SeedGuard – Stress Biomarkers as a Basis for the Development of Environmentally Friendly Control Measures for the Rice Weevil (Sitophilus oryzae)

Project goal:
The main objective of the SeedGuard project is to develop an innovative and sustainable approach to controlling the rice weevil (Sitophilus oryzae) through the application of stress biomarkers. This approach enables the identification of key factors that disrupt insect development and creates opportunities for the development of environmentally friendly protection measures with reduced use of chemical insecticides.

About the project: Stored-product pests represent one of the greatest challenges in grain storage, causing significant losses in both the quantity and quality of food. Among them, the rice weevil (Sitophilus oryzae) stands out as one of the most destructive species, capable of causing losses of up to 40% under unfavorable conditions.

The SeedGuard project develops a new, sustainable approach to controlling this pest, based on the use of stress biomarkers – modern tools that enable the precise identification of factors disrupting insect development and population stability.

The project introduces an innovative concept that integrates:

• pest biology and ecology
• geometric morphometrics and fluctuating asymmetry
• population parameters and environmental conditions

Through this approach, the project identifies factors that impair the developmental stability of insects, reduce their reproductive capacity, and ultimately lead to long-term population decline.

Special focus is placed on the integrated monitoring of biomarkers such as:

• fluctuating body asymmetry
• centroid size
• cuticle thickness

This represents a completely novel approach in the study of stored-product pests.

BioSense role on the project: The BioSense Institute is the lead institution and coordinator of the SeedGuard project, responsible for the planning, implementation, and management of all project activities. The Institute’s activities include experimental design, conducting research under controlled conditions, applying advanced morphometric and analytical methods for monitoring stress biomarkers, data processing and interpretation, as well as dissemination of scientific and professional results. Together with project partners, BioSense will play a key role in developing innovative approaches for studying the developmental stability of stored-product pests and designing environmentally friendly pest control measures.