Attract-and-kill for the diamondback moth, 'Plutella xylostella' in canola

Abstract

We have previously developed an attractant based on synthetic plant volatiles targeting the adults of the noctuid pests 'Helicoverpa' spp., and the product (Magnet®) has been registered for cotton, sweet com and green beans. With funding from the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) and AgBitech Pty Ltd, we investigated the feasibility of attract-and-kill as a novel approach to manage the diamondback moth, 'Plutella xylostella' (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) in canola. A small-scale field trial conducted on forage rape at Victor Harbor, SA in 2013, demonstrated that the attract-and-kill using Magnet® and the insecticide spinetoram (Success Neo®) worked for this species. It also showed that pheromone traps can be used to monitor DBM numbers in treated and control plots. Following this, we conducted a large-scale field trial involving aerial application of more than 600 ha of pre-flowering canola at Cummins, SA which showed a major reduction in DBM adult numbers in treated fields in comparison with the untreated and distant control fields.