Forest Science Institute Registers Patent for Pest Control Technology That Reduces Hibiscus Leaf Damage by 70%

(Daejeon=Yonhap News) Reporter Lee Eun-pa = The National Institute of Forest Science has successfully identified the sex pheromone components of the large red leaf moth, a pest that eats Hibiscus syriacus leaves, and developed and commercialized a mating disruption agent using these components, it announced on the 11th.

The mating disruption agent is a substance that artificially releases the same sex pheromone as the pest in large quantities, causing confusion so that male moths cannot recognize females.

It has the advantage of suppressing pest reproduction without using pesticides by blocking mating and lowering the density of the second-generation population.

According to field verification tests, the mating disruption agent developed by the Forest Science Institute effectively blocked male attraction in treated areas and reduced leaf damage by Hibiscus syriacus by approximately 70%.

The technology was recognized for its effectiveness and safety, leading to patent registration and registration as an organic agricultural material (public notice-2-5-345).

The Forest Science Institute transferred this technology to AD, an eco-friendly pest control specialized company, which then manufactured and commercialized an environmentally friendly mating disruption agent.

Particularly, this technology transfer is the first domestic case of commercializing a mating disruption agent applied to living area tree pests, which is significant in opening possibilities for use in areas where pesticide application is difficult, such as urban parks and street trees, according to the Forest Science Institute.

The research team continues to pursue pest control research for living area trees, currently conducting research on mating disruption agents for pests of cherry trees (peach moth) and camellia trees (tea moth) in addition to Hibiscus syriacus pests.

Dr. Kim Jun-heon from the Forest Pest Research Division stated, "In places like parks where many people gather, there are restrictions on pesticide spraying, so eco-friendly control methods like mating disruption agents are very important. Now that an eco-friendly control agent for Hibiscus syriacus pests has been developed, I hope many people can enjoy Hibiscus without pesticide hazards."

sw21@yna.co.k