10/24/2022
Dogs are being trained to smell greenhouse pests that threaten profits and our food supply. Using dogs for early detection of pests like aphids and caterpillars might help reduce production costs, increase harvests, and importantly total pesticide use – a win for farmers, consumers, and the environment. This works because each pest has its own odor which dogs can be trained to identify. And a dog with a job is a happy dog.
The FAO estimates that 40% of all crops are lost each year to insect pests and more than $70 billion is spent controlling pest invasions. Hope for my dog?