A closer look at insects

Insects are the most diverse group of organisms on the planet. About nine hundred thousand different kinds of living insects are known. This is approximately 80 percent of the world’s species.

Insects greatly impact US agriculture. Between 20% to 40% of global crop production is lost annually to insect damage. Each year, plant diseases cost the global economy around $220 billion, and invasive insects around $70 billion.

Insecticide application may be required at any time throughout the development of the crop. At planting time, seed treatments protect against seed maggots. Treatment following emergence may control overwintering bean leaf beetles. Up to bloom, soybeans can tolerate up to 40 percent defoliation without an economic loss in yield. However, from bloom to pod-fill, soybeans are more susceptible. Defoliation should not be allowed to exceed 15 percent during that time. Once pods have set, treatment is needed when bean leaf beetle affects 10% or more of the pods. Farmers must scout the fields throughout the growing season.

There are also many beneficial insects in the field. They may be useful for a method called conservation biological control. This procedure is a science-based pest management strategy that integrates beneficial insects back into cropping systems for natural pest control. It can reduce and in some cases eliminate the need for pesticides.

But what if some of these insects could provide researchers with antibiotic or antimicrobial substances to use? Even destructive insects may have antimicrobial metabolites that protect them from bacteria. Researchers are looking for these metabolites to potentially develop new antibiotics for humans.

See Seeds of Change to learn more about insect microbiome prospecting.