Listening for Pests

     (SFX:heartbeat)

     STETHOSCOPES DO A GREAT JOB LISTENING TO A BEATING HEART. BUT THE
DOCTOR'S TOOL IS NOW FINDING A PLACE OUT ON THE FARM, TOO, BY EXAMINING
CROPS FOR INFESTATIONS OF INSECTS. ROBERT HICKLING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF
MISSISSIPPI IS PUTTING STETHOSCOPES TO USE IN A NEW DETECTOR FOR
AGRICULTURAL PESTS. HIS FIRST TARGET IS THE PINK BOLLWORM, A SERIOUS PEST IN
THE SOUTHWEST THAT CAN DESTROY A WHOLE FIELD OF COTTON IF LEFT UNCHECKED. 
HICKLING'S DETECTOR LISTENS TO COTTON BOLLS TO SEE IF THERE ARE INSECTS
INSIDE.  

     Hickling: "We've constucted a box within a box and. . . within this very quiet environment we
have a very sensitive microphone which is inside a stethoscope head.  That device is then place against the
cotton boll and you just listen to what's going on inside." 
     
     (SFX: