Alarm Pheromone: alerts other individuals to some source of
danger. e.g., Aphid
 Trail pheromone: marks a trail laid by pioneering individuals
towards a source of food or refuge. Other individuals follow it to
reach the source. e.g., Ant
 Host marking Pheromone: host marking pheromones are result of
evolution in some lepidopteran insects. Where they use a chemical
signal for communication to avoid laying eggs by other females of
same species at the same site. e.g., Arctiid Moth Amsacta albistriga.

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 Allelochemicals: These are defined as non-nutrient substances
originating from an organism, which affects the behavior and
physiological conditions of other organisms of another
species.
 Different Types of Allelochemicals are:
a. Allomones: A chemical compound released by an organism,
evokes a reaction in an individual of different species that is
favourable to the emitter but not to the receiver.
b. Kairomone: A chemical released by one organism evokes a
response beneficial to the receiver but not to the emitter.
c. Synomone: A substance released by organism which benefits
both the emitter and receiver.
d. Apneumone: A chemical released by an organism that is
maladaptive to both emitter and the receiver.

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 Applications in IPM strategies

 Monitoring

 Mass trapping

 Mating disruption

 Biological control – Attraction of natural enemies using

kairomones

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 Why slow release

• Semiochemicals not effective throughout the season

• Frequent replacement - increased cost
• Slow release formulations
• Less economical / Less viable

The dispenser or formulation which release semiochemical at a constant rate

throughout the flight period of insect are dependent of weather condition

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 Dispensers and Formulations

Solid matrix dispenser Sprayable formulations

1. Polyethylene sachets 1. Paraffin emulsion

2. Polyethylene vials and tubes 2. Microcapsule

3. Rubber septa 3. Glass and polyethylene tubing

4. Hollow fibres

5. Plastic dispenser

(PVC, PVC-resin etc.)

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 Advantages of semiochemical methods

 Locate a mate and navigate

 Elicit a specific response

 Involve less risk of developing resistance

 Deployed in discrete point sources

11 (Mafra-Neto et al., 2014)

 SPLAT® (Specialized Pheromone and Lure Application Technology) it is
a unique controlled-release technology that can be adapted to dispense
and protect a wide variety of compounds from degradation, including
semiochemicals, pesticides and phagostimulants, in diverse environments
 SPLAT® emulsions releases the optimal rate of semiochemical for the
desired amount of time, while protecting active ingredients from
degradation
 The longevity depends on its composition, how it was applied, as well as
the environmental conditions

(Mafra-Neto et al., 2014)

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SPLAT® is a thixotropic fluid, which means that SPLAT® viscosity decreases
when the emulsion is placed under stress, such as when it is stirred or pumped,
but increases again when the stress is removed.

(Mafra-Neto et al., 2014)

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• SPLAT® products are formulated to release semiochemicals for 2 weeks to 6
months
• SPLAT® is a “matrix-type” or “monolithic” diffusion-controlled release device
(compressing the active ingredients with the slowly releasing carrier materials)
• Diffusion-controlled release devices are one, where the diffusion of the active
ingredient through the device controls its release rate

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(Mafra-Neto et al., 2014)
 Monolithic dispensers are diffusion-
controlled release devices where the active
ingredient is dispersed or dissolved in a
matrix
 In the majority of cases, active ingredient
is hydrophobic arthropod pheromones to
be dissolved in the SPLAT® matrix
 The movement of the active ingredient
dissolved within the matrix occurs by
diffusion and follows Fick’s First Law

15 (Mafra-Neto et al., 2014)

 Release rate of the active ingredient to the environment

First order and Zero order release kinetics

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 SPLAT vs Traditional Pheromone Dispensers

• Multiple methods of application.

• Easy application for small-scale and large-

scale operations.

• Adjustable strategies, same amount of a.i.

• Rain fast, biologically inert and bio-

degradable formulation.

• Season-long protection and more.

• Mixes with kairomones and feeding

stimulants.

• SPLAT ingredients are safe.

