British Firm Develops ‘Friendly’ Fall Armyworm To Save Crops
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J. Choubey,
Zenger,
2021.
The genetically modified fall armyworm, a pest that has invaded farms across Asia, Africa, and the Americas, has been developed by U.K-based biotechnology firm Oxitec to reduce the species’ population. The fall armyworm, or Spodoptera frugiperda, is a lepidopteran pest belonging to the family of butterflies and moths. It feeds on leaves, stems, and the reproductive parts of plants. The pest is causing significant damage to economically important cultivated grasses like maize, rice, sorghum, sugarcane, and wheat, along with 75 other crop species. Oxitec is collaborating with Bayer, a German multinational pharmaceutical and life sciences company, for the technology. The genetically modified fall armyworm, a pest that has invaded farms across Asia, Africa, and the Americas, has been developed by U.K-based biotechnology firm Oxitec to reduce the species’ population. The fall armyworm, or Spodoptera frugiperda, is a lepidopteran pest belonging to the family of butterflies and moths. It feeds on leaves, stems, and the reproductive parts of plants. The pest is causing significant damage to economically important cultivated grasses like maize, rice, sorghum, sugarcane, and wheat, along with 75 other crop species. Oxitec is collaborating with Bayer, a German multinational pharmaceutical and life sciences company, for the technology. More related to this: Oxitec Receives Landmark Biosafety Approval for New Fall Armyworm Control Solution Towards the genetic control of invasive species Gene drive gets safety features limiting risk for a tool that could alter entire species Anticipating complexity in the deployment of gene drive insects in agriculture
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