1MG FlippingBooks
Blog Post
Diamondback moth traced back to South America
Elizabeth Gracie
Diamond back moth, Plutella xylostella, Photo credit: David McClenaghan
The diamondback moth has since spread on a global scale and is considered one of agriculture’s worst pests.
The study, published in Nature Communications, traced the origin and historical patterns of migration of the diamondback moth. Researchers hope that by understanding these patterns, they can predict future movements of the moth to protect food security globally.
To achieve their goal, researchers analysed the genomes of more than 530 diamondback moths collected from 114 locations across 55 countries.
Charles Sturt University’s Professor Geoff Gurr participated in the study, and hopes it will lead to new insight on how the moth became so prevalent worldwide.
“Every year more than $5bn is lost in production and control crops in the agriculture industry,” said Gurr.
“The diamondback moth is extremely adept at developing resistance to pesticides which makes chemical control difficult.”
Human movement has also greatly aided the migration of the diamondback moth to new geographical spaces where it has thrived.
“Along the way, it has used its adaptive capacity to cope with the new climates and plants it encountered,” says Gurr.
The team is now looking to South America to learn more about how to combat the pest.
“Now that we know where the diamondback moth originally came from, we can focus our energy on looking in the right place for better natural predators and parasites to help give us control of this devastating pest”, Gurr notes.
This study is “one of the most in-depth genetic analyses of any type of living organisms ever”, according to the Charles Sturt University’s Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation.
“Analysing the full genome, rather than just specific regions is an expensive undertaking especially when dealing with hundreds of insects and large amounts of travel,” says Gurr.
This globally significant research has illustrated the severity of the threat the diamondback moth poses to the agriculture industry and will assist researchers in finding better control options now that the origins of the moth have been pinned down.
NEWS
Innovation, technological solutions and teamwork – those were the themes that comprised the first GrowHer ag-tech event in Rockhampton this week.
Following the biggest first day crowds in decades, it’s officially Day 2 of the 2025 Sydney Royal Easter Show (the Show) and excitement is only building!
New Zealand farmers are well-accustomed to turning sunlight into food and fibre. Now, as Mike Casey writes, there’s an opportunity to turn that sunlight into something else that will benefit New Zealand and the rural sector: renewable electricity.
John Deere has announced new automation and efficiency updates on 2026 model combine harvesters that provide more capabilities and boost productivity by up to 20%* on Australian farms.
With efficient and lower emission energy solutions uppermost on farmers’ minds, ELGAS is committed to working with Australia's agricultural sector with LPG.
Following from another record year for beef production and exports, we anticipate opportunities for Australian beef to continue into 2025, especially in markets like the US which is in a cattle herd rebuild and was our number one export destination for beef in 2024.
A selection of The Australian Farmer Sponsors - Click on a banner below to find out more...
CONTACT US
Phone: +61 2 9884 9660
solutions@onemandate.com
LET’S CONNECT
SIGN UP FOR OUR NEWSLETTER
