Surprise in the organic orchard -- a healthier worm in the apple
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Until now very effective in pest management: the granulovirus. Credit: BBA, Darmstadt
Insects can catch more than a cold from certain viruses. Some viruses can be lethal to pest species - turning their insides to soup - without harming beneficial insects or other organisms. Hence they are used as an environmentally friendly means of biological crop protection worldwide. The proverbial worm in the apple, the codling moth caterpillar, has been controlled in European orchards for years with a baculovirus called codling moth granulovirus (CpGV).
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