Crop Protection, GMO's & Managing Insect Ecosystems with Entomologist Dr. Suhas Vyavhare
Wylie AgCast
Welcome to the Wylie AgCast!!
In this episode of the Wylie AgCast, I sat down with Dr. Suhas Vyavhare, Extension Entomologist with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension based in Lubbock, Texas. From growing up around agriculture in India to serving producers across West Texas, Dr. Vyavhare brings a global perspective to one of agriculture's most misunderstood forces — insects.
In this conversation, we break down what an Extension Entomologist actually does, the battle between beneficial and destructive insects, and how entomologists act as ecosystem managers in cotton and row crop environments.
We dive into GMOs, gene editing, biologicals, pesticide chemistry, invasive species, and why extinction is not the solution when it comes to population control. We also explore current AgriLife research, risk mitigation for producers, and how better margins, not just better yields, shape modern agriculture.
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
01:09 - What Does an Extension Entomologist Actually Do?
01:30 - From Farming in India to West Texas Fields: Suhas' Journey
03:25 - Entomology 101: How Bugs Shape Agriculture
05:13 - Good Bugs vs. Bad Bugs: Why We Actually NEED Insects
07:29 - Insecticides & Pesticides Explained
09:00 - Climate Change Invasions & How Entomologists Control Ecosystems
12:26 - Cotton Flea-hoppers, Bollworms & Row Crop Battles
14:20 - Population Control: Why Extinction Isn't the Answer
16:45 - GMOs, Gene Editing & Seedless Watermelons: What You Should Know
26:06 - Inside the Lubbock AgriLife Research Projects
27:50 - Wild Cotton & Perennials: Why Human Intervention Matters
32:00 - Biologicals, Organic Farming & Why Conventional Still Matters
36:28 - Texas A&M AgriLife: The Hidden Powerhouse Behind Ag Research
41:28 - Better Margins, Not Just Bigger Yields: Managing Risk in Agriculture
43:32 - Learning & Pursuing a career in Entomology
44:20 - Water Minerals, Field Research & The Future of A.I. in Ag
48:54 - Final Thoughts & Outro
Follow Dr. Suhas Vyavhare:
Website - https://entomology.tamu.edu/people/vyavhare-suhas/
X - https://x.com/Dr_Suhas77?s=20
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/suhas-vyavhare-613a4453/
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#agriculture #cotton #entomology #WylieAgCast