October 22, 1998
United States Senate
Washington, DC 20510-2602
October 22, 1998
| Contact: Giano Cromley (Baucus)
(202) 224-4351
Mat Raymond (Burns)
(202) 224-8150 |
WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. Senators Max Baucus and Conrad Burns today announced that Montana State University (MSU) TechLink received an award of $347,000 to begin commercializing a new product for locust control in the African country of Madagascar. Madagascar is currently suffering one of the worst locust plagues of the century.
"This research could be an important step in the future of agriculture worldwide," Burns said. "I'm proud that MSU TechLink has been at the forefront of this project, and I think it goes to show just how Montanans can make such a big difference beyond our own borders."
The award comes on the heels of five years of applied research by researchers at MSU and Mycotech Corporation of Butte, Montana, a company specializing in development and production of fungal-based biopesticides in collaboration with Malagasy authorities.
"Biological control of locusts is critical in Madagascar because the people are poor and the biota is rich," said Dan Swanson, project manager at MSU TechLink. "But the U.S. faces similar problems with grasshoppers, which cause frequent damage in crops and range land."
The MSU-led team first isolated pathogenic agents from locust in Madagascar in 1993. The most promising agent, a fungus, subsequently proved to be effective in laboratory and field trials in Madagascar, and was approved for large-scale experimental use by U.S. authorities in 1995.
The $347,000 award will fund the first year of a five-year project and aims at registering the fungus in Madagascar and improving its technical properties with potential industry-wide implications.
"We like this project because it supports industry in our region and helps us to gain international experience," said Peter Perna, Director of TechLink. "It's also a broad-based effort."
The current project led by MSU TechLink and the Department of Entomology is supported by six collaborating organizations, including Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Malagasy Directorate of Crop Production, the German Technical Assistance Organization (GZT), LUBILOSA, Mississippi State University, and Mycotech Corporation.
Funding for this project is provided by the U.S. Agency for International Development's SAVEM project, which aims at preserving diverse biological resources in Madagascar. As part of the project, MSU will post a long-term advisor in Madagascar.
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