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Fungal biopesticide saves crops from locusts http://apocadocs.com/s.pl?1248787507
Crops in East and Southern Africa have been saved from devastation by the first large-scale use of a biopesticide made of fungal spores.
Locust swarms lay waste to crops, with just a small part of a swarm -- around a tonne of locusts -- eating the same amount of food in one day as around 2,500 people, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).... But spraying the biopesticide, Green Muscle, in Tanzania appears to have contained the outbreak.
Green Muscle consists of spores of the fungus Metarhizium anisopliae suspended in mineral oils. The fungi grow in the locust, producing a toxin and weakening them, making them easy prey for birds and lizards.
Most infected locusts die within 1-3 weeks, depending on the temperature and humidity. The pesticide has an 80 per cent mortality rate.... Green Muscle kills only locusts and grasshoppers, unlike chemical pesticides, which can harm a wide range of organisms. Even the birds and lizards that eat the treated locusts suffer no side effects, says Pantenius.
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[Read more stories about:
technical cleverness, bioremediation]
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New!:
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Your Quips:
dumbgrid says: "I'm gonna name my next puppy "Fungalbiopesticide" -- or "Fung" for short."
MaryAnn says: "I'm gonna name my puppy "Green Muscle""
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'Doc Michael says:
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Using a scalpel instead of a sledgehammer! Who'da thunk it?
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