Beyond sticky traps: New developments in attractants, repellents, and smart trapping

Improvements in colours, patterns, scents, and now with Smart Alert traps, long gone are the days of sticky traps.
14 September 2017 | 0
It is now nearly two months since GLAS 2017 took place. GLAS 2017 was one the most successful GLAS to-date with over 1,000 people attending. According to the exit polls 94% of traders who attended noted their experience as worthwhile or very worthwhile, and 99% of visitors noted their experience as worthwhile, or very worthwhile.
For those of you who attended you will remember the Bord Bia sponsored Learning Theatre; where consummate professionals from all areas of the leisure horticulture sector presented a talk to a sold-out crowd.
For those who couldn’t make it to GLAS 2017 or weren’t able to secure a seat, you will be able to read below, Dr Clare Sampson to offer ever-evolving environmentally-friendly pest control using innovative pheromones bio-rationals trapping digital systems. Dr Sampson now works as Horticultural Development Manager at Russell IPM.
Improved Sticky Traps breaks down into three sectors:
- Colours
- Patterns
- Scents
Colours
Improved colours resulted in greater pest attraction, leading to a 67-98% reduction in adult whitefly.
Patterns
- White pattern increased thrips trap catch by 25%.
- Frankliniella occidentalis and Thrips major.
- This was confirmed in pepper and strawberry located in the UK and Morocco.
Scents
2016 results
- Adding western flower thrips pheromone to roller traps
- 30-100% increase in trap catch
2017 developments
- Field testing micro-encapsulated pheromone for longer release
- Addition of capsid attractants to make a multi-species trap
Integrated solutions: thrips control
Blue Optiroll patterned pheromone traps:
- Reduced adult thrips per flower (53-87%).
- Increased class 1 fruit (from 67% to 92%).
- Increased grower returns (> €2.3k/ha).
- Reduced insecticide treatments.
- No interruption of pollination or predators.
- Combined use of predatory mites and traps prevented major damage.
Repellents, Background
Aim:
Can general repellents be used to reduce the damage caused by insect pests?
Advantages:
- Often widely available.
- Generally safe.
- Repel a range of species.
- Do not draw pests into an area.

Small plot (3.5 m x 4 m) proof of principle trials. Results and Photo: Dr Charles Whitfield, NIAB EMR.
Repellents, 2016 results
Repellents reduced pest numbers by 23-55%:
- Delia radicum
- Plutella xylostella
- Aleyrodes proletella
- Brevicoryne spp.
- Dasineura pyri
- Psylla pyri
Repellents, Next Steps
2017 Field Trials
Formulation for a longer release, sprayable application:
- Strawberry – Spotted wing drosophila
- Tomato – Tuta absoluta
- Brassicas – Caterpillars, aphids, cabbage root fly, whitefly
- Apple / Pear – Leaf curling midge, pear sucker
Smart Traps
Russell IPM is also developing autonomous, stand-alone traps that count and identify pest species in real time, allowing growers and advisers to go straight to problem areas in the field, heralding a new generation of smart traps. These are the first traps for apple moth pests and fruit flies.
The process of these traps are as follows:
- Counts and identifies.
- Data sent to computer.
- A customised report is sent to your phone.
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