Bøker av Mohamed Abdel-Raheem

Responsible for 80% of the food we eat and 98% of the oxygen we breathe, plants are a pillar of life on earth. But they are under threat. Up to 40 percent of food crops are lost to plant pests and diseases each year according to the FAO. When disease outbreaks occur, the impacts can be devastating. In the 1840s, the Irish potato famine, caused by the fungal disease late blight, killed around one million people and caused another million to emigrate. The recent invasion of desert locusts throughout the horn of Africa ¿ the worst in decades ¿ shows how vulnerable crops are to pests as well. The desert locust is one of the most destructive pests in the world, with one small swarm covering one square kilometer eating the same amount of food per day as 35,000 people. The outbreak could even provoke a humanitarian crisis, according to the FAO. Climate change is one factor driving the spread of pests and diseases, along with increasing global trade. Climate change can affect the population size, survival rate and geographical distribution of pests; and the intensity, development and geographical distribution of diseases.

Sugar ¿ beet, Beta vulgaris is one of the most important economic crops in Egypt. Therefore, farmers are encouraged to increase sugar beet production in order to increase the requirements for local sugar production.Sugar-beet plants are liable to infestation by a variety of insects. Some of these insects are key pests of regular occurrence and cause serious damage to their host plants that leads to reduction of crop yield, in both quantity and quality.Sugar is a strategic commodity to many countries of the world, since it comes right after wheat. It has strategic importance to many countries in Europe, Africa. North and South America and Australia, where as it occupies the second position after rice in Asian countries.

Bt makes toxins that target insect larvae when eaten. In their gut, the toxins are activated. The activated toxin breaks down their gut, and the insects die of infection and starvation. Death can occur within a few hours or weeks. The different types of Bt create toxins that can only be activated by the target insect larvae. In contrast, when people eat the same toxins, the toxins are not activated and no harm occurs.Each type of Bt toxin is highly specific to the target insect. For example, the ¿kurstaki¿ type targets caterpillars. The ¿isrealensis¿ type targets immature flies and mosquitoes. Little to no direct toxicity to non-target insects has been observed.People are most commonly exposed to Bt through their diet, at very low levels.Exposure can also occur if you breathe it in or get it on your skin or eyes. For example, this can occur while applying sprays or dusts during windy conditions. You may also be exposed after using a product if you don¿t wash your hands before eating or smoking. Since Bt is commonly found in soils, exposures not related to pesticides are also possible.