Sex and Death in a British Orchard!

Length : 3.48

Views : 4149

Comments : 1

Share on Facebook
Embed:

Sex and Death in a British Orchard!

It sounds like an episode from the latest TV crime drama - but in reality it's an attempt by researchers at Warwick HRI, the horticultural research arm of the University of Warwick, to combat one of the major pests in apple and pear orchards around the world.

A hanging basket-style dispenser full of a virus known to kill the larvae of codling moth is hung in the orchard. The dispenser is designed to protect the virus from the elements while enticing the adult moths into its interior with a strong source of codling moth pheromone. The insect arrives hoping for a sexual encounter - but leaves frustrated and covered in the virus, which it then passes on to other moths in the course of successful mating. This results in direct contamination of the moth's eggs or of the laying site.

The larvae die after eating the virus on the egg or plant surface - victims of their parents' carnal desires!

Codling Moths cost fruit growers millions of pounds in damaged crops each year. Spraying is the common way of dealing with this pest, but the virus degrades in direct sunlight and orchards must be repeatedly treated to keep the moth in check. Warwick HRI's device allows growers to selectively target the pest with a virus that kills its larvae without killing other beneficial insects - an approach that can be adapted to target crop pests around the world.

Developing friendly pesticides

Developing friendly ...

Length : 5:21

Views : 2797

Old MacDonald Buys Robots!

Old MacDonald Buys R...

Length : 2.36

Views : 1205

For Peat's Sake!

For Peat's Sake!

Length : 3.54

Views : 1447

Daffodils defended from fatal disease

Daffodils defended f...

Length : 3:23

Views : 1152

Water saving crops

Water saving crops

Length : 5:41

Views : 1740

Super Broccoli Stars at Chelsea Show

Super Broccoli Stars...

Length : 2.36

Views : 2149

Tag Cloud

agriculture   Warwick   HRI   Birmingham   virus   organic   Fertigation      flu   farming   horticulture   bacteriophages   anit-viral   Scylla   biology   disease   Aids   warwick   health   food   vegetables   apple   mushrooms   water   climate   Narcissus   pesticides   bassicas   University   bacteria   antibiotics   immune   crops   environment   HIV   plants   basal   icast   MRSA   science