ISCA Technologies: NEWS RELEASE AUGUST 26, 2004

AUGUST 26, 2004
ISCA TECHNOLOGIES’ RESEARCHERS SELECTED TO PRESENT 8 CONTRIBUTED PAPERS AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONGRESS OF ENTOMOLOGY 2004

ISCA Technologies’ in-house and associate researchers submitted 8 papers for presentation at the International Congress of Entomology 2004, held in Brisbane, Australia, 15 - 21 August 2004. All 8 submitted papers were selected for oral presentations in various symposiums at this international conference. This is a significant contribution which reflects on ISCA Technologies’ commitment to the advancement of effective, economical and environmentally-friendly IPM technologies.

The following are abstracts of the 8 presentations :

1) Development of lure for the dengue mosquito
R Coler, A Mafra-Neto, T Dekker

Instead of proceeding with the traditional isolation and identification from hosts of individual mosquito attractants, ISCA Technologies, Inc. created compositions which mimic the skin of the specific vertebrate hosts. Most mosquitoes apparently exhibit some level of host ‘preference’, i.e., they do not feed indiscriminately on any vertebrate host. In some studies host-feeding patterns within a closely related species complex is odor mediated and was attributed to differential response to CO₂ and other skin odors. The actual bait, created through a process patented by ISCA, provides the parasitic arthropod (host seeking Aedes aegypti) a much more complete “olfactory sensation” associated to a specific “host” (human) than any other attractants on the market. Traps lured with this bait containing artificial “sensory correct” profiles of human hosts trigger rapid responses from females Ae aegypti inducing the full set of host seeking and feeding behaviors, from activation to imbibing. The current ISCA prototype trap has proven to be superior to the Fay-Prince and Wilson traps and other commercial traps set-up in competitive laboratory trap tests. Laboratory studies indicate the capture rate of this prototype baited with this new lure closely approximates the rates obtained from human biting counts for the same mosquito density.

2) Testing mosquito trap prototypes baited with novel lure and CO₂
R Coler, A Mafra-Neto, T Dekker

The availability and variety of commercially available mosquito traps is growing at a steady rate. Interestingly, almost all of these traps rely on the same two to three types of attractants; components that emanate from the breath of animals. These components include chemical odors such as carbon dioxide and octenol. ISCA Technologies, Inc. has developed a completely new and important odor profile; chemical cues emanating from the skin of animals. Instead of proceeding with the traditional isolation and identification from hosts of individual mosquito attractants, ISCA created compositions (blends) which mimic the skin of the specific vertebrate hosts. The actual bait, created through a process patented by ISCA, provides the parasitic arthropod (host seeking Aedes aegypti) a much more complete “olfactory sensation” associated to a specific “host” (human) than any other attractants on the market. Traps lured with this bait containing artificial “sensory correct” profiles of human hosts trigger rapid responses from females Ae aegypti inducing the full set of host seeking and feeding behaviors, from activation to imbibing. Trap tests conducted this summer, demonstrate that the ISCA lure placed in a variety of CO₂ baited traps successfully captured field populations of mosquitoes.

3) Effective emulsified wax dispensers for pheromone-based pest control
FM de Lame, JR Miller, LJ Gut, CA Atterholt, TP Reed, R Borges, LEJ Mafra, R Coler, A Mafra-Neto

Atterholt (1996) demonstrated the potential of using emulsified paraffin wax to release insect sex pheromones, creating biodegradable Emulsified Wax Dispensers (EWDs) which are more economical, adaptable, and easier to apply than other available pheromone dispensers. Optimization of EWDs at Michigan State University, U.S.A., for mating disruption of Grapholita molesta resulted in the development and field-testing of a dollop formulation that was as effective as the commercial standard (Isomate M-100 ropes, Shin-Etsu Chemical Co., Ltd.) season-long in peaches (approximately 15 weeks) and could be applied almost twice as fast. In subsequent studies, substituting microcrystalline wax for paraffin improved the formulation by reducing the emission rate of G. molesta pheromone by half and increasing dollop adherence to tree bark. ISCA scaled-up production of the microcrystalline formulation. This commercially-available Semiochemical and Pheromone Lure Application Technology (SPLAT) is providing excellent protection against G. molesta through mating disruption and attract & kill in large-scale commercial enterprises. By reducing the cost of pheromone-based pest control, SPLAT should encourage wider adoption of this technique in organic and IPM programs worldwide.

4) Management of oriental fruit moth with SPLAT-OFM A&K by ISCA Technologies
R Borges, LEJ Mafra, FM de Lame, JR Miller, L.J Gut, CA Atterholt, TP Reed, R Coler, A Mafra-Neto

ISCA Technologies’ SPLAT-OFM A&K (Semiochemical and Pheromone Lure Application Technology for oriental fruit moth attract and kill), a proprietary biodegradable emulsified semiochemical dispenser containing Grapholita molesta (OFM) sex pheromone and small amounts of insecticide, proved to be economical, adaptable, easy to apply, and highly effective in controlling high OFM populations densities in commercial apple orchards. A single application of SPLAT-OFM A&K promoted continued trap shutdown, substantially decreased numbers of immature OFM findings, and improved the quality of fruit at harvest. Check plots under traditional management relying on insecticide applications sustained large populations of OFM, as reflected by large numbers of males captured in monitoring pheromone traps and larval damage.

