Human vs. Predator: Fighting the Cabbage Maggot and Saving Our Mustards

By Loay Jabre
Backed by Cindy Wu and Amy Collette
Acadia University
Canada
Biology
$10
Raised of $2,000 Goal
1%
Ended on 11/09/14
Campaign Ended
  • $10
    pledged
  • 1%
    funded
  • Finished
    on 11/09/14

About This Project

The cabbage maggot, a fly named so after its destructive larvae, causes millions of dollars worth of damage to crops annually. Our lab has the necessary tools to study it and find a solution to the problem, but we need your help to put those tools to use!

Ask the Scientists

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What is the context of this research?

In 1962, Carson's 'Silent Spring' brought awareness to the devastating effects of pesticides on the environment. Lots of research has been conducted since then, but we still use insane amounts of insecticides to sustain our food industry. The cabbage maggot is a serious agricultural pest; affecting mustard (Brassica) crops, including canola, cabbage, broccoli, just to name a few. The most effective way to fight this pest today is to use chlorine based insecticides, which aside from being environmentally detrimental, can cause human human health issues. The Hillier Lab, where I am completing my degree, specializes in insect olfactory behaviour to find eco-friendly alternatives to pesticides. My project focuses on using natural plant odors to help control the cabbage maggot!

What is the significance of this project?

The next time you bite into a piece of broccoli, a cabbage roll, or anything that has been prepared with canola oil (this list is endless really), I want you to think about the millions of beneficial insects that were killed, the polluted water table, and the genetic mutations that have been caused just to produce your food. I don't mean to romanticize, but the problem is as serious as it sounds. We simply cannot continue to use insecticides against the cabbage maggot (or any other insect), but at the moment, there is no sustainable, insecticide free industry (large scale) for the crops I mentioned. Farmers, consumers, the water table, and countless species of insects, plants and animals will benefit immensely from reducing or completely eliminating the use of insecticides.

What are the goals of the project?

The main goal of this project is to use naturally produced plant odors to combat the cabbage maggot. This will be achieved in 3 main stages:

  1. Isolate and identify odor compounds produced by Brassica plants (cabbage, turnip etc.)
  2. Determine which of these compounds the fly 'smells' and is attracted to.
  3. Determine how effective the 'attractive compounds' are in field conditions by using them in combination with different trap types.
This is where we need your help! The field sites for this experiment are in Newfoundland, a plane ride away from Nova Scotia (where our lab is set up). Transportation of personnel and materials between the two sites is costly, but is a crucial part of this project!

Budget

Donations will be used to purchase three (3) needed round-trip plane tickets from Nova Scotia (NS) to Newfoundland (NL) and to ship field materials back and forth. The trips will ensure access to field sites during field season in NL to test traps, and will ensure sufficient access to needed laboratory equipment for testing fly responses to extracted plant odors in NS.

Meet the Team

Loay Jabre
Loay Jabre

Team Bio

I am driven by desire to learn and problem solve. I completed an associate degree in natural sciences in the Virgin Islands, then I moved to Canada and did an Honors thesis in botany, studying the effects of fungal endophytes on white spruce. I got hooked on insects and insect chemical ecology after taking an entomology course, so I enrolled in a two-year masters program to study just that. I am also a firefighter and an excellent cook!

I also want to use this space to thank everyone who contributed to this study! Your help is greatly, greatly appreciated. Please feel free to message me if you'd like to chat more about the project!

Lab Notes

Nothing posted yet.

Press and Media






Additional Information

Field site in Newfoundland


Cabbage maggot (female adult), connected to an electroantennogram AKA EAG (with pictures of the electroantennogram rig). EAGs are used to detect nerve signals sent from the antenna (the insect's nose) to its brain. If an insect can smell a compound, the antenna will send a signal to the brain. By detecting these signals, we know if an insect is smelling or not!


A trap type with a yellow sticky cardboard that 'catches' insects. The vial contains a naturally produced compound that is thought to be attractive to the cabbage maggot.

Project Backers

  • 2Backers
  • 1%Funded
  • $10Total Donations
  • $5.00Average Donation