Forward Thinking on Forest Pests - Video
September 2010
Narrator : Insects appeared on land almost 400 million years ago and are one of the oldest living land-based organisms. Insects pollinate flowers, fertilize the soil and recycle and clean forests and prairies. There are an estimated six million insect species swarming the planet, and very few are considered harmful.
However, insects sometimes inflict damage on trees and wood products.
[visual: headshot of Michel, with subtitle of his name/official title]
Michel: “There are a number of insect pest problems that are relevant to forestry. Insects that cause great great losses in terms of forest yields and for which sometimes we have very very few control options.”
popup: In 2007, the mountain pine beetle infestations ravaged over 9.2 million ha of pine forests in B.C.]
Narrator : For the past few years, Natural Resource Canada's Canadian Forest Service has used biotechnology to develop new control methods.
Michel: “one of the aims of our work is to try and develop new tools or additional tools for the control of these insects and whether biological control products or reduced risk pest control products that are both efficacious and respectful of the environment and with low impact on human health.”
[popup:Between 1982 and 1987, insects and diseases destroyed more than 16 million cubic metres of wood per year in Quebec]
Narrator: To design effective pest control products, CFS entomology experts like Michel Cusson closely examine insect behaviour, physiology and hormone functioning.
Michel: “Most of the work we do falls under the umbrella of insect genomics, insect biotechnology and basically what we do is we try to identify the genes that are most important to the life of an insect“
Narrator: By identifying certain genes unique to insects, it is possible to develop pesticides that will not harm other species — only the insects targeted. Thus, certain genes discovered by entomologists are useful in improving the effectiveness of pest control products.
Michel: “We can also use some of these genes for the improvement of microbial pesticides, because we use bacteria, viruses as the active ingredients in various pest control products. Some of these products are extremely valuable because they are very very target specific. They target a very narrow group of insects“.
[popup: In Canada, invasive alien species include at least 181 insects]
Narrator: Research by Michel will help manage future risks from invasive and damaging species.