POTENTIAL FOR DEVELOPING TECHNOLOGY TO CONTROL ADULT NOCTUIDS WITH CHEMICAL ATTRACTANTS FROM PLANTS - BACKGROUND AND WORLD PERSPECTIVE

Pest outbreaks occur when densities in crops reach an economic injury level. Insect mobility results in spatial changes in densities which, on occasion, are demonstrably the sole causes of pest outbreaks. The e ffects of these spatial changes on pest outbreaks in general have been vastly underestimated and inadequately studied. The concept of pest m anagement demands new and efficient methods of survey and environmenta lly acceptable methods of control that are synchronized, often on a ve ry large scale. The possible use of poison baits employing attractants based on chemicals present in host plants of pest species is discusse d and presented as a highly practical solution to the problem of overa ll pest management and one which imposes a minimum environmental burde n. Studies of a variety of pests have indicated that spatial redistrib ution of insect populations by flight is often more important than cha nges in total numbers in determining the incidence and severity of out breaks, and that the structure of the wind systems in which they fly d ominates their density. Such airborne concentrations, which can derive from very distant or local sources, may result in the sudden arrival in a crop of pest numbers in excess of the economic injury level, or i n numbers sufficient to overwhelm indigenous controlling agents.