News tagged with agricultural pest

Genetically modified corn affects its symbiotic relationship with non-target soil organisms

An increasing number of crops commercially grown today are genetically modified (GM) to resist insect pests and/or tolerate herbicides. Although Bt corn is one of the most commonly grown GM crops in the Un ...

Biology / Ecology

created Apr 17, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 2

Reducing insecticide use by identifying disease-carrying aphids

In work that could cut back on insecticide use, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists have found a way to distinguish aphids that spread plant viruses from those that do not.

Biology / Ecology

created Apr 03, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Battling insects that cause trouble in paradise

(PhysOrg.com) -- We aren't the only species that like tropical vacation spots. Japanese beetles plague parts of the Azores, and Oriental fruit flies infest some of French Polynesia. But U.S. Department of ...

Biology / Ecology

created Feb 27, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

A new species of bamboo-feeding plant lice found in Costa Rica

Several periods of field work during 2008 have led to the discovery of a new species of bamboo-feeding plant lice in Costa Rica's high-altitude region "Cerro de la Muerte". The discovery was made thanks to ...

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Feb 06, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Researchers discover 'green' pesticide effective against citrus pests

University of Florida researchers have discovered a key amino acid essential for human nutrition is also an effective insecticide against caterpillars that threaten the citrus industry.

Biology / Ecology

created Jan 17, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 1

Study shows how parasites manipulate plants to attract insects

Pathogens can alter their hosts, for example malaria parasites can make humans more attractive to mosquitoes, but how they do it has remained a mystery. Scientists from the John Innes Centre on Norwich Research ...

Biology / Biotechnology

created Nov 07, 2011 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Agricultural pest management program efficiency challenged by information diffusion barriers among farmers

While international pest management programs have long relied on farmer cooperation to spread pest control information at larger scales, a study by French researchers published in the open-access journal PLoS Computational Bi ...

Biology / Ecology

created Oct 13, 2011 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Increased insecticide use in the Midwest linked to landscape change

The continued growth of cropland and loss of natural habitat have increasingly simplified agricultural landscapes in the Midwest. A Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) study concluded that this simplification ...

Space & Earth / Environment

created Jul 11, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

California uses wasps in battle against apple moths

California agricultural officials will release hundreds of tiny, stinger-less wasps this month to combat the fruit- and leaf-eating light-brown apple moth, in a move to find alternatives to aerial pesticide spraying.

Biology / Ecology

created Jul 10, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Entomologists launch the 5,000 Insect Genome Project (i5k)

It's been called "the Manhattan Project of Entomology," an undertaking that has the potential to revolutionize the way we think about insects.

Biology / Biotechnology

created Jun 15, 2011 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Researchers map 'fly tree of life'

Calling it the "new periodic table for flies," researchers at North Carolina State University and collaborators across the globe have mapped the evolutionary history of flies, providing a framework for further comparative ...

Biology / Evolution

created Mar 14, 2011 | popularity 4.4 / 5 (5) | comments 1 | with audio podcast

Successful tech transfer leads to more Hawaiian exports

Hawaii growers can now export more fruits and vegetables to the U.S. mainland, thanks to technology advanced by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) scientists and cooperators.

Biology / Other

created Feb 25, 2011 | popularity 2 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Progress toward first commercial repellent for East Coast's stinker

Help may be on the way for millions of people on the East Coast bugged out about the invasion of stink bugs. Scientists have reported a key advance in efforts to develop the first commercial repellent for stinkbugs, which ...

Chemistry / Other

created Oct 10, 2010 | popularity not rated yet | comments 1

Commercial trap for wasps, hornets and yellowjackets 'baited' with new technology

Forget the ants marching one by one--yellowjackets are the real party-crashers when it comes to spoiling picnics, outdoor barbeques and other summer fun where cold beverages and meat are present.

Biology / Ecology

created Aug 26, 2010 | popularity 3 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Mighty predatory mite and oil sprays may save eggplant production in Micronesia

Guam has been an important military, communication, aviation, and shipping hub of Micronesia for many years. The importation of vegetables from Korea and the Philippines has resulted in the arrival of several invasive mite ...

Biology / Ecology

created Aug 24, 2010 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0