Abstract

The European grapevine moth (Lobesia botrana) is one of the key pests of grape: current control systems are based either on the use of insecticides or on mating disruption, but while the first is not environmentally friendly, the second is not particularly suitable for small and isolated areas, or regions where pest population is high.
The seminar describes the possibility to develop a new control strategy by interfering with the female host-finding behaviour, which is mostly mediated by 3 kairomones: E-(β)-caryophyllene, E-(β)- farnesene and E-(4,8)-dimethyl-(1,3,7)-nonatriene (DMNT). 
The seminar presents a proof-of-concept project involving genetically modified grapevine plants. These plants, with modified levels of E-(β)-caryophyllene and E-(β)-farnesene, were found to be less attractive to insects under controlled conditions. The advantages and limitations of this approach will also be discussed.

Umberto Salvagnin Curriculum Vitae

Umberto Salvagnin got his MSc in Biotechnology at the University of Padova in 2011 and his PhD from the Free University of Bolzano in 2017. He has worked in plant genetic modification, focusing on studies of chemical ecology, functional genomics, and plant secondary metabolism (terpenes). Currently, he is engaged in gene editing research on grapevines to develop disease-resistant varieties.

Umberto Salvagnin, Fondazione Edmund Mach, San Michele all’Adige (TN), Italia
umberto.salvagnin@fmach.it