Is this an example of the elemental beings at work ensuring the survival of an organism??? Peter. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Manfred Palmer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Friday, March 01, 2002 7:33 PM Subject: Off: FW: Corn Rootworms Pose First Challenge to Decades
> Wayne, ......just thought this might evoke a tragic chuckle, while > considering the losing chess game of scientific farming. > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Lon J. Rombough" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Sent: Thursday, February 28, 2002 8:39 AM > Subject: FW: Corn Rootworms Pose First Challenge to Decades > > > > ---------- > > From: "ARS News Service" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > To: "ARS News List" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Subject: Corn Rootworms Pose First Challenge to Decades > > Date: Thu, Feb 28, 2002, 6:46 AM > > > > > > STORY LEAD: > > Corn Rootworms Pose First Challenge to Decades-Old Pest Control Strategy > > > > ___________________________________________ > > > > ARS News Service > > Agricultural Research Service, USDA > > Don Comis, (301) 504-1625, [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > February 28, 2002 > > ___________________________________________ > > > > For the first time, corn rootworms--the most damaging pest of corn in the > > United States--recently changed their behavior and foiled crop rotation > > strategies long counted on to break their destructive cycle. > > > > Now Agricultural Research Service scientists hope a soon-to-be- completed > > 5-year cooperative research agreement with Monsanto Company, St. Louis, > Mo., > > will help them regain the upper hand against the pest. In the study, the > > scientists are using a 2- in-1 cornfield strategy--a mix of transgenic and > > nontransgenic corn plants--against the rootworms. The transgenic plants > have > > been genetically engineered to produce Bacillus thuriengensis(Bt) > > insecticide. > > > > For many years, farmers could confidently reduce rootworm numbers by > > switching their cornfields to soybeans every other year, planting corn > > elsewhere on their farms. The rootworms would starve to death after > hatching > > in a soybean field the next spring. > > > > But, in recent years, farmers noticed that adult western corn rootworm > > beetles were flying out of the cornfields to lay eggs in soybean fields > that > > would become cornfields the next spring when their hungry worm offspring > > hatched in the soil. > > > > To make matters worse, more eggs of their northern brethren started taking > > two years to hatch, timing their offspring perfectly for a 2-year, > > corn-soybean-corn rotation. And western rootworms have developed > resistance > > to insecticides applied in fields planted to corn every year. > > > > To counter the pests' ability to adapt to various control tactics, ARS > > scientists are studying the resistant-insect management strategy of > > interplanting regular corn plants among transgenic corn plants. > > > > The idea is to delay possible development of resistance by giving any > adults > > that fed on the transgenic corn plants--and survived--the opportunity to > > mate with other, non-Bt-challenged beetles, which fed on regular corn. > > > > ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific research > > agency. > > > > ___________________________________________ > > This item is one of the news releases and story leads that ARS Information > > distributes on weekdays to fax and e-mail subscribers. You can also get > the > > latest ARS news on the World Wide Web at > > www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/thelatest.htm. > > * Feedback and questions to ARS News Service via e-mail: > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > * ARS Information Staff, 5601 Sunnyside Ave., Room 1-2251, Beltsville MD > > 20705- 5128, (301) 504-1617, fax 504-1648. > > >
