Pheromone Attracts Male Insects and Reduces Need for Pesticides

Using pheromones to disrupt the mating of a moth that attacks hazelnuts known as the filbert worm — has become an effective integrated pest management option for Oregon’s hazelnut industry — which produces 99 percent of the country’s hazelnuts.

 

After six years of research, horticulture scientists have invented dispensers that emit sex pheromones that confuse the male filbert worm, so he is unable to find the female during mating season.

 

Oregon State University Extension Horticulturist Dr. Vaughn Walton shares more

 

Walton: “From multiple several 100s per acre, going down to 40 per acre and then we dropped it down to 20 to acre and then we dropped it down to 10 per acre — which is the level we are at now. If we are looking at 10 per acre we are getting to an equivalent damage level compared to when you do conventional chemical control. When you look at the cost of this method. We worked out an amount of about $55 an acre for mating disruption and about $52 to $53 an acre for chemical control. So slightly more expensive — $2 or $3 more per acre — but if you work at that rate of placement of the dispensers you will more or less getting 60 to 75 percent reduction in pesticide use. Which in turn, will help especially organic growers and growers who are growing to specific markets. It opens up a lot of markets as well.”