g&Lifcnfef'Taftmrtg, BMataiy, t9M New Pesticides May Be A Question UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre Co.) Researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences hope to develop safer pest controls by altering the way plants taste to insects. ‘The chemical senses, taste and smell, often are the key to insects’ survival,” said Dr. James Frazier, professor and he!ad of the depart ment of entomology. “They have a remarkable ability to detect and respond to the natural chemical constituents in a crop. We’re studying how insects choose to feed on different plants, because bugs won’t harm what they refuse to eat.” Frazier and research associate Sylwester Chyb work with the com rootworm, a pest whose vora cious larvae cause $4O million worth of damage in Pennsylvania crops each year. “If we can find chemicals that impair the larvae’s sense of taste, perhaps we can shut down their ability to recognize crops they feed on,” he said. Insects taste through hairs located on the mouthparts or on the feet. “These hairs have a hol low tip with taste sensory cells inside,” Frazier said. “The cells connect directly to the brain, giv ing insects a sharper sense of taste than our own. “For example, because insects’ taste receptors are more specific than ours, some synthetic sweeteners developed for humans don’t appeal to them,” Frazier said. “The shape of the synthetic molecule doesn’t match the insec t’s sugar taste receptor.” To find out what tastes entice or repulse the com rootworm, Fra zier and Chyb immobilize a root worm and place a glass capillary lube over one taste hair at a time. “The lube contains one or more chemicals that might stimulate the taste cells,” Frazier said. “Compu ters measure and record the nerve impulses each cell emits per sec ond, giving us quantitative data Of Taste about how it responds to each chemical.” The difficult part is interpreting the data. “Are these cells commu nicating pleasure or disgust to the insect’s brain?” Frazier asked, “To find out, we give the same compounds to insects to feed on, let them choose between two mix tures or two plants, and observe their responses.” Frazier and colleagues have found a number of naturally occurring compounds that make plants taste terrible to pests. Now they are studying how the com pounds might be used in pest control. “These chemicals could be sprayed on plants as today’s pesti cides are, but they would protect the crop simply by making it taste bad to the larvae,” Frazier said. “Because we probably can use nontoxic compounds that allow beneficial insect predators to pro vide additional control, this approach fits well with other pest management strategies.” Another option is to use some thing pests find delicious as bait. “Every fourth row of a crop could be treated with bait to draw the insects, then just those rows could be sprayed with insecticide, reducing the amount needed for adequate control.” But it is unlikely that any con trol will give growers a final vic tory in the battle against crop pests. “After thousands of years, we have yet to eradicate a single insect pest,” Frazier said. “Insects eventually overcome everything science has thrown at them." Profit from winter lime application Students View Sausage Making UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre Co.) — Edward Mills demonstrates sausage making at the Penn State Meats Laboratory for Juniors from Philadelphia’s Walter Biddle Saul High School of Agricultural Sciences. The College of Agricultural Sciences officially adopted Saul as part of the Adopt-a- School program sponsored by the School District of Philadelphia. The students also enjoyed a walking tour of the University Park Campus, a visit to the Department of Dairy and Animal Science Deer Research Center, a trip to the Penn State’s University Creamery, and educational activities sponsored by various departments. ANNAPOLIS, Md. Mary land Secretary of Agriculture Ro bert L. Walker applauded the deci sion of the Clinton administration to increase the use of corn-derived ethanol in motor fuel to control smog in urban areas. “This decision is a victory for the farmer and a victory for the en vironment. Everyone is a winner. The long-range result will benefit our entire society,” Walker said. Walker Applauds Call For Ethanol Use The Clean Air Act of 1990 mandated the use of reformulated gasolines in the nation’s nine smoggiest cities to reduce the use of harmful toxics into the atmo sphere. Under the plan set by the Environmental Protection Agen cy, 10 percent of all gasoline sold in the U.S. will contain ethanol. “We have an important com crop for the grain business in Maryland. While we are not as big as some stales, the increased use of ethanol from com will give out U.S. farmers another outlet for their production. The increased demand should result in stronger prices for com. In short, the use of ethanol will be good for Maryland com farmers and our state’s urban areas,” said Walker. In 1992, the com for grain busi ness in Maryland resulted in cash receipts of more than $94 million. 1 r * s* Improve your soil by applying Martin’s quality Hi-magncsium or Hi-calcium agricultural limestone. Call your local Martin Limestone dealer or call Blue Ball, Pa. (800) 233-0205 (717) 354-1370 Martin LIMESTONE \
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