Development and commercialisation of pheromone products in New Zealand

Abstract

The sale of pheromone traps lures and mating disruption products for horticultural insect pest species has grown steadily since the late 1980s with expanding sales to New Zealand growers from Plant Food Research (PFR) and its predecessors New biosecurity incursions led to pheromone identifications for delimitation and pest management of other species Mating disruption products were developed to target leafrollers currant clearwing codling moth and oriental fruit moth In 201011 the activity involved with production of > 30 pheromone products was sold as a business unit by PFR to a New Zealand company In addition the first legislative group standard for plant protection products was drawn up to enable future development of straightchained lepidopteran sex pheromones under New Zealands Environmental Protection Authority The availability of pheromone products to assist with decision support and pest management is now subject to market forces