Mating Disruption

The mating disruption technique is an advanced pest control strategy based on the use of synthetic sexual pheromones to disrupt the reproductive behaviour of insects, especially lepidopterans. It is a highly selective, sustainable approach compatible with the principles of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), being widely used in fruit growing, viticulture and precision horticulture.

The method consists of the continuous diffusion of pheromones in the crop environment, creating an olfactory “saturation” that prevents males from locating females. This interference reduces mating, decreases egg laying and, consequently, limits the development of the following generations of the pest. The result is a significant reduction in population pressure throughout the crop cycle, without resorting to conventional insecticides.

From a technical point of view, mating disruption presents several advantages:

• High specificity, acting only on the target species.
• Absence of impact on beneficial fauna, including pollinators and natural enemies.
• Compatibility with organic farming and integrated production.
• Reduction of the number of insecticide treatments, contributing to a lower risk of resistance.
• Safety for the applicator, since the dispensers do not require handling of dangerous substances.
• Uniformity of protection, thanks to the continuous and controlled release of pheromones over several weeks.

The effectiveness of the technique depends on the correct density of dispensers per hectare, on the homogeneous distribution in the plot and on installation before the start of the pest's flight. In crops with high population pressure, mating disruption can be complemented with monitoring by traps and, if necessary, selective spot treatments.

BIOSANI offers a complete range of mating disruption dispensers, developed for different species of lepidopterans and adapted to the requirements of the main European crops. These products ensure stable release, resistance to climatic conditions and compliance with the European standards applicable to pheromones for agricultural use.