Scientists fighting battle against morphing aphid

Scientists have used new mapping technology to discover the genetic code of the peach potato aphid that has been infecting crops at an alarming rate that up until now has become resistant to pesticides.
Using the genetic code scientists have discovered what they believe to be the weakness of the pest, a gene that has become mutated to increase the aphid’s immunity to the pesticides.

With the new knowledge, scientists believe they can now create a new pesticide that is designed especially to kill the aphid by targeting its weaknesses.

President Prof Lin Field of the Royal Entomological Society stated that once a mutation is discovered you do not have much time before it rapidly becomes the norm of an insect species. Thus, you have to act quickly with a new pesticide or the insect will quickly become a problem.

However, although Field was optimistic about using the gene to design a new pesticide, she commented that it may take over two years to figure out which chemicals will best combat the growth of the bug.

After this is process is complete, they will also need to add in the time it takes to market and produce the compound at an agro-chemical industry.

The largest problem facing scientists as they work out a new formula for the pesticide is finding a chemical that will kill aphids but not hurt insects that are not considered harmful like honey bees which are already facing extinction.

The aphids became tolerant of current pesticides due to their overuse the same way that viruses can become resistant to antibiotics