Assalamualaikum w.b.t©
Evolution is a change in a population’s allele frequency over time.
According to the theory of natural selection by Charles Darwin, species evolve
and adapt to their environment. Natural selection continuously influences the
genetic characteristics of the population because of the continuously changing
of the environment (Charles Darwin, 1859). So, we can say that evolution of
insects is the change in allele frequency of their species in order to adapt to
the environment. On the other hand,
revolution is a fundamental change in power or organizational structures that
takes place in a relatively short period of time (Wikipedia). In other words,
we can say that revolution in agriculture is the huge changes in agricultural
activities. Agriculture revolution includes modern irrigation system, synthetic
nitrogen fertilizer, pesticide and insecticide used and also development of
crop varieties through the conventional, scientific method (Demont
. M , E. Mathijs And E. Tollens , 2001).However,
has the revolution in agriculture kept up in pace with insect evolution?
In this paper, we will learn of the economic damage
that insects do to our agriculture. We will also see what human can do as a
response to insect pests in terms of technologies used. However, have those
technologies worked? If so, where and when? Then, we will see whether the
technology alone can help us to control insect damage in our agricultural
activities.
Insects are a class of living creatures
within the phylum Arthropoda that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body (head, thorax, and abdomen), three pairs of jointed legs, compound eye, and two antennae(Mignel A. Altieri, 1998).
They move by
walking and flying. Most species of insects are only between 2 and 20 mm (0.1 –
1.0 inch) in length.
However small insects still play a big role
in our agricultural system. They are pollinators of flowering plants. Agricultural
crops such as melons and cucumbers depend on insects to pollinate their flower,
else they will be non-productive crops. Other than that, insects can also
produce beneficial products such as honey, bees wax and also silk. But, they can
also harm our agriculture. They are pests in agricultural food production. By
chewing the leaf, sucking out plant juices and also spreading plant pathogens,
insects will reduce the agriculture food production.
It has been a long time since insect pests attack our
agriculture activities. The economic damage that insects do to our agriculture
is measured not only by the market value of the products they destroy and the
cost of damage they affect, but the money and resources expended on prevention
and control of pest outbreaks (Borloug, N.E. And C.
Dowswell . 2001). As such, we incur high costs to overcome these insect
pest problems in order to increase harvest.
With the increases in human population all
around the world, demand for food agricultural products is also increasing. The problem is whether we can produce enough
food to fulfil all the demands (Bruce A. Babcock 2008). With the insect pest
problems that all farmers are facing now, it is seems impossible. About 20 –
30% loss of yield in most crops is because of pest, even with the substantial
use of pesticide (Mignel A. Altieri, 1998).
To
reduce number of insect pest in our agricultural system nowadays, we need to put
in large efforts and use innovative technologies. One of the technologies used
is the genetically modified organism (GMO) product. This technology will
produce insect-resistant crops that contain genes from the soil bacterium Bacillus
thuringiensis (Bt). This crop contain toxin specific to insects. This
modified crop will be able to protect plants from damage by the insects. One of
the crop with this technology applied is StarLink® corn which is genetically
altered to express the
bacterial Bt toxin that is poisonous to insect pests.
However, this GMO technology requires very
high cost in order to manage the insect pest problem in our agriculture
activities. Therefore, the most popular way to reduce insect pests in farming
industry is by using insecticides. We use either chemical or organic
insecticides, but both serves to reduce insect damage on the crop. Even though insecticides
are less costly, this method is an ongoing, never ending process. This is
because of the adaptation in insect body towards the insecticides. So that,
insects species that grows nowadays mostly can be called as adapted insect pest
towards the insecticide products. The current insecticide used will no longer
affect the insect pest in our farm land because the insect had adapted to the
chemical content inside the insecticides. Therefore, humans need to overcome
this major problem in agricultural activities by creating some more advance insecticide’s
that can kill the insect pest. With every new insecticide, it will be so
effective in overcoming the insect pest problem. But, with extensive usage of
pesticides towards the insect pests, the evolution of insects takes place and
finally these new insecticides are no longer effective due to natural
selection. The insect pests have been reproducing their population to a better population
of pest towards the
insecticide usage.
Insects are the most abundant and diverse
group of organisms in this world. They can also adapt to and resist against
many of the challenges they face, including the technologies we humans employ
against them.
There is no winner or loser in this
competition. It is an ongoing, never-ending process of paralleled change. As long
as there is development in agricultural sector, there will be also development
of insecticide production which directly leads to change in allele frequency of
insects towards the adaptation to insecticide.
We can say that evolution of insects
parallels the revolution of agriculture.
*this
article is actually my last semester assignment of written paper for Entomology
subject. I just want to put it on this blog as part of my work. 13.8 Over 15
marks! Such unecpected mark from my “oversea’ lecturer.ehhe.. He does put his
comment that sounds like this “Nice work! Would have been improved if you included at
least one or two solid examples of insect resistance and how it led to a
pesticide treadmill.”
Enjoy readings peeps = =’
