Israeli Startup Keeps Bad Bugs At Bay, No Poison Needed

Today's farmers face a dilemma -- they need to keep their crops protected from insects, which is normally done via various pesticides. But those pesticides come at a price--they cause serious environmental damage, such as killing crop beneficial insects like bees.

Research studies have linked the disappearance of bees around the world, known as Colony Collapse Disorder, to the overuse of pesticides. As bee pollination appears to be responsible for as much as 1/3 of human nutrition, fewer bees means fewer food options. But without pesticides, infestations would rise dramatically causing just as much crop shortage.

Luckily, an Israeli startup has developed a third option -- a system that will protect crops without the use of poisonous pesticides. The startup, EdenShield, developed plant-based pesticides that have been proven highly effective against crop pests. A study on greenhouse tomatoes showed nearly 100% penetration against pests.

EdenShield develops nontoxic, plant based products that pose no harm to growers or consumers. Experts feel EdenShield's products have the capacity to make a major impact on our food chain. The technology works by making use of desert plant secretions to which crop pests have a natural aversion. One of the benefits of this is that crop pests don't build a resistance to GateKeeper (EdenShield's plant based pesticide) the way they do to chemical pesticides. The herbs used in GateKeeper are endemic to the Israeli desert.

The GateKeeper system includes a sprinkler system that sprays intermittently throughout the day on the greenhouse netting, not on the crops themselves. Read more about it here.

Off to water my own garden, till next time!

J