Crop Protection, GMO's & Managing Insect Ecosystems with Entomologist Dr. Suhas Vyavhare
02 March 2026

Crop Protection, GMO's & Managing Insect Ecosystems with Entomologist Dr. Suhas Vyavhare

Wylie AgCast

About

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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Thanks For Watching!

#agriculture #cotton #entomology #WylieAgCast