Flower Scents May Control Pests

July 12, 2017

The scents released by flowering plants may provide a safe biocontrol for pests that attack fruit crops.

If these natural chemicals can be made available for commercial use, they could yield effective pesticides.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture scientist has identified the scents released by petunias and snapdragons to attract pollinators as chemicals that can kill fruit crop pests. These scents are already approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in foods, cosmetics and shampoo.

For more about this research, visit https://agresearchmag.ars.usda.gov/2017/jun/pesticide/.