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 Methods of application

1.Stick 2. caulking gun

3. John Deere gator®-mounted

mechanical applicator Dollop resulting from application depicted in 3
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 4. Tractor-mounted mechanical applicator
Dollop resulting from application depicted in 4

5. Airplane-mounted mechanical applicator Dollop resulting from application depicted in 5

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 Advantages

 No need of traps
 Field activity is several weeks, longer
than any other technique available (up to 6 months)
 Stored up to 2 years without any degradation
 No concentrated toxicants or other components are necessary to
handle, store or mix
 It protects the attractant and toxicant components from
environmental decay (via rain or UV light)

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 Ready to use formulation – never dilute with
water/ solvents/ diluents
 Application: spot application to stakes, non
crop trunks and non-edible foliage
 Certified as food safe by US EPA

21 (Mafra-Neto et al., 2014)

 Strategy Used

Mating disruption

SPLAT® Attract-and-kill

Repellent
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 SPLAT® for Mating Disruption

• Mating disruption consists of dispensing a synthetic form of one or more

components of the natural pheromone blend of an insect or biologically-
equivalent compounds
• The presence of the synthetic pheromones in the environment delays or
prevents successful mating events of the insect, reducing fecundity and
subsequent populations
• Finally leads to loss of fitness among females of the target species due to
delayed mating.

(Mafra-Neto et al., 2014)

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The Principal of Mating Disruption

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 Mechanisms of mating disruption

1) Competitive attraction (also known as “false-trail following”): occurs

when males orient and respond to synthetic pheromone plumes produced by
semiochemical dispensers, rather than the natural plume emitted by a calling
female.
2) Camouflage: it requires that the environment be saturated with synthetic
pheromone to the extent that mate-seeking males are incapable of finding
the females.
3) Desensitization: takes place when males’ responses to the female sex
pheromone are significantly diminished due to over-exposure, and may
occur either through adaptation of the males’ olfactory receptor neurons, or
by habituation of the insects’ central nervous system

(Mafra-Neto et al., 2014)

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 The success depends on

 Biological and ecological factors- pest’s host specificity, dispersal capacity

and population density,
 Males response to pheromone- whether males are susceptible to
adaptation or habituation,
 Chemical characteristics of the pheromone- evaporation rate and ability
to adhere to surfaces,
 Physical environment- environmental conditions, such as heat, wind, plot
size, shape and site topography effects the mating disruption

(Mafra-Neto et al., 2014)

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Commercial SPLAT® mating disruption products

(Mafra-Neto et al., 2014)

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 SPLAT® Attract-And-Kill Formulations (A&K)

 The attract-and-kill strategy is also referred to as “lure-and-kill” and

“attracticide”, as well as by other terms (e.g., Male annihilation, lure-and-
sterilize, lure-and-infect, bait spray)
 Broadly, attract-and-kill consists of attracting males, females, or both
sexes of a pest species to an insect control agent (e.g., Insecticide,
sterilant,
insect pathogen)

28 (Mafra-Neto et al., 2014)

 Three crucial events that must take place in order for any A&K
formulation to achieve effective control.
 First, the insect must successfully locate and contact the point
source, which should ideally be more attractive to the target insect
than any natural attractant source present in the field.
 Second, the attracted insect must then ingest an adequate quantity, or
spend a sufficient period of time in contact with the insecticide, or
other toxicant, to achieve the desired detrimental effect.
 Third, the resulting level of mortality/debilitation must be such that
it has a significant negative effect on the pest population in treated
areas

(El-Sayed et al., 2009)

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 SPLAT® Repellent Formulations:

• Repellents are compounds that deter or inhibit insects from finding, feeding
on or ovipositing on an attractive host substrate
• They have only played a very minor role till now

• Lack of adequate formulations for delivery and substantial regulatory

obstacles made their utilization restricted to few crops
• Use of repellents in combination with attractants as part of a push-pull
strategy has been shown to be effective in agriculture and forest systems
• SPLAT® is well-adapted for delivering volatile insect repellents

(Mafra-Neto et al., 2014)

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CASE STUDIES

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Fig. 1:Influence of different mass trapping and mating disruption tools on the
pink bollworm male moth catches per trap per week in Bt cotton

Raichur, Karnataka (Shrinivas et al., 2019)

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Fig. 2: Influence of different mass trapping and mating disruption tools on the per
cent locule damage caused by pink bollworm on Bt cotton

Raichur, Karnataka (Shrinivas et al., 2019)

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 Table 1: Cost economics of different mass trapping and mating disruption tools
for the management of pink bollworm on Bt cotton

Raichur, Karnataka (Shrinivas et al., 2019)

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Fig.3: Mean captures of Grapholita molesta males per week throughout the 2006
season in pheromone treated and control plots(A).

