Transcript Natural Insect Control

Natural Insect Control
By Elaine, James, and Josh
Environmental Biotechnology
Outline of Proposal
• Problem
Identification
• Project Objective
• Rationale for
Project
• Methods:
materials,
procedures, data
analysis
Problem We Identified
• Many pests like
mosquitoes and flies
– Especially in spring,
summer, and fall
– Swampy environment
behind school
• Mosquitoes proliferate
– We always get bitten on
field day!
Problem Cont.
• School uses
pesticides to control
pests.
– Can have adverse
effects:
• May kill plants and
beneficial insects
• May harm people
• Pesticide-resistant
pests
Project Objective
• To lessen the
amount of pesticide
our school uses by
planting pitcher
plants (Serracenia
rubra) while being
able to control pest
proliferation.
Pitcher Plants
• Serracenia rubra
• Perennials
– Requires winter dormancy and tolerates warmer
temperatures
– 10-20 degrees F tolerance
– 6hrs sunlight
• Pitfall traps (tubular funnels)
– Carnivorous plants
• Secretes nectar to attract and reduce dilution
• deep folds into slippery pools filled with digestive
enzymes
Danger To Humans
• Tehran
• Analyzed pesticide related death
– Pesticide Poisoning
– 1.31% of deaths
– 50% of those were suicide
• Concluded safer way needed
• (Soltaninejad 2007)
Further Risks
• Inhibition of G6PD
– Needed for Metabolism
• Arrive by land, sea and air
• Deltamethrin (common)
– Highly Effective
• (Şentük 2009)
Danger to Pitcher Plant
• Analyzed Evolution
• Difficulties due to low pop.
– Over Collection
– Lack Land
– Conserve
• Able to survive stressful environment
• (Ellison 2001)
Lasting Effect
• Pitcher plants perennials
• Used to 10% Nitro from Insects
– >10%, more growth
– (Ellison 2001)
Materials
• Pitcher Plants (15- they will reproduce)*
– Must be ordered- about $6 a plant
• 2 Standard Soil Mix Bags- 50% peat moss,
50% pear lite* ($3 for 1 gallon bag)
• Water and Watering Can- for first day
• Gardening Tools
– Rake, hoe, shovels, spades
• Tabletop Balance and Weigh Boats
• Gloves (both rubber and gardening)
• Forceps
Procedure
• Will locate regions for planting the
pitcher plants in the back of the school
– Close to brook/creek/swampy area
Picture
Procedure Cont.
• Will clear area of grass and leaves in
designated regions.
• With gardening tools, will dig a 1-2ft
ditch/hole in planting areas.
• Will gently remove plant from
pot/packaging and place in ditch.
– 3 plants per designated region
• Will place soil around plants to hold
them down
Procedure Cont.
• Once every week, will vertically cut from
the opening to the petiole.
– Only for one of the plant’s traps
– One per designated area
– Will count number of dead insects
(exoskeletons are not digested and are
identifiable)
– Will take mass of collected exoskeletons
Picture Bank
Procedure Cont.
• After monitoring for 3
weeks, we will increase the
number of pitcher plants
in the area where the most
exoskeleton were seen.
• Will continue collecting
exoskeletons for 3 more
weeks.
Data Analysis
• Will collect the number of exoskeletons
over 6wks (after we add more plants)
• Average and standard deviation over
6wks per area
– Check for variety of data
• T-test between all the regions against
each other
Conclusion
• Pitcher plants will be an effective
method for reducing the amount of
pesticides used by significantly reducing
the number of pests.
• Small step to a brighter and greener
future!
References
•
Amato, P. (1998). The Savage Garden: Cultivating Carniverous Plants. Ten Speed Press.
•
Botanical Society of America. (2010). Carnivorous Plants. Retrieved March 2, 2010, from
http://www.botany.org/carnivorous_Plants/
•
Aaron M. Ellison, Nicholas J. Gotelli, Evolutionary ecology of carnivorous plants, Trends in Ecology &
Evolution, Volume 16, Issue 11, 1 November 2001, Pages 623-629, ISSN 0169-5347, DOI: 10.1016/S01695347(01)02269-8.
•
Pet Flytrap. (1999-2010). Retrieved March 2, 2010, from http://www.petflytrap.com/StoreFront.bok
•
Predatory Plants. (2010). Retrieved March 2, 2010, from http://www.predatoryplants.com/
•
Murat Senturk, Saltuk Bugrahan Ceyhun, Orhan Erdogan, Omer Irfan Kufrevioglu, In vitro and in vivo
effects of some pesticides on glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase enzyme activity from rainbow trout
(Oncorhynchus mykiss) erythrocytes, Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology, Volume 95, Issue 2, October
2009, Pages 95-99, ISSN 0048-3575, DOI: 10.1016/j.pestbp.2009.07.005.
•
Kambiz Soltaninejad, Mansoor Faryadi, Fariba Sardari, Acute pesticide poisoning related deaths in Tehran
during the period 2003-2004, Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine, Volume 14, Issue 6, August 2007,
Pages 352-354, ISSN 1752-928X, DOI: 10.1016/j.jflm.2006.12.011.