Plant-eating insects are strongly attracted to the pungent chemicals released
by damaged plants such as newly mown grass, according to a paper from the US
Agricultural Research Service delivered at a meeting of the American Chemical
Society. The US Department of Agriculture now plans to use the knowledge to
create new artificial plant odours to lure and trap pests. The potato beetle
will be their first target because it is attracted to spuds that have been
chewed by caterpillars.
More from 51¶¯Âþ
Explore the latest news, articles and features
Popular articles
Trending 51¶¯Âþ articles
1
Mathematicians stunned by AI's biggest breakthrough in mathematics yet
2
Photos reveal unexpected details from the world's first atomic test
3
The Selfish Gene at 50: Why Dawkins’s evolution classic still holds up
4
We may finally know why dinosaurs like T. rex evolved tiny arms
5
How I used psychology to come back from the worst year of my life
6
The distant world that is our best hope of finding alien life
7
The ‘doomsday’ glacier’s giant ice shelf is about to break away
8
Epic dreaming is leaving people exhausted and distressed
9
Extreme heat hampers children’s early learning
10
CAR T-cell therapy bolstered by stiffening up cancer cells first
