Airborne concentration and canopy distribution of microencapsulated pheromone formulation applied with drone and...

Mating disruption is a highly effective pest control technique without the negative impacts of most chemical plant protection products. Traditionally, this control method has been implemented using passive dispensers that release the synthetic sex pheromone of the target pest. However, new sprayable formulations are now available. Due to the recent introduction of these formulations, their application for mating disruption has yet to be fully optimized. This study evaluated the field performance of two spray technologies-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) and conventional terrestrial sprayer (TS)-for applying a microencapsulated formulation against the European grapevine moth, Lobesia botrana.

Spray distribution in the orchards revealed that UAV application resulted in higher deposition at the top of the vines, whereas TS achieved greater deposition on the lateral canopy surfaces. Additionally, the UAV setup produced larger droplets, while the TS setup generated a higher number of smaller, more clustered droplets. When measuring airborne pheromone concentration on the treatment day and at 7, 14 and 21 days post-treatment, initial levels were higher with UAV application but declined more rapidly compared to TS.

Both spray technologies delivered sufficient pheromone levels for effective mating disruption. Compared to dispensers, pheromone spraying achieved similar airborne concentrations while using 50% less pheromone. Although this approach shows great potential, further optimization of spray technology is needed to maximize its effectiveness. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.