Developing a push-pull bio-insecticidal strategy to control establishment pests in oilseed rape based on attractant and repellent semiochemicals

OSR是仅次于谷物的英国第二大作物，但由于停止使用以前用于控制害虫的主要常规杀虫剂，如卷心菜茎跳甲和蚯蚓，OSR正面临重大威胁。使用挥发性化学物质(改变行为的‘信息信号’，如信息素)引诱害虫离开作物是一种很好的作物保护策略；它可以有效地控制害虫，而不会对作物造成环境危害或产生不必要的残留。在这个博士项目的过程中，你将开发OSR保护的“推-拉”策略，即在作物内部或附近放置驱避性信息化学物质，与作为诱饵放置在更偏远地点的诱捕作物内的引诱信息化学物质结合使用。这将涉及对害虫本身的实验室研究，确定最有效的混合和信号化合物配方，并进行田间试验，以确定它们在实际条件下对OSR保护的有效性--以及对非目标/有益生物的任何负面影响。你将在无脊椎动物饲养、操作和分类学、植物生长研究、行为生物测定、无脊椎动物电生理学、分析化学、信号化学配方和进行实地试验(设计和评估方法)方面培养技能和经验。这项工作的成果将有可能对经济和环境产生重大影响，并有助于实现联合国粮食安全和保护环境的可持续发展目标。

OSR is the second largest UK crop after cereals, but is under significant threat due to the withdrawal of the major conventionalpesticides previously used to control pests such as cabbage stem flea beetle and slugs. The use of volatilesemiochemicals (behaviour-modifying 'information signals' such as pheromones) to lure pests away from a crop is apowerful strategy for crop protection; it can allow effective pest control without causing environmental harm orgenerating unwanted residues on the crop itself. Over the course of this PhD project you will develop "push-pull" strategies for OSR protection, whereby repellentsemiochemicals placed within or near the crop are used in combination with attractant semiochemicals placed as lures orwithin trap crops at a more remote location. This will involve laboratory studies with the pests themselves,determination of the most effective blends and formulations of semiochemical compounds and field trials to determinetheir effectiveness for OSR protection - and any negative effects on non-target/beneficial organisms - under real-worldconditions. You will develop skills and experience in invertebrate rearing, handling and taxonomy, plant growth studies,behavioural bioassays, invertebrate electrophysiology, analytical chemistry, semiochemical formulation and conductingfield trials (design and assessment methods). The outputs of this work will have the potential for substantial economic and environmental impact, and contribute tothe United Nations Sustainable Development Goals of food security and protecting the environment.