SMARTbeetle

In almost all of Central Europe, recent years have seen a rise in temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns. The result has been a period of extreme drought. This situation has placed a severe strain on existing forest stands. In contrast, these conditions have been ideal for the development of certain insect species, particularly the spruce bark beetle (Ips typographus). As a result, widespread forest dieback has occurred in target areas such as Austria and the Czech Republic.
The goal of the SMARTbeetle project is thus to provide more effective and environmentally friendly protection of forests in the target area against the devastating spread of the bark beetle. One way to achieve this goal is by improving the effectiveness of attractants used in scent traps ("pheromones"). The combination of modern biological methods and artificial intelligence (AI) enables the design of a whole mixture of substances optimized for a specific species (spruce bark beetle). This aims to significantly increase the effectiveness of the traps while minimizing the risk of capturing non-target species.
This measure will help to stop or slow down the negative development of forest populations, thereby reducing the number of infested trees and the rate of forest dieback. Additionally, it will provide a method that is safe for non-target organisms, which will also contribute to a reduced use of pesticides.
Another key contribution of the project will be the methodology developed for the spruce bark beetle. This will be a universal and publicly accessible methodology that can subsequently be used to develop other attractants—specific mixtures of substances that are generally effective for any type of insect that orients itself by scent (including invasive species).
The SMARTbeetle project requires specialized knowledge in a variety of fields that cannot be fully ensured on just one side of the border. For this reason, a seven-member consortium was formed, covering all the specializations required to achieve the project goals. Most of the necessary methods have already been adopted by the consortium and are being adapted to the bark beetle. The most promising attractants are being tested through experiments under real-world conditions.