About Anthony Shelton
Anthony (Tony) Shelton received his BA in Classics and Philosophy from St. Mary’s College of California. After working in business and taking additional science classes, he was accepted into UC Riverside where he obtained his MS and Ph.D. in Entomology, both in 1979. Immediately after graduation, he accepted a faculty position at Cornell researching insects affecting vegetables in New York and the Northeast. His program has expanded to include international work and he is an International Professor of Entomology and the Associate Director of International Programs in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Cornell. His research has focused on diverse strategies for integrated pest management (IPM) including host plant resistance, insecticide resistance management, trap cropping, managing invasive species, developing sampling methods and thresholds, and enhancing biological control. More recently, he has utilized biotechnology to develop resistant crops and genetically engineered insects to reduce pest populations. In 2017 his lab conducted the first field release of a genetically engineered insect with a self-limiting gene for pest management. Since 2015 he has been the Director of the USAID-funded Feed the Future South Asia Eggplant Improvement Partnership. For his efforts he has received several awards including the ESA National Award for IPM (1995), the NYS Award for Excellent in IPM (2007), the ESA National Recognition Award for Research (2005), Cornell (CALS) Award for Applied Research (2007), the ESA Eastern Branch L.O. Howard Award (2011) and the ESA National IPM Team Award (2013). In 2010 he was elected an ESA Fellow.
Eggplant or brinjal (Solanum melongena) is a popular vegetable grown throughout Asia where it is attacked by the eggplant fruit and shoot borer (EFSB) (Leucinodes orbonalis). Yield losses in Bangladesh have been reported up to 86% and farmers rely primarily on frequent insecticide applications to reduce injury. It is not uncommon for farmers to apply insecticides 2-3 times per week, resulting in >100 sprays during the season and health hazards to farmers, consumers and the environment. In a partnership with USAID, the India-based Maharashtra Hybrid Seed Company (Mahyco), Sathguru Management Consultants and Cornell University, genetically engineered (GE) brinjal expressing Cry1Ac was produced and distributed to the Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (BARI) who bred it into local varieties for control of EFSB. After regulatory approval, four varieties were distributed to 20 farmers who harvested Bt brinjal in 2014. Adoption in subsequent years has increased dramatically so that, in 2018, >27,000 Bangladeshi farmers used this technology. Bt brinjal provides virtually complete control of EFSB, dramatically reduces insecticide sprays, provides a 5-6 increase in grower profit and does not affect arthropod biodiversity. To ensure the long-term future of this valuable technology, our project is focusing on stewardship, farmer training and communication. Bangladesh has shown great leadership in adopting Bt brinjal for the benefit of their farmers and serves as an example for other countries.
How do we control insect pests? Insecticide use is principal tactic and is spread through seed treatment, foliar sprays, and drip irrigation. However, is this a sustainable method? First and foremost, we could implement cultural control which avoids pests by methods such as planting at different times or performing different irrigation practices. By doing so, the reduction of agricultural pesticide use and insecticides could drop dramatically. Plant genetic diversity has caused pest resistant hosts that reduces the effects of common insecticides that affect non-targeted organisms, the soil, and the crop itself. BT, a common soil bacterium which produces a protein toxic to some insects, is by far the most sustainable agricultural insecticide/pesticide used today.
Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT) is safe to humans and the environment, and does not impact non targeted organisms. Lack of resources in biosafety laws, cultural differences, lack of political will, and un-interest in suitable agricultural methods has impacted BT usage globally. Since 2002, Dr. Shelton has worked with USAID and Mahyco to provide, produce, and adopt biogenetic technology in vegetables such as eggplants. About a billion people are suffering from malnutrition due to the lack of nutrients in agricultural crops as a result of high concentrations of pesticide and insecticide use. BT was originally created for cotton and corn, however, this genetic technology can and should be used in vegetables to fight malnutrition in developing countries.
Credits:
Created with images by Peggychoucair - "eggplant fruit vegetables" • Peggychoucair - "eggplant fruit vegetables"