Semiochemicals for pest control
Insects use odours (pheromones, plant odours) for orientation. These odours are referred to as semiochemicals. We identify and synthesize semiochemicals and develop them into crop protection products. Our specific expertise in this field includes organic chemistry, electrophysiology and behavioural assays. Pheromones are commercialized through PHEROBANK (www.pherobank.nl). Over 25 years of experience in pheromone identification and synthesis resulted in the world’s largest collection of pheromone compounds and ready-to-use pheromone lures and traps. Research on plant compounds focuses on understanding the interactions between plants, insects and their natural enemies in order to find new leads for the development of crop protection strategies. Our scope is international, we run research projects in Asian, African and South-American countries.
Technologies and facilities
Chemistry
MS: Mass Spectrometry. An analytical technique for the identification of unknown compounds in very small quantities.
GC: Gas Chromatography. A technique in which a mixture of compounds (e.g. plant odours) is diffused along a carrier gas and passed through a long column containing a liquid or solid absorbent that separates the substance into its component parts.
GC-MS: GC coupled with MS.
Preparative HPLC: High Pressure Liquid Chromatography. Technique used to isolate and purify compounds over a column. This technique can be compared to GC, however, the carrier is a liquid in this case.
Electrophysiology and behaviour
EAG: ElectroAntennoGram. A technique that records voltage changes between the base and the tip of an excised insect antenna when it is exposed to volatile substances. An EAG response indicates that a specific odour is perceived by the insects’ antenna.
GC-EAD: EAG coupled to GC. Chemical compounds from a mixture are separated by GC and individual compounds are tested by EAG. This indicates which chemical compounds from a mixture the insect can perceive.
Wind tunnel: A tunnel in which a laminar airflow can be established, used to study the response of insects towards odor sources.
Locomotion compensator: Like the wind tunnel, only here we use a sphere on which the insect can walk. If the insect moves the sphere is automatically turned in the opposite direction thus fixing the insect on top of it.
Olfactometers: setup to assess the response of insects to (attractive or repellent) odours.
EPG: Electrical Penetration Graph technique to study the feeding behaviour of 
sucking insects, for example aphids.
Target pests
- thrips
- aphids
- whiteflies
- weevils/beetles
- plant bugs/stink bugs
- lepidopterans
- mites
- fruit flies
- mushroom fly
Current projects
- Development of semiochemical-based control of thrips, aphids and whiteflies
- Identification, development and sales of (mainly) lepidopteran pheromones
- Tritrophic interactions in soil between plants, weevil larvae and entomopathogenic nematodes
- Semiochemicals for control of plant bugs/stink bugs in the Republic of Korea
- Identification and development of pheromones of Rooibos-tea pests in South-Africa
- Semiochemical-based control of fruitflies in Indonesia
- Semiochemical-based control of cinnamon-pests in Sri Lanka