A NEW METHOD OF AUGMENTING BIOLOGICAL CONTROL: IMPLEMENTING PREDATOR CUES FOR PEST DAMAGE MITIGATION

Chemical signals are pivotal in shaping the interactions between plants and insects, offering a promising avenue of research for innovative pest management strategies. Researchers have long focused on harnessing plant volatiles and insect pheromones to influence pest behavior and minimize crop damage. Recent studies have uncovered the potential of predatory insect cues in altering herbivore physiology and behavior, yet exploiting these cues for pest management remains largely unexplored.Our initial findings reveal that chemical cues from lady beetles significantly impact aphid host-plant selection, hinder aphid feeding, decrease aphid reproduction, and prompt aphid dispersal. However, to fully leverage this discovery, we must identify the specific compounds responsible for eliciting these behavioral changes, evaluate the efficacy of synthetic predator blends on key pest traits, and understand how scaling up the use of these blends impacts aphid population dynamics, biological control, plant vigor, and the broader arthropod community in agricultural fields.These findings pave the way for a novel pest management approach utilizing synthetic blends of predatory insect semiochemicals, promising reduced pest damage and increased yield for growers. Although manipulating predator chemical ecology holds great potential for integrated pest management (IPM), there remains a critical need to pinpoint bioactive compounds, assess their impact on aphid behavior, and understand their implications for plant health and ecological interactions in field settings.Aligned with our overarching hypothesis, our proposed research aims to:Objective 1: Investigate the bioactivity of components within the H. axyridis semiochemical blend on aphids.Objective 2: Assess the influence of isolated predator semiochemical blends on aphid performance, feeding behavior, and assimilation efficiency.Objective 3: Evaluate the effects of the isolated predator semiochemical blend on aphid population dynamics in field conditions.Objective 4: Examine the broader arthropod community responses and crop yield in response to the isolated predator semiochemical blend in open-field settings.By unraveling the mechanisms through which predator cues mitigate pest performance and safeguard crops, this project will offer a novel, sustainable approach to pest management, transferrable to various agricultural systems. Ultimately, this endeavor advances the realm of plant health and production by enhancing the efficacy of biological control strategies.