Researchers test self-destructing moth pest in cabbage patch
May 28, 2017
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Researchers in a New York cabbage patch are planning the first release on American soil of insects genetically engineered to die before they can reproduce.
It's a pesticide-free attempt to control invasive diamondback moths, a voracious consumer of cabbage, broccoli and other cruciferous crops that's notorious for its ability to shrug off every new poison in the agricultural arsenal.
"It costs $4-5 billion a year globally to manage this pest," said Anthony Shelton, a Cornell University researcher who's been studying the species for 40 years. "If you can manage it without us...
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