For every insect that can damage or destroy a food crop, there can be hundreds of others that look just like it. The ability to tell them apart quickly and accurately can be worth millions of dollars. Strawberry growers in Nova Scotia trying to deal with a destructive complex of viruses carried by aphids are already benefitting from research funded through the Genomics R&D Initiative.
Supported by the Genomics R&D Initiative, federal researchers have demonstrated how a specimen collected in the 19th century can have a 21st century application, helping to identify plant pests and pathogens quickly and accurately.