New generation bee-friendly pesticides

Scientists have found a formula to create selective pesticides that only kill pests without affecting beneficial insects like bees.

Bees and other pollinators are needed for ¾ season in the world, but they are severely reduced in recent decades due to destruction of habitats, epidemics and uncontrolled use of pesticides. control.

The use is now the subject of many controversies. According to the British National Farmers' Association, pesticides are an important component of modern agriculture. They said that this is an essential element to produce "healthy, affordable" food.

In the future there will be "selective" pesticides, not harmful to bees.

However, scientists have recently discovered small amounts of neonicotinoid, a common insecticide, in 75% of the world's honey samples.Neonicotinoids are highly effective pesticides, and are considered to be more environmentally friendly than older pesticides because of their low toxicity to humans. The discovery of honey contains a lot of pesticides, again, ringing a warning bell about the abuse of pesticides on a global scale.

UK Environment Minister Michael Gove recently announced that Britain will support a ban on synthetic pesticides that could hurt bees. This suggests the urgency to find alternative measures for the currently widely used pesticides.

In a new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a group of scientists from the University of Michigan surveyed the natural resistance of bees and honey bees to some types of pesticides. The aim of the study is to create selective pesticides. The drug only targets pests and is completely friendly to bees as well as other pollinators.

Bees are very sensitive to most pyrethroid insecticides. However, bees are naturally resistant to a pyrethroid insecticide called tau-fluvalinate thanks to a type of amino acid in their bodies.

Bees are very sensitive to most pyrethroid insecticides.

Tau-fluvalinate is used to control pests in agriculture and is expected to become a safe bee insecticide in the future.

Scientists found that molecules in bee cells, also known as salt channels , are able to counteract the effects of tau-fluvalinate.

Professor Ke Dong, a University of Michigan insect toxin researcher, said: "This is the first time, we have shown unique properties in the bees' salt channels. This opens up the ability to create new chemicals that target pests and still be safe for bees. "

Dr Christopher Connolly, a neuroscience researcher at Dundee University, who was not involved in the study, said: " This is an interesting article. However, this does not imply that insecticides safe to use in our environment, because many other beneficial insects can be hurt. "

The drug only targets pests and is completely friendly to bees as well as other pollinators.

Other insects also provide valuable activities in the environment. For example, flies, which are also important pollinators, and they may not be protected from selective insecticides.

Dr Andrew Jones, Oxford Brookes University biologist, who was not involved in the study, said: "In my opinion, if neonicotinoid actually reduces bee populations, selective pesticides are selective. entering non-bee species can help reverse this. '

'Whether we like it or not, we need measures to protect the crop, and at this point, it's a pesticide. I am sure, in the future, there will be more stringent tests for new generation pesticides to make sure they are bee-friendly, ' said Dr. Jones.