Semiochemicals: the essence of green pest control

Traditionally, semiochemicals have been viewed as selective tools for monitoring, detecting or controlling insect pests. Though considered benign with respect to human health, environment and surrounding ecological niche, their uptake has been limited. In a recent IOBC conference held in Bursa Turkey, researchers, extension workers, regulators and producers from more than forty-one countries met to disseminate recent developments in semiochemical research with a view to increasing semiochemical deployment. A brief synopsis of this meeting highlighting some of the major presentations is given below.