USDA releases proposals to fight citrus greening & diamondback moths
Diamondback moths are a global pest of cruciferous crops such as broccoli, Brussel sprouts and cabbage. On April 18, the USDA released a draft environmental assessment of a proposed experiment by a Cornell entomologist with GM diamondback moths.
The scientist, Anthony Shelton, plans to release tens of thousands of GM moths into a 10-acre vegetable field to test their potential as an "insecticide-free" control option for diamondback moths. The GM moths have been engineered to repress female survival, known as a "female autocidal trait."
You can read the full assessment which concludes it will have no harmful effects here.
Citrus Greening
A Florida nursery, Southern Gardens Citrus Nursery, is proposing the release of a GM virus, Citrus tristeza virus, which has been engineered to express bacteria-fighting proteins found in spinach. The GM virus, which has been undergoing controlled field tests since 2010, would be grafted -- not sprayed -- onto citrus trees in Florida. USDA has announced its intent to launch an environmental impact statement on Southern Garden's proposal.
source: dtnpf.com
