Pesticide Resistant-Insects
What's the Deal?
History of Pesticide-Resistance:
A man named A.L. Melander first discovered Pesticide-Resistance in 1914 when insects seemed to resist pesticide effects. From the time from 1914 to 1946, 11 more cases were seen. A pesticide called DDT made people believe that they have bypassed the resistance, though in 1947, insects were seen as resistant.After that, cases of further resistance against new pesticides popped up from 2-20 years.
Examples of Pesticide-Resistance:
1. In the US, fruit flies that eat oranges have started to become resistant malathion.
2. In Hawaii, Tennessee and Japan, a moth became resistant to Bacillus thuringeinsis.
3. DDT can no longer prevent malaria in some places.
What is Pesticide Resistance?
Pesticide Resistance is when an insect/ bug acquires a gene in which allows them to resist pesticide. They may gain it through a few ways (see later) and pass it down. The gene may reduce the sensitivity of it to the insect or remove it's effects. Pesticide Resistance is self-explanatory after that; Resistance to Pesticide.
GUARANTEED TO KILL (OR SO THEY SAY)
Transmitted via Plane
Some farmers use planes to spray pesticide over a large area.
Transmitted via Person
Some prefer to have people do it and have people spray it on crops with a spraying nozzle.
Warning Sign
Farmers put up the warning signs to mark where they sprayed pesticide on the insects and such.
How It Works (Pesticide-Resistance)
A few ways can make an insect resistant to a pesticide. Two of which are a mutation (which is a fluke gained by a single insect) or adaption (which takes longer but can effect a group of a species as a whole). More scientifically speaking, insects can produce more copies of a gene, allowing it to produce a protective enzyme or receptors in the insect could be reduced, reducing it's sensitivity. Once an insect has the trait or mutation, it can pass it down to it's offspring then their plentiful offspring to their plentiful offspring, and so on and so forth.
Ariel Application of Pesticide (Video)
Air Plane sprayin pesticide over our corn
Principles of Natural Selection
1. All populations have genetic variation.
2. The environment challenges the creation of offspring.
3. Individual organisms suited to the environment will produce more offspring.
4. Survival of the Fittest.
Why it is Natural Selection
Some insects evolved or mutated to be immune to pesticide. The ones who didn't were killed off by the pesticide, only leaving those immune alive. Since they were alive, they reproduced with others immune since they were the only ones left. Then it was passed down to the offspring where it became a genetic trait and they passed it on and so forth.