‘Sexy plants’ on track to replace harmful pesticides to protect crops

Researchers are genetically engineering plants to produce the sex pheromones of insects, which then frustrate the pests' attempts to mate

"Sexy plants" are on the way to replacing many harmful pesticides, scientists say, by producing the sex pheromones of insects which then frustrate pests' attempts to mate.

Scientists have already genetically engineered a plant to produce the sex pheromones of moths and are now optimising that, as well as working on new pheromones such as those of the mealybugs that plague citrus growers.