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South Lyon, USA (Stelinski et al., 2007)
Fig. 4: Mean proportion of virgin female Grapholita molesta mating during 18–20 hr
of deployment in plots receiving a mechanized application of SPLAT versus
untreated control blocks (B). Application of SPLAT was made on 24th April

South Lyon, USA (Stelinski et al., 2007)

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 Fig. 5:Field efficacy of SPLAT® EC for carob moth control in dates A.
location 1

California, USA (Mafra-Neto et al., 2014)

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 Fig. 6:Field efficacy of SPLAT® EC for carob moth control in dates B.
location 2

*Malathion treatments labeled with an asterisk were significantly different from SPLAT®
EC on that sampling day
California, USA (Mafra-Neto et al., 2014)
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 Table 2: Field efficacy of SPLAT® EC for carob moth fruit infestation at harvest.

*Means ± S.E. followed by the same letter within columns are not significantly different (Tukey, P ≥ 0.05).

California, USA (Mafra-Neto et al., 2014)

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Fig. 7: Mean number of male Grapholita molesta captured per week in baited delta
traps in apple plots receiving two applications (1 August and 1 December) of SPLAT
Grafo (SG), SPLAT Grafo Attract and Kill (SGAK), Integrated Production of Apple
(IAP) and Untreated control.

Brazil (Christiano et al., 2014)

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Table 3: Mean number of male Grapholita molesta captured in traps and mating
disruption index (MDI) in apple plots receiving two applications (1 August and 1
December) of SPLAT Grafo (SG) or SPLAT Grafo Attract and Kill (SGAK),
Integrated Production of Apple (IAP) and Untreated control.

*Means ± S.E. followed by the same letter within columns are not significantly different (Tukey, P ≥ 0.05).

Brazil (Christiano et al., 2014)

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Fig. 8: Grape berry moth capture at the interior and border of vineyards following
application of 2.5 kg/ha SPLAT-GBM on 7 May and 26 June 2009 (Early program),
or on 12 June and 30 July (Late program). Control plot received the grower standard
insecticide spray.

Michigan (Teixeira et al., 2010)

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Fig. 9: Cluster infestation by grape berry moth at the interior and border of
vineyards not treated with pheromone (Control), and following application of 2.5
kg/ha SPLATGBM on 7 May and 26 June 2009 (Early program), or on 12 June and
30 July (Late program).
*Columns with the same letter are not significantly different (Tukey test, P > 0.05).
Michigan (Teixeira et al., 2010)
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Fig. 10: Field efficacy of HOOK™ FAW for fall armyworm control in corn.
Grower-standard insecticide sprays were applied in all plots.

Brazil (Mafra-Neto et al., 2014)

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Table 4: Field efficacy of Hook™ FAW for control of fall armyworm in corn.
Assessment of plant damage. Values are mean ± S.E of average plant damage
determined at all sampling times in each plot. Grower-standard insecticide sprays
were applied in all plots.

*Means ± S.E. followed by the same letter within columns are not significantly different (Tukey, P ≥ 0.05).

Brazil (Mafra-Neto et al., 2014)

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Conclusion:
SPLAT® is an unique amorphous, flowable, controlled-release emulsion, with
chemical and physical properties that can be adjusted by small changes in
composition, or in application method to suit a wide variety of pest
management techniques, while minimizing application costs.
SPLAT® matrix is capable of dispensing a wide variety of compounds
involving different semiochemicals and insecticides.
This can be applied using a virtually unlimited number of manual and
mechanical techniques. It has rain fast formulation, once cured SPLAT ® will
not wash off of vegetation.
SPLAT® mating disruption and attract-and-kill formulations have been
developed for important agricultural and forestry pests both domestically and
internationally.
Several of the existing SPLAT® mating disruption formulations have also been
certified for use in organic crop production.

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 Thank you

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