Chinese scientists have developed a genetically modified pesticide which, it is claimed, will get rid of the most vicious vegetable pests.

Professor Qi Yipeng, in charge of the group at Wuhan University in Hubei Province which developed the pesticide, said that the new pesticide is environmentally friendly and able to kill eight percent of sugar beet noctuids, minor vegetable moths and dark-green moths within two to three days.

Qi said that the new pesticide is likely to be put into mass production soon.

The scientists developed the pesticide by combining the genetic elements of two existing viruses of vegetable pests. The pesticide does no harm to the natural enemies of the vegetable pests. It is also totally harmless to man and animals. Moreover, it will not produce any residues that pollute the environment.

According to international agreements that China has signed, the country will increase the proportion of environmentally-friendly pesticides to 60 percent of the total used in the country this year.

(From People's Daily)