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Insect chemical ecology: understanding the roles and underlying mechanisms of chemical signals (semiochemicals)

Reference	BBS/E/C/00004190
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Linda Field
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors	Dr Barry Pye
Institution	Rothamsted Research
Department	Rothamsted Research Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	1,340,000
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/1999
End date	31/03/2008
Duration	108 months

Abstract

Chemical ecology is the study of interactions between organisms mediated by chemicals produced naturally. This project provides an understanding of the roles, and underlying mechanisms, of chemical signals acting by non-toxic mechanisms, i.e. the semiochemicals that give rise to developmental or behavioural changes in both pest and beneficial organisms, principally insects, in agricultural and natural ecosystems. This project defines chemical ecological interactions and also the biological occurrence of semiochemicals for identification. The semiochemicals characterised and made available are investigated by electrophysiological, laboratory and field behavioural studies. Thus, the role of insect neurophysiology, particularly relating to olfaction, is used to study the basis of host location. Semiochemicals are deployed in the field after preliminary studies on semiochemical release profiles in the laboratory, to provide intrinsic information upon which to base the development of integrated methods of pest control.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Agri-food (AF)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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