Ep 74. Cotton, moths and kleptoparasites with Mary Whitehouse

In Situ Science

SPECIAL GUEST: Mary Whitehouse (CSIRO)

Farmers have learned that the widespread use of pesticides is a dangerous strategy as it can lead to the evolution of highly pesticide resistant crop pests. Land managers are moving towards ‘Integrated Pest Management’ techniques that use a multitude of strategies to more responsibly control pests, including fostering populations of natural pest predators.

Mary Whitehouse has (in her own words) been masquerading as an entomologist with the CSIRO for almost 20 years studying the management of cotton crop pests in regional NSW. Although her secret scientific passion has always been the private lives of spiders. In this interview we chat about the history of genetically modified cotton in Australian agriculture and how keeping landscapes natural and biodiverse can enhance our agricultural industries.

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Music: ‘Strange Stuff’ by Sonic Wallpaper - www.sonicwallpaper.bandcamp.com