Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Replacing Pesticides With Genetics



The Diamondback Moths have been a problem for cabbage farmers in the New York for some time. The moths are normally being treated with alternating types of pesticides. The scientists are substituting sex for spray pesticide by infusing the sprays with DNA designed to kill female larvae.


I hope this study and research is successful in a controlled dynamic to study the effects the new bugs have on the environment, before they are completely introduced into massive crop land. I'm glad that there is research being done to use less chemicals.


original article

1 comment:

  1. This is awesome because pesticides have such a bad reputation for their toxic chemical properties and the fact that humans are ingesting them. The idea of potentially changing the plant's properties to kill female larvae before they hatch may quiet down some social issues that many people are having with pesticides.

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