5) Management of codling moth with ISCA Protec-Cydia by ISCA Technologies
LEJ Mafra, BH Mafra, JT Abreu, R Borges, R Coler, A Mafra-Neto

ISCA Protec-Cydia is a low cost, low density, mating disruption formulation designed to effectively combat the quarantined pest Cydia pomonella, the Codling moth, present at medium and low densities in urban settings in Brazil. The proprietary formulation ISCA Protec-Cydia, consists of two components, a killing board and a sex pheromone based lure, to attract and kill males of C. pomonella. ISCA Protec-Cydia was applied on host trees of the quarantined urban zones at densities that varied between 12 and 60 units per hectare. Population data from pheromone-baited monitoring traps installed in the more than 7,000 hectares under the mating disruption program indicate that the formulation ISCA Protec-Cydia effectively suppressed urban C. pomonella populations every time it was applied in the field, independent of the density of units per area. ISCA Protec-Cydia is an efficacious, safe and economical form of control of C. pomonella populations in urban settings.

6) Moritor System, an automated data collection and management system to effectively support pest management decision making
G Ngo, A Yap, V Tran, JT Abreu, R Borges, LEJ Mafra, T Carrillo, M Dunham, R Coler and A Mafra-Neto

The award winning and patented Moritor System incorporates the latest innovations in information technology and engineering to give growers timely and accurate information about pests in their fields to support rapid, collaborative, pest management decision making. With ISCA's award winning Moritor System, field data is collected with handheld or automated devices, sent to an internet accessible centralized database, where they are parsed, stored and analyzed to generate internet accessible reports and GIS maps which identify alarm situations and predict pest population densities, thereby facilitating decision making and the deployment of pest control measures in the field. Developed in part with funding from the National Science Foundation and National Institute of Standards and Technology, the Moritor System enables targeted, environmentally friendly pest management practices - the right pesticides at the right quantity, at the exact location, at the right time - specifically tailored to the user’s needs. We will discuss the effect of Moritor’s nearly real time field information on pest management decision making and how it can foster interdisciplinary collaboration to micromanage insect populations in order to achieve effective low impact pest control.

7) SPLAT-OFM MD by ISCA Technologies promotes long term mating disruption of Grapholita molesta, the oriental fruit moth (OFM)
R Borges, LEJ Mafra, FM de Lame, JR Miller, LJ Gut, CA Atterholt, TP Reed, R Coler, A Mafra-Neto

Although pheromone mating disruption offers notable advantages such as human and environmental safety, this tactic for managing moth pests in tree fruit crops has sometimes proven less effective than desired, precluding its use even under the current regulatory climate of shrinking insecticide availability. SPLAT brings a new brilliant solution to the pheromone mating disruption field, opening new perspectives to the formulation of economical and environmentally friendly, yet effective pest control solutions. SPLAT-OFM MD (Semiochemical and Pheromone Lure Application Technology for oriental fruit moth mating disruption), a proprietary biodegradable emulsified semiochemical dispenser containing Grapholita molesta (OFM), proved to be economical, adaptable, easy to apply, and highly effective in controlling OFM populations in commercial apple orchards. A single application of SPLAT-OFM promoted over four months of nearly complete trap shutdown, virtually eliminated OFM larval findings, and substantially improved the quality of fruit at harvest in the treated orchards. SPLAT-OFM is a good candidate to substitute traditional insecticides for the protection of orchards in more sustainable fruit production enterprises.

8) SPLAT-PNC MD, a paint ball formulation by ISCA Technologies promotes effective mating disruption of Acrobasis nuxvorella (Lepidoptera Pyralidae) the pecan nut casebearer (PNC)
T Carrillo, J Ellington, G Ngo, A Yap, V Tran, R Coler, A Mafra-Neto

SPLAT-PNC MD (Semiochemical and Pheromone Lure Application Technology for pecan nut casebearer mating disruption), a slow release matrix containing the sex pheromone of Acrobasis nuxvorella, the pecan nut casebearer (PNC) encapsulated in paint ball shells was applied to commercial pecan orchards to disrupt mating of this key pest. The use of CO₂-propelled paint ball guns to apply SPLAT-PNC MD allowed for the easy, fast and precise delivery of the mating disruption product to otherwise inaccessible points in the canopy of these often very tall pecan trees. Use of the Moritor System allowed for fast field monitoring data collection and instantaneous automated internet reporting and GIS pest density maps, thus allowing for efficient remote collaboration, project management and rapid, well-informed pest management decision making. The mating disruption treatment resulted in a substantial reduction in monitoring trap catch, and nearly eliminated PNC larval findings in the area, with no detectable damage to nuts at harvest. SPLAT-PNC MD is a prime candidate to replace the currently used chemical and biological insecticides in the management of PNC in commercial pecan orchards.