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News tagged with crop pests

EU food agency rejects France ban on Monsanto GM maize

Europe's food safety agency EFSA on Monday rejected the grounds for a temporary French ban on a genetically modified strain of maize made by US company Monsanto.

Biology / Biotechnology

created May 21, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Increasing predator-friendly land can help farmers reduce costs

Having natural habitat in farming areas that supports ladybugs could help increase their abundance in crops where they control pests and help farmers reduce their costs, says a Michigan State University study.

Biology / Ecology

created May 11, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Precise molecular surgery in the plant genome

Crop plants have always been adapted to the needs of man by breeding for them to carry more fruit, survive droughts, or resist pests. Green biotechnology now adds new tools to the classical breeding methods ...

Biology / Biotechnology

created Apr 24, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

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

Vomiting caterpillars weigh up costs and benefits of group living

(PhysOrg.com) -- A type of caterpillar which defends itself by regurgitating on its predators is less likely to do so when in groups than when alone, a new study by researchers from the University of Bristol ...

Biology / Plants & Animals

created Apr 06, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

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

Berry growers cautioned about new insect pest

(PhysOrg.com) -- Late last summer, a single fruit fly dropped into a vinegar trap in the Hudson Valley, alerting extension specialists to spotted wing drosophila's (SWD) arrival to New York state. This tiny ...

Biology / Ecology

created Mar 28, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Slug ecology and management in no-till field crops

As acreage of row crops managed with conservation tillage increases, more growers are encountering slugs, elevating their importance as crop pests. Slugs can eat virtually all crops, and they are challenging ...

Biology / Ecology

created Mar 14, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Spider mite genome sequence establishes tools to tackle pest resistance

(PhysOrg.com) -- The tiny two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae (only 0.3 mm in size) is a destructive worldwide pest that attacks more than 150 diverse crop plants, including tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, flowers, ...

Biology / Biotechnology

created Mar 07, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Researcher tracks agricultural overuse of bug-killing technology

High corn prices are leading many growers to plant corn every year and to overuse pesticides and other bug-killing technology to maximize yields, researchers report. In many instances, pesticides are applied ...

Biology / Ecology

created Feb 29, 2012 | popularity 5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

France asks EU to suspend GM crop authorisation

France's ecology ministry said Monday it had asked European regulators to suspend authorisation for the use of genetically modified MON 810 maize crops from US company Monsanto based on new studies.

Biology / Other

created Feb 20, 2012 | popularity 3.5 / 5 (2) | comments 0

Stop abusing insecticides in rice

To prevent devastating insect pest outbreaks in rice that cause millions of dollars of damage, the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) has called for a ban on certain insecticides in rice production as part of its ...

Biology / Biotechnology

created Jan 05, 2012 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Special delivery: Nematode-infected insect cadavers

A custom-made machine for packaging mealworms infected with beneficial nematodes could improve the delivery, timing and use of the wormlike organisms as biological control agents.

Biology / Ecology

created Nov 22, 2011 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Research team clarifies mechanics of first new cell cycle to be described in more than 20 years

An international team of researchers led by investigators in the U.S. and Germany has shed light on the inner workings of the endocycle, a common cell cycle that fuels growth in plants, animals and some human tissues and ...

Biology / Cell & Microbiology

created Oct 30, 2011 | popularity 4.7 / 5 (3) | comments 3 | with audio podcast

New bacteria toxins against resistant insect pests

Toxins from Bacillus thuringiensis bacteria (Bt toxins) are used in organic and conventional farming to manage pest insects. Sprayed as pesticides or produced in genetically modified plants, Bt toxins, us ...

Biology / Biotechnology

created Oct 19, 2011 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast