Docket Number: 1305
Serial Number: 11372173

Technology Description: Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Maryland and West Virginia discovered a dogwood borer sex pheromone, which could be used for monitoring the presence, abundance and seasonal activity of dogwood borer in crops.  The dogwood borer is a wood-boring pest of more than 19 species of fruit, nut, and ornamental trees.  This technology could be used to develop pheromone lure that could be used to monitor the pest population in crops.  The scientists are also evaluating a control strategy that utilizes sex pheromone and an analog to disrupt the mating behaviors of the pest.  A disruption formula based on the pheromone and on the analog can aide growers by providing a powerful tool to manage this pest resulting in reduced synthetic insecticide applications.  Behaviorally-based pest management systems using mating disruption have the distinct advantage of being an acceptable organic practice.    ARS’s improved pheromone blend captures up to 400 times more male dogwood borer moths than previous commercial monitoring lures.  The blend is very selective—with captures comprised of approximately 99 percent of dogwood borers and very few natural enemies.  ARS is seeking a company to commercialize this monitoring product and, as a partner, to develop mating disruption technology to better manage this pest.  Tree fruit are among the most economically important crops grown in the southern and northeastern regions.  Commercial production of flowering dogwood cultivars is an extremely valuable industry with more than 70 percent of all dogwood nursery stock originating in the southeastern United States.  Tree fruit and ornamental growers in North America would benefit from this invention.    Reference:  Please refer to S.N. 11/372,173 (Docket #0013.05), “Female Sex Pheromone of the Dogwood Borer (DWB), Synanthedon scitula, and Attraction Inhibitor (Antagonist),” which was filed on March 9, 2006.  Foreign rights are not available.   Inventors:   Aijun Zhang Invasive Insect Biocontrol and Behavior Lab  Beltsville, MD  20795 Phone: (301) 504-5223    Fax: (301) 504-6580 Aijun.Zhang@ars.usda.gov     Tracy C. Leskey Integrated Orchard Management and    Automation for Deciduous Tree Fruit Crops Kearneysville, WV  25430-2771 Phone: (304) 725-3451     Fax: (304) 725-2340 Tracy.Leskey@ars.usda.gov