Pheromone Nanogels for Efficient Management of Fruit Flies

Abstract

This protocol describes environment-friendly management of fruit flies involving pheromones for the reduction of undesirable pest populations responsible for decreasing the yield and the crop quality. The procedure involves preparation of a nanogel from a pheromone, methyl eugenol (ME) using a low-molecular mass gelator. The nanogel formation is possible due to the self-assembly of the gelator molecules in pheromone. The nanogel offers stability at open ambient conditions, reduced evaporation and sustained release of the pheromone, easy handling and transportation without refrigeration, and reduction in the frequency of pheromone recharging in the orchard. The protocol also depicts easy sampling technique for the trapping of the pests in a guava orchard using the nanogels. Notably the involvement of the nano-gelled pheromone brought about an effective management of Bactrocera dorsalis, a prevalent harmful pest for a number of fruits including guava. Thus a simple, practical and low cost green chemical approach is developed that has a significant potential for crop protection, long lasting residual activity, excellent efficacy and favorable safety profiles.