Mid Sweden University

A medium-length, straight-chain alkanoic acid, nonanoic acid, is known from laboratory microassays to be an antifeedant in adults of the large pine weevil, Hylobius abietis (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). Our hypothesis was that we could find new, less volatile alkanoic acids or related compounds suitable for field application and with improved long-term duration. Alkanoic acids of varying chain lengths (C6-C13) were tested for antifeedant activity in H. abietis adults. Microassay choice tests showed that straight-chain (C6-C11) alkanoic acids were active. However, high activities were restricted to the (C6-C10) acids, with the C9 (nonanoic acid) at 4 μmol cm-2 being the most active one. In a no-choice test on pine twigs, the antifeedant effect of C10 acid was lower than that of the C8 and C9 acids. In microassays, less volatile methyl-branched alkanoic acids exhibited lower antifeedant activities than did the corresponding straight-chain ones. However, the most active of the methyl-branched acids, 2-methyldecanoic acid, had an activity similar to that of nonanoic acid. Compounds related to nonanoic acid were either active (1-nonanol), weakly active (nonanoic anhydride), or inactive (nonanal, sodium nonanoate). The anhydride was highly active in the microassay, but less active on twigs. The antifeedant effects of the straight chain (C8-C10) alkanoic acids against pine weevil feeding were tested in the field. In contrast to the results from the twig tests, the less volatile C10 acid was more active in the field for the protection of transplants on fresh clear cuts over a 3-month period than both the C8 and C9 acids. Phytotoxic effects of the alkanoic acids were observed both in the field and in laboratory studies. If a protective layer of paraffin was applied to the stem prior to application of the alkanoic acids, these undesired side effects were reduced.