Energy Crops Could Be Answer to Increased Insecticide Use

Farming/Growing, Feedstocks, Field/Orchard/Plantation Crops/Residues, Infrastructure, Michigan, Sustainability

July 14, 2011

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by Luke Geiver (Biorefining Magazine) The link between increased insecticide use and landscape simplification has now been documented by a team of researchers from the Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center.

…But, while the research showed the upwardly trending use of insecticides with a decrease in the number of crops planted in a large geographic region, the research team did provide a solution. For fewer bugs, plant more grass. “Strategically diversified agricultural landscapes with perennial bioenergy crops like switchgrass and mixed prairie (grasses) could temper the negative environmental effects,” he said. “These crops could be grown on more marginal farmlands (lower productivity soils or more sloping areas), or used to buffer streams and rivers to reduce soil, nutrient and pesticide runoff.” READ MORE

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