Heading the project is Bill Snyder, a professor of entomology at WSU, who with the help of his colleagues will analyze DNA collected from both the stomachs of predator bugs and from crops to see how the complex interactions between the two can provide sustainable solutions to the problem of crop pests. Entitled "CSI: Organic," the three-year project will investigate the apparent successes of organic farming to identify the logistics behind how it is both beneficial and preferable to modern, chemical-based agricultural methods.
Specifically, Snyder hopes to learn more about the intricacies of predator bugs and how they affect soil health in order to figure out ways that, as an entire system, bugs, crops and soil can co-exist in harmony with one another to keep everything in a proper balance. Diversifying crops, for instance, rather than growing just one type of crop over a large acreage is one way that organic farming helps keep pests in check.
"We hope that we learn some really general lessons about how to make pests less of a problem," says Prof. Snyder, as quoted by The Seattle Times, about the endeavor. "I'm glad when I see an aphid on something I get [at the store,] because at least I know it's really organic."
Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/043488_organic_farming_agricultural_chemicals_federal_government.html##ixzz3Vt9izWab