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War report: fighting armyworms

In December 2012 a serious outbreak of armyworms began rampaging across Zambia, infecting almost 100,000 hectares of agricultural land. As of Jan 2013, the insects had spread to five other countries.

In this video diary, Professor Kenneth Wilson of Lancaster University reports on his trip to Zambia to meet the country’s Vice President Dr Guy Scott. Wilson advised him on new research funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) that uses a natural virus that can be produced locally, so the use of expensive imported chemical pesticides could be reduced or eliminated entirely.