Project title: CONTROLLED RELEASE OF PHEROMONES FOR MATING DISRUPTION

Company name : PHEROCAP LTD.

TECHNOLOGICAL FIELD
Agrotechnology

KEY WORDS
Pheromones,
Micro-Encapsulation, Controlled Release, Mating Disruption,
Integrated Pest Management, Biopolymer

PROJECT SUMMARY
Pest management is an integral part of modern agriculture. The
damage caused by pests is estimated to be between 35 to 40
percent of all crops grown around the world. Most of pest control
is done by means of chemical pesticides that are spread, as
powder or liquid, on plants or ground. The attempt to control
pests by repetitive spraying of the fields with highly poisonous
insecticides, is problematic for the following reasons: (1) it
may promote the development of resistance to the insecticide in
the pest; (2) it may also kill beneficial insects and natural
enemies of the pest as well as other non-pest insects, (3) high
cost of the use of chemicals (4)contamination.
With increasing awareness to the damage caused by pesticides,
both to humans and the environment, the number of chemical
pesticides that are permitted for use is decreasing. All of the
above brought up the need to gather all pest control tactics into
a management strategy named: integrated pest management (IPM) and
was recently broadened and called integrated crop management
(ICM).

Pheromones are used in ICM for monitoring pest populations
(mostly insects), mass trapping and mating disruption. The
pheromones are released from devices that are spread in the
field. Among the devices developed for the slow release of the
pheromone are rubber septa, dispensers, impregnated cardboard,
hollow fibers, polyethylene tubes etc.

PHEROCAP develops its unique products based on biopolymer matrix,
for slow release of pheromones into the atmosphere. The used
matrix is composed of biopolymer materials that makes it suitable
for use in "green" agriculture, as well as, the ability to reduce
the size of the capsules to a micron-size scale, enables the
suspension to be commercially sprayed over fields and orchards
canopies, to replace the manual application of pheromone devices
used today in pest management. The formulation is sprayed by
tractor or an airplane.

ADVANTAGES
The major advantages are mode of application and nature of
components. The proposed material, in contrast to most of the
formulations used so far that have to be applied manually, is
formulated in a sprayable form, thus eliminates the need for
massive manpower needed for hand application to cover large area
in a very a short period; and in forests there is always a need
for airplane spray. By the same token, all available products are
made of plastic, metal and other synthetic materials, which do
not decompose in the field, thus accumulate and become
environmental nuisance. Products are composed of biodegradable
materials are environmental friendly with extended effective
periods.

MARKETS
Pheromones in mating disruption are applied today in cotton,
fruits, grapes, forests, and vegetables. Total area treated in
2002 by mating disruption technique was 450,000 ha worldwide. The
forecast is 10-15% increase every year. Insect pests on the list
of product development and application are: pink bollworm for
cotton; codling moth and oriental fruit moth for apples, pears,
peaches; gypsy moth for forests; European grapevine moth for
vineyards. Additional formulations will be developed according to
market needs.

ENTREPRENEURS
Prof. Arnon Shani - Ben-Gurion University,
Be'er-Sheva. President, Israel Chemical Society. Formerly deputy
rector of the university and director of the affiliated
Institutes for Applied Research,
Prof. Shlomo Magdassi - Casali Institute of Applied
Chemistry, The Hebrew University, Jerusalem.
Mr. Gil Kuttner - CEO, Commercial lawyer &
Consultant, Gained experience in bio-tech projects in Israel
Dr. Vladislav Papper - R&D Manager. PhD in
Chemistry. Experience in synthetic chemistry of organic dyes,
dienes and aromatic compounds, biophysics, photochemistry and
photophysics.
Mr. Zvi Tropp - Special consultant for
business development, wide experience in Agricultural planning as
well as in the industry as C.F.O. and business development.

PROJECT STATUS
The company has started its activity in the incubator in 2003.

COOPERATION REQUIRED
Strategic partners with worldwide market presence. Agritech
companies.

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