BAKERSFIELD, Calif — CIDE-TRAK NOW MESO uses pheromones to disrupt mating among harmful insects, promoting organic farming and reducing pesticide use.
- A new method called CIDE-TRAK NOW Meso aims to disrupt insect mating patterns.
- The device helps reduce pest damage in agriculture, particularly for crops like pistachios.
- Using pheromones, it prevents male insects from finding and mating with females.
- This method is sustainable, leaving no residues on crops and not affecting beneficial insects.
- California farmers can utilize this technology to enhance sustainability and reduce insecticide use.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
When pests are active, it’s important to prevent them from mating. Mating disruption is one way to do this organically.
“No mating, no eggs, no eggs, no problems.” Daniel Palla said.
This pest control method is called CIDE-TRAK N-O-W Meso, made by Trécé, and it's used to reduce pest damage to crops.
The goal is to disrupt the mating patterns of harmful insects by preventing males from finding and mating with females. Here’s how it works: Daniel and Thomas explain that by placing these dispensers around the orchard, it becomes harder for the males to locate the females, mate with them, and for the females to produce fertile eggs.
Thomas Martin works with Trécé, and he says, “If we know the pheromone the female produces, and we know how the male responds to it, we can put it in a dispenser and let it release throughout the season to prevent and delay mating, reducing the egg load in the orchard.”
Daniel Palla owns a pistachio orchard, and he says the primary pest for pistachios is the naval orange worm. Using these dispensers is just one way to control the pests before they damage the crop.
"Without them being able to mate with the female, it actually eliminates the problem. Strangely enough, we don’t even kill the bugs, we control them before they mate." Daniel said.
Daniel and Thomas say most insects fly when they start to warm up and continue until it gets cold. The dispensers will keep working all year without needing to be replaced.
They also emphasize that pheromones are sustainable, unlike insecticides. The dispensers leave no residue on crops.
“It’s a great way for growers to control pests in organic situations, where it’s a little bit harder to do so. They have fewer options, so this is another way to practice sustainability and keep crop damage low.” Thomas said.
Thomas adds that pheromones are very specific to the target insects and won’t affect pollinators or beneficial bugs.
You can learn more about mating disruption by visiting Trécé.com.
For more information on agriculture sustainability practices in California, visit the UCIPM website or the CCOF organization.
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