Mating disruption as a pest management strategy : expanding applications in stored product protection

Adamič Zamljen, Sergeja (author), Bohinc, Tanja (author), Trdan, Stanislav (author)

Mating disruption (MD) is an environmentally friendly pest management approach that uses synthetic pheromones to interfere with insect mate location and reproduction. This review summarizes current progress in the application of MD for stored-product pests, with emphasis on Lepidoptera (Plodia interpunctella Hübner and Ephestia kuehniella Zeller (Pyralidae)) and Coleoptera (Sitophilus spp. (Curculionidae)). For moth pests, numerous studies have demonstrated substantial suppression of mating and population growth under both laboratory and field conditions, particularly when MD is integrated with sanitation, monitoring and other IPM measures. Conversely, MD applications against beetles have been less successful due to their aggregation-based communication and lower volatility of their pheromones. Advances in pheromone formulation technology, including polymer dispensers, microencapsulated sprays and aerosol emitters, have improved pheromone stability and controlled release, although achieving uniform coverage in large and aerated storage environments remains challenging. The integration of MD with biological control, temperature management and reduced fumigant use offers promising directions for sustainable pest suppression. Continued development of smart-release devices, longterm field validation and integration with automated monitoring systems will further enhance the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of MD. Overall, MD represents a key behavioral component in reducing pesticide reliance and promoting sustainable management of stored-product pests.

• Language: English
• Keywords: semiochemical-based control, pheromones, stored-product insects, aggregation interference, controlled-release formulation, pheromone dispensers, integrated pest management, insect monitoring technologies, biological control, grain storage ecosystems
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 20 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 16, iss. 1, art. 39
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-177430
• UDC: 632
• ISSN on article: 2073-4395
• DOI: 10.3390/agronomy16010039
• COBISS.SI-ID: 262748931
• Publication date in RUL: 23.12.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Agronomy
• Shortened title: Agronomy
• Publisher: MDPI AG
• ISSN: 2073-4395
• COBISS.SI-ID: 522953241

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: biotično varstvo rastlin, integrirano varstvo rastlin, biotično zatiranje, skladiščni škodljivci, feromonske vabe, monitoring

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: V4-2414
• Name: Preučevanje učinkovitosti, optimizacija in implementacija metod množičnega lovljenja in motenja parjenja izbranih gospodarsko pomembnih škodljivcev gojenih in samoniklih rastlin

• Funder: Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Food of the Republic of Slovenia (MKGP)