Using artificial pheromones to protect Europe’s maize crops from pests
Western corn rootworm (WCR) is an invasive leaf beetle that threatens large stretches of Europe’s maize crops. The eggs stay in the soil over winter, before hatching and releasing larvae that feed on the crop roots, causing them to collapse. When the bugs become adults, they can also interfere with pollination and reduce yields. It is estimated that out of the 15 million hectares of corn currently growing in the EU, around 40 % is affected by WCR, leading to average yield losses of around 20 % in affected areas. Financial losses can add up to several billion euro per year. Since toxic neonicotinoid pesticides were banned across the EU, there is now no effective protection against the pests. The EU-funded CORNPROTECT project has been working to improve and commercialise a new solution, which is natural, non-toxic, and doesn’t harm other organisms or the environment. “Our solution combats specific pests by disrupting their mating instead of killing them,” explains Franz Reitbauer, founder and CEO of Lithos Crop Protect. Pheromones normally used by the females to attract males are distributed evenly among crops, in a way that confuses the males and reduces their reproduction significantly. The patented technology was developed by Lithos, a biotechnology firm based in Austria. Through the CORNPROTECT project, the technology was refined and improved further, and the team began the process of registering it as a European plant protection product. They also sought out distribution partners, to help eventually bring the product to consumers across Europe and North America. The team successfully completed all the necessary scientific studies required for the active ingredient, and evaluation by the EU is currently under way.
Harnessing female pheromones
The technology uses small mineral carriers made of natural volcanic material, which bind with the pheromones, then release them slowly to form a long-lasting cloud of protection. The product can be easily and widely sprayed around cropland, using drones or tractors, for example. The technology has been shown to be efficient, easy to use and affordable, offering a new defence against the harmful pest suitable for conventional or organic farming. By simply disrupting reproduction and using no chemicals, the solution creates a protective barrier which doesn’t harm the pests, or anything else in the environment. And the applications could grow. During the project, the first proof of concept work was done to apply the technology against other pests.
Scaling up production ready for the market
The team signed contracts with distribution partners in Europe and the United States, scaled up production processes and registered the patent for the technology. They also carried out marketing activities, though these were limited due to the COVID pandemic. The CORNPROTECT team expect approval of the active ingredient by 2024, when the product will be launched in a limited run in four EU countries. Full roll-out is expected across the EU and United States in 2027. Reitbauer says that speeding up the registration process for natural products could help with reaching the goals set out under the EU’s Green Deal more quickly. “Fully biological and completely harmless plant protection methods such as ours need to go through the same lengthy registration processes as chemical pesticides,” he says, adding: “A faster registration process for natural alternatives is needed urgently.”
Keywords
CORNPROTECT, rootworm, pest, invasive, maize, protect, pheromones, reproduction, disrupt
