Registration and commercial development of a plant volatile based attract and kill system for 'Helicoverpa' spp.

Abstract

In 2009 we registered an attract-and-kill product for 'Helicoverpa' spp. in cotton and corn, under the trade name Magnet. This was the first such product, using synthetic plant volatiles, including insecticides and intended for direct application to crops, to be registered in Australia and possibly the world. We will describe the processes and difficulties encountered during registration, and lessons for commericalisation of semiochemical products. The product was originally intended for use in IPM schemes for 'Helicoverpa' spp. in cotton, but as with many conventional insecticides this role has been substantially reduced due to the widespread adoption of transgenic (Bt) cotton. We are now investigating other potential roles in management of resistance to Bt, and in other crops.