Development of eco-friendly alternatives for crop pest management (2014-2017)
Abstract
We aim to develop novel protection agents for food and fibre crop plants based on an eco-friendly natural protein extract from butterfly pea plants. We will first optimise the yield of bioactive proteins in the extract, understand their mode of insecticidal action, and then use the derived information to optimise the formulation of a commercial pest control product to be applied to crops via aerial spraying. The novel insecticide will not affect non-target insects and will not produce the environmentally damaging residues of conventional insecticides.
