SPLAT: A green technology for insect pest management

Abstract

Semiochemicals are naturally occurring, species-specific molecules exploited for inter and intra-specific communication between an insect and its environment. In pest management, these semiochemicals are used mainly to modulate the behaviour of target insect pest, wherein development of resistance in insect pests is almost absent. In the recent past, sex pheromones have been employed for pest management through a novel technique, Specialized Pheromone and Lure Application Technology (SPLAT). It is a technology that lowers reproduction by preventing mating, attracting and killing the target insect, and repelling it. The wax-based product SPLAT disrupts mating due to prolonged release of pheromones over a time period of two weeks to six months. Keywords: Semiochemicals. pheromone, SPLAT, mating disruption, pesticide