The chemistry of pheromones and kairomones for insect control in crops and warehouses

The objective is to isolate, identify and synthesise biologically active substances, especially those related to the biological projects on orchard pests and insects in stored food. Both pheromones and plant volatiles are studied.

Host-plant substances. Female insects often use odours from the host plant to find suitable egg-laying sites. Unripe apples release a large number of substances that may be important for where and when the codling moth female oviposits. Some of them can occur in different forms, so called isomers, with the parts of the molecule oriented differently. In order to be able to use the compounds for modifying the insects' behaviour it is often necessary to determine which one of the isomers that occurs naturally. Combination of different existing methods and development of new chemical analysis methods are necessary for such determinations.

Pheromones. Most moths use combinations of rather similar chemical substances for their communication. Many of these compounds are commercially available, but not as pure as the moths require for showing relevant responses. In order to be able to do behavioural tests and electrophysiological recordings both purification of commercial products and synthesis of non-available substances have to be done.

Place of research: Ecological chemistry, Organic chemistry, Department of Chemistry, Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden

Participating scientists: Torbjörn Norin (project leader), Anna-Karin Borg-Karlsson, Jenny Fäldt (until 2002), Ulla Jacobsson, Ilme Liblikas, Raimondas Mozuraitis, Monika Persson, Ellen Santangelo, Rikard Unelius

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