A Problem with Insects - A Cotton Story

Overview

Recommended Year Level: Years 9 and 10                                                                                                                                            Required Knowledge: Little                                                                                                                                                                          Duration: 6 x 50 minute lessons

Images of locust plagues have long inspired movies and news items. At their most extreme, they can destroy an annual crop in hours, taking away a good percentage of a farmer’s income and increasing costs to consumers.

But, our past methods of widespread insecticide spraying have proven costly - both financially and environmentally.

Increased pressure from importing countries, changing Australian regulations covering farm safety, environmental degradation and pesticide residues are pushing farmers and researchers to find and adopt more sophisticated integrated pest management practices.