Insect pest management with sex pheromone precursors from engineered oilseed plants

Abstract

Pheromones have become an environmentally friendly alternative to conventional insecticides for pest control. Most current pheromone-based pest control products target lepidopteran pests of high-value crops, as today’s manufacturing processes cannot yet produce pheromones at low enough costs to enable their use for lower-value crops, especially commodity crops. Camelina sativa seeds genetically modified to express (Z)-11-hexadecenoic acid, a sex pheromone precursor of several moth species, provided the oil from which the precursor was isolated, purified and transformed into the final pheromone. Trap lures containing this pheromone were then assessed for their capacity to manage moth pests in the field. Plant-derived pheromone lures proved equally effective as synthetic pheromone lures in monitoring the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella, in cabbage and disrupting mating of cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera, in common bean fields. Our study demonstrates the biological efficacy and economic feasibility of pheromone production in plant factories by metabolic engineering of an oilseed crop.

Tunable control of insect pheromone biosynthesis inNicotiana benthamiana

“…Pheromone yields from alternative species in which production is limited to specific organs might also be tested. For example, precursors of Lepidopteran sex pheromones have recently been produced in the seeds of field-grown transgenic Camelina sativa (false flax) (Wang et al, 2022).…”

“…They also produce many metabolic precursors and cofactors allowing the facile reconstruction of metabolic pathways often without the need to engineer host genes and pathways (Patron, 2020; Stephenson et al, 2020). For example, precursors of Lepidopteran sex pheromones have been produced in field-grown transgenic Camelina sativa (false flax) (Wang et al, 2022)), while biosynthesis of the pheromone molecules has been demonstrated in other plant species (Ding et al, 2014; Mateos-Fernández et al, 2021; Xia et al, 2022).…”

Bio-based agricultural products: a sustainable alternative to agrochemicals for promoting a circular economy

“…54 A pheromone-based bio-insecticide, for example, that is aggressive in stopping the spread of a specific insect-pest species is only effective against that pest species. 55 Other pests aren't affected by it. It is vital to remember that synthetic chemicals are dangerous xenobiotics, even though they offer a far broader spectrum of activity.…”

Nano-Micro Core–Shell Fibers for Efficient Pest Trapping

“…4 Pheromones can reduce or prevent pests through monitoring, mass trapping, and mating disruption. 5 However, they cannot be used efficiently in the field for a long time period due to the volatility and chemical instability of most pheromones. 6 The current carriers (such as rubber, polyethylene plastic, etc.)…”