Battling bugs
Pests and diseases are a farmer's nightmare. But what's the best way to keep them at bay?
Instead of spraying crops with pesticides and fungicides, scientists in Peru are testing a cheap and safe alternative. They've released chickens into the local potato fields to eat up the Andean potato weevils – a notoriously damaging pest.
This method saves farmers money and time, and reduces the potential hazards of handling powerful chemicals.
Raph says: 'It sounds sensible to me to minimise nasty chemicals in the environment and use natural control methods instead.'