Scaled-up Production and Validation of Fruit Midge Pheromones for Pest Management

摇蚊是重要的全球性果树害虫。目前对蠓的管理是有问题的，主要是应用基于化石燃料的化学杀虫剂，对有益昆虫和更广泛的环境产生有害影响。在2018-19年度，英国各地在1，034，565公顷的土地上使用了超过1.14吨农药，通常是先发制人，以控制小麦，黑醋栗，树莓和梨作物上的吸浆虫种群，仅6，953公顷的梨作物就使用了0.02吨农药。在粮食生产中逐渐摆脱对化学农药的依赖，转而采用综合虫害管理战略，这是一个日益增长的全球趋势。对IPM战略的需求是由农药功效的损失、由于立法规定而导致的可用性降低以及与农药使用相关的环境问题驱动的。信息素是IPM策略的重要组成部分，但与其他作物害虫相比，目前市场上几乎没有水果吸浆虫信息素。该项目将开发PheroSyn有限公司和Rothamsted研究所（RRes）在设计生产路线方面的最新技术进展。PheroSyn和RRes将首次开发基于绿色化学的生产路线，使用可再生原料进行梨瘿蚊和梨叶蚊性信息素的商业规模生产。有效性的信息素产品在诱捕和监测蠓种群在水果生产系统将进行由安德马特生物控制英国有限公司的信息素产品的领先供应商，最终用户（农民和种植者）在英国和欧洲大陆通过该公司的完善的网络。随着生产能力和产品验证的实现，安德马特将从2023年开始销售用于水果生产系统的信息素。该项目在英国的供应链中建立了创新合作伙伴关系（技术和产品开发-最终用户验证-制造-分销），以便将有需求的迄今无法获得的产品销售到农业综合企业部门，从而破坏了食品生产中长期建立的化学农药市场，有利于IPM战略。该项目将帮助PheroSyn和安德马特加快业务增长，为全球农民和种植者提供有效、持久、安全和负担得起的害虫管理工具。用于水果害虫气候智能IPM的信息素的可用性将为英国提供显着的社会和经济效益，通过生产负担得起的，安全食用的食品，通过减少化学农药的生产和部署促进零碳农业。

Midges are significant global pests of fruit production. Current management of midges is problematic, dominated by application of fossil-fuel based chemical pesticides that impact on beneficial insects and the wider environment detrimentally. In 2018-19 across the UK, over 1.14t of pesticide was applied, often pre-emptively, to an area of 1,034,565 hectares to control midge populations on wheat, blackcurrant, raspberry and pear crops, with 0.02t being applied to 6,953 hectares of pear crops alone. There is a growing global trend to move away from reliance on chemical pesticides in food production in favour of integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. The need for IPM strategies is driven by loss in efficacy of pesticides, reduced availability due to legislative regulation, and environmental issues associated with pesticide use. Pheromones form a critical component of IPM strategies, but compared to other crop pests, there are virtually no fruit midge pheromones currently available on the market. This project will develop recent technological advances in designing production routes for midge sex pheromone production between PheroSyn Ltd and Rothamsted Research (RRes). PheroSyn and RRes will, for the first time, develop green-chemistry based production routes for commercial-scale production of the pear gall midge and pear leaf midge sex pheromones using renewable feedstocks. Efficacy of the pheromone products in trapping and monitoring midge populations in fruit production systems will be undertaken by Andermatt Biocontrol UK Ltd a leading supplier of pheromone products to end-users (farmers and growers) in the UK and to continental Europe through the company's well-established network. With production capacity and product validation achieved, Andermatt will market the pheromones for use in fruit production systems from 2023\.The project establishes an innovation partnership across a UK-based supply chain (technology and product development-end user validation-manufacture--distribution) for sale of hitherto-unavailable products that are in demand, into the agribusiness sector, thereby disrupting the long-established chemical pesticide market in food production in favour of IPM Strategies. The project will help PheroSyn and Andermatt accelerate their business growth, supplying effective, long-lasting, safe and affordable pest management tools to farmers and growers worldwide. Availability of the pheromones for use in climate-smart IPM of fruit pests will provide significant social and economic benefit to the UK by producing affordable, safe-to-eat food in a way that promotes zero-carbon agriculture through reduced chemical pesticide manufacture and deployment.