The moth Chrysodeixis chalcites is regarded as one of the worst pests affecting horticultural and ornamental crops. Its larvae feed on numerous plant species, including banana trees in the Canary Islands, where they can damage up to 30% of the total harvest volumes.
In her doctoral dissertation, presented at the University of Navarra, Alexandra Bernal RodrÃguez touches on the necessary biotechnological developments for the creation of a new biopesticide to tackle this pest, and for which a patent application has already been issued.
Some microorganisms can be part of the active matter required to develop biopesticides. In this case, the researcher used a virus of the Baculovirus family which only infects invertebrates and is able to control the population of such insects. "We selected a virus with the best insecticide characteristics," she explains. "We then developed a mass production system by which a surface as large as a football field could be treated with just two larvae."
Infected larvae becomes a new source for infection, as they contaminate the crop's surface; consequently, other larvae feeding from the same plants can be infected and die in the same way. To test the biopesticide's effectiveness, the results were compared with the ones obtained with the more common chemical and organic pesticides. "We observed how our product is three to four times more effective. We have issued a patent application and established the basis for the development of a new biopesticide, which should become a very useful tool in the race towards a more sustainable agriculture."