The changing climatic conditions and extensive monocropping have influenced the ecology and biology of insect pests leading to a considerable shift in their pest status across several crops posing challenges to farmers and researchers alike. Considering the recent global emphasis on sustainable pest management solutions with minimal ‘carbon footprinting’, intensive efforts are being made to identify green chemicals that can support integrated pest management (IPM) strategies with minimal disturbance to agri-ecosystems. In this context, the dependency of insects on chemical cues to locate their hosts and mates offers tremendous opportunity to identify potential ‘behavior modifying chemicals’ (= semiochemicals, infochemicals) that can be exploited for their management. Studies have been established that herbivore induced plant volatiles (HIPVs) are attractive to predators and parasitoids during the initial stages of insect attack and provide timely control of pests. The ability of HIPVs to attract conspecifics have been reported in our studies in devastating sap feeder Scirtothrips dorsalis. Therefore, thorough understanding of the chemical mediated communication among the insect pests with their hosts, conspecifics and natural enemies helps to identify weak behavioural links that can be manipulated across the trophic interactions. Further, the insects and plants are constantly interacting with endosymbionts/microorganisms that also exert their influence on trophic interactions. Gut associated endosymbiont volatiles also have direct behavioural effects oh herbivores; volatiles of Klebsiella oxytoca, an endosymbiont of female Oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis attracted male conspecifics in our studies. However, in order to understand/manipulate/modulate the various behavior-modifying chemicals that are being deployed by insects and to maximize their usefulness to make insect pests vulnerable, collaborations between biology, chemical ecology, physiology and analytical chemistry are of paramount importance. The scope of behavior-modifying chemicals in delivering sustainable and innovative next generation pest management solutions will be thoroughly discussed.

Deciphering the infochemicals in multitrophic plant -insect- microbe interactions: Exploiting the ecological chemistry for sustainable IPM strategies

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.