Transgenic Rice Plants Resist Insects, Drought And Salt Damage
...stic rice varieties to evolve resistance to insect pests or drought," said Ray Wu, Cornell professor of bio... the rice plant's ability to defend itself against pests and stresses, without the use of expensive and sometimes detrimental inputs such as pesticides." Dev...Asian Beetle, New In This Country, Threatens Brooklyn's Shade Trees
...order entrances are jealously guarded to keep such pests from infiltrating this country. This beetle's anthology: Native to Japan, Korea and the southern sections of China, this is the first time this beetle has been seen outside of Asia, said E. Richard Hoebeke, Cornell senior extension associate and as...Natural Shelters on Leaves House Plant Bodyguards
...pider mites, which are amongthe most severe cotton pests for California's $1 billion cotton industry.The mites essentially spit on the cotton leaf to pre-digest it, then proceedto slurp it up. "Spider mites, the third largest pest of cotton nationwide, havebeen difficult to control because they produce a ...Enhancin Protein Attacks Insect Immune System
...sia ni). The researchers looked at seven types of pests and found their method to be effective against the fall armyworm, beet armyworm, the cotton bollworm, the American budworm, the velvetbean caterpillar and the common armyworm. In the future, growers may use polyhedron crystals -- which contain enha......plants producetraits to protect themselves against pests and diseases, and in many cases, themechanisms of ... pathologist ofUSDA-ARS. "There are probably more pests and diseases controlled by breeding inwheat than in any other crop." However, the economic ...Oaks' Defenses Help Gypsy Moth Caterpillar Fend Off Virus
... "The ideal approach for controlling both pests would be to add somethingto the virus spray that would disarm the tannin and make the caterpillarssusceptible to the virus," says Appel. "This could either stop the oxidation oftannin or inhibit the action of PPO." Further research into the chemistry...Wild Plant Genes Increase Food Production
...nt production and making plants more vulnerable to pests and disease. Said McCouch: "Owing to the advent of molecular mapping and our ability to scan the genomes of wild species for new and useful genes, we may be now in a position to unlock the genetic potential of those germplasm resources."...Pharmaceuticals Manufactured In Insect Larvae
... were exploring ways to safely combat agricultural pests through biological means, but in their research th...y learned that the proteins from these nearly dead pests could directly benefit humanity. Recombinant baculoviruses have been used before to develop a panor...Cut Pesticide Use In Half, Urges SFU Biologist
.... The extent of the chemical warfare against pests is "staggering,"says Winston. In 1993, for example...erthe last 30-40 years, the amount of crop lost to pests has increased from31 to 37 per cent. The more we use, the more we lose." Nature Wars, which ...UF Researcher Designs Pill To Control Mosquitoes
...ltural pests. Current methods to keep agricultural pests from molting fall short of protecting crops, Borovsky said. "A pest that doesn't molt but still feeds is still a problem," Borovsky said. "By putting the diet pill into the crop or into the plant, the insect feeds and then dies before it takes its ne...Termites' Attraction To Small Amounts Of Carbon Dioxide Lures Pests To Their Deaths
... do harm. "Manmade insecticides assume the pests will come into contact with thechemical and die," Bjostad said. "This is a case where we're using the pests'own genetic predispositions to elements that already exist in nature to changetheir behavior or lure them to their deaths."...Careful Honeybee Breeding Combats Tracheal Mite Pests
...ps honeybees develop resistance to tracheal mites, pests thatbeekeepers normally control with insecticide. The research indicates that with a combination of selective breedingand other natural controls, beekeepers may maintain healthy hives withoutrelying on chemical controls. Before Ohio State...Plants Thrive With Insect-Induced Immune Responses
... (Previousresearch indicates that potential insect pests are deterred by chemical changesin the mustard oils that make the plant less tasty and an accompanying increasein numbers and stiffness of tiny leaf hairs, Agrawal noted.) Still, Agrawal needed to determine not only that such a response was triggered...Phase Out Planned For One Of Top Five U.S. Pesticides, Plant Doctors Respond
...,and another 11% is used on commodities to control pests afterharvest. Without the good work agricultural scientists, like plantpathologists, are putting into finding and implementing alternativepest control tools, the loss of methyl bromide could have a fargreater impact on growers, shippers, retailers an...Environmental Technology Breakthroughs Forecast -- Year 2008
... that taste better, use less fertilizer and resist pests -- will beavailable. Smart water treatment--Smart membranes, or filters, will improve water treatmentat sewage plants and municipal water supplies by adjusting simply or evenautomatically to unclog themselves. Membranes and other techniques will re...Jellyfish Help To Make Sugar Smarter
...al impact through genes that confer resistance to pests and diseases. While the gene is being trialled as a marker for genetic improvement of sugarcane, it may also prove useful in research by CSIRO Tropical Agriculture to improve other crops such as sunflowers, barley and mung beans. The glow-in-...New Microbial Insecticide As Potent As Bt
...ng new biological agents for the control of insect pests is thereforeessential." Photorhabdus, ffrench-Constant suggests, may become an important alternative toBt, or could be deployed in concert with Bt to prolong the effective life ofboth biological insecticides by delaying the evolution of resistant str...Third Annual Awards For Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Recognize Innovations
..., mimic a chemical signal thattells the developing pests to molt. The company says caterpillars and beetlegrubs stop eating shortly after exposure and soon die. The signal, called20-hydroxy ecdysone, neither occurs nor has any function even in spiders,honeybees, flies, or earthworms. The insecticides' new ...Summer Science: Where Have All The Honeybees Gone? UD 'Bee Guy' Asks Why--From America To The Amazon
...e Eastern Apicultural Society (EAS).Unfortunately, pests such as the tracheal mite and the varroa mite are wipingout entire bee colonies, according to Caron and his colleagues, Maryann Frazierand Scott Camazine of Pennsylvania State University. During the winter of 1995-96, beekeepers reported die-offs ra......doned houses, trash,litter, rats, roaches or other pests were cited as very serious problems by 15percent of Blacks surveyed and 7 percent of whites. Blacks were significantly more likely than whites to rate as "poor" or "verypoor" the quality of their local air (40 percent vs. 12 percent) and drinkingwate...