India's natural pest control programme spearheaded by Virginia Tech researchers has saved 309 million dollars in its very first year.
Rangaswamy "Muni" Muniappan of Virginia Tech identified the papaya mealybug, which ripped through crops, including papaya, eggplant, and tomato in southern India, causing mold and stunted growth, the Verge reports.
This pest could have caused devastation totaling from 524 million dollars to 1.34 billion dollars over five years wreaking havoc on farmers and consumers in India without scientists' intervention, the report added.
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