Scientists at Rothamsted Research have uncovered a natural defence mechanism in ancestral einkorn wheat that could pave the way for more sustainable pest control in modern agriculture. The study, published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, reveals the discovery of saponarin—a flavonoid naturally present in Triticum monococcum—which significantly reduces the survival of the English grain aphid (Sitobion avenae), a major pest threatening wheat crops worldwide. Aphids damage wheat both by feeding and by transmitting viruses such as barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), which can cause yield losses of up to 80%. Current control strategies rely heavily on insecticides—a practice…