Nuclear tech as form of insect birth control

A high-tech form of insect birth control connected to nuclear power could solve a devastating pest problem for Ontario farmers, says a University of Guelph researcher. Prof. Cynthia Scott-Dupree, School of Environmental Sciences, will lead a multi-year study on sterilizing pepper weevils using cobalt-60.

Funding for the study was announced today by Bruce Power in Tiverton, Ont., and Nordion, an Ottawa-based supplier of medical isotopes.

Cobalt-60 is a radioactive form of cobalt produced in Bruce Power’s nuclear power reactors. Used in sterile insect technique (SIT), the isotope could help control the weevil, said Scott-Dupree, holder of the Bayer CropScience Chair in Sustainable Pest Management.

She said using nuclear energy to sterilize insects is an environmentally friendly pest control method. “There is no danger of the pepper weevils spreading any radiation following sterilization, so it is also safe for people.”

Nordion will use cobalt-60 from Bruce Power to sterilize insects before they are released to mate with unsterilized pepper weevils in greenhouses.

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Source: Horti Biz