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Tag: "pesticides" at biology news

Ancient olfaction protein is shared by many bugs, offering new pest control target

...faction has also been conserved. Future designs of pesticides and disease-controlling insect repellents may be able to utilize this commonality to "blind" the insects to the smell of their prey. Walton D. Jones, Thuy-Ai T. Nguyen, Brian Kloss, Kevin J. Lee, and Leslie B. Vosshall: "Functional conservation of a...

Spider Venom Could Yield Eco-Friendly Insecticides

...efficient pesticide. More than a billion pounds of pesticides are sprayed in the U.S. every year. That's four pounds per person. A millionth of a pound can sometimes be deadly. And the chemical toxins that currently end up in the food and water supply pose a serious threat to animals, fish, and birds," says Kin...

Why do insects stop 'breathing'? To avoid damage from too much oxygen, say researchers

...sect breathing pattern it could shed light on when pesticides should be used to control insects -- crucial for the agricultural industry." ...

UCSD discovery may help extend life of natural pesticide

... discovery will make it possible to develop better pesticides and lead to new treatments for parasitic infection...s that also contribute to Bt resistance. Combining pesticides that work through different receptors or designing pesticides that can work through more than one re...

Genetically modified rice in China benefits farmers' health, study finds

... of their own decisions on whether or not to apply pesticides on both genetically modified insect-resistant rice...ce. They based their decisions on whether to apply pesticides on observations of the severity of pest infestations, rather than on any prescribed dosages of pesti...

Use of Insecticides Linked to Lasting Neurological Problems for Farmers

...ome and garden use in the US. However, some of the pesticides examined, including carbaryl and some pyrethroids, are available to home gardeners, although in different formulations and in lower concentrations, which may make them less hazardous. "Because the participants in this study are telling us they have ...

Scientists discuss improved biopesticides for locust control in West Africa

...d in Dakar in January. Biopesticides are types of pesticides derived from natural materials such as microbes, principally viruses, bacteria, and fungi. "The biopesticide that is registered for use in West Africa derives from a fungus that is a specific pathogen of locusts and grasshoppers. It specifically targ...

NHGRI targets 12 more organisms for genome sequencing

...lecular level can lead to safer and more effective pesticides and improve human nutrition. The genome of the pea aphid, used extensively as an experimental model, will be a valuable comparison with other insects, such as the closely related insect, Rhodnius prolixus. Another insect, the parasitoid wasp Nasonia...

Roundup®highly lethal to amphibians, finds University of Pittsburgh researcher

...ne of the most extensive studies on the effects of pesticides on nontarget organisms in a natural setting, and the results may provide a key link to global amphibian declines. In a paper titled "The Impact of Insecticides and Herbicides on the Biodiversity and Productivity of Aquatic Communities," published in...

Ethanol and biodiesel from crops not worth the energy

...sed in producing the crop (including production of pesticides and fertilizer, running farm machinery and irrigating, grinding and transporting the crop) and in fermenting/distilling the ethanol from the water mix. Although additional costs are incurred, such as federal and state subsidies that are passed on to ...

Using the genomic shortcut to predict bacterial behavior

...sed in producing the crop (including production of pesticides and fertilizer, running farm machinery and irrigating, grinding and transporting the crop) and in fermenting/distilling the ethanol from the water mix. Although additional costs are incurred, such as federal and state subsidies that are passed on to ...

DDT-resistant insects have additional genetic advantage that helps resistance spread

...very overturns current theories that resistance to pesticides burdens insects with a genetic disadvantage that would stop them from competing with non-resistant insects once farmers stop using that pesticide. Instead, researchers now believe that fruit flies that develop resistance to DDT gain a two-fold advan...

Techniques available to detect soil that inhibits destructive soybean pest

...n patches in highly infested fields. There are no pesticides that will eradicate soybean cyst nematode, which also preys on other legumes and some grasses. ...

Biotech cotton 8: Bugs 0

...ntrol tactics replaced a large amount of the harsh pesticides used on cotton crops. Spraying less chemical insecticides means more beneficial insects survive, further reducing the need for spraying. By 2004, pink bollworm losses had fallen to nearly half of earlier levels, $4.34 per acre. Tabashnik said, "Som...

Genetic defenders protect crops from fungal disease

...tate crops and cost growers billions of dollars in pesticides every year. The study, published in the November 18 issue of the journal Science, describes powdery mildew infection in the mustard relative Arabidopsis thaliana. Each species of mildew is host-specific, meaning it can infect some plant species, but...

Plants give pests sock in the gut

...zyme could be used in tandem with other biological pesticides such as the Bt toxin to prevent the pests from developing resistance and making the toxin more effective. "The enzyme is found in insect-resistant strains of corn, and it breaks down proteins and peptides in the insects' gut. It is a unique active d...

Marine mammals are on the frontline of failing ocean health

...y evaluate the effects and trade-offs of important pesticides and other chemicals before they cause problems in the environment. "As old chemicals are taken out of use, new ones pop up," says Krahn. "Often we don't know if the new substitutes will harm the ecosystem." "It's a struggle to find replacements," ...

Pesticides in the nation's streams and ground water

...vey released a report describing the occurrence of pesticides in streams and ground water during 1992-2001. The report concludes that pesticides are typically present throughout the year in most streams in urban and agricultural areas of the Nat...

Mosquito spray increases toxicity of pyrethroids in creek, study finds

...can mix with and increase the toxicity of existing pesticides in the environment, according to a new study led b...actually synergized the 'wrong' thing - pyrethroid pesticides that were already in the creek sediments," said Weston. "This is the first field study to show an ...

Chemical in many air fresheners may reduce lung function

...pecifically designed to assess the level of common pesticides and VOCs in the US population. NHANES III is a nationally representative survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention between 1988-1994 to determine the health and nutritional status of the U.S. population. Data from 953 adu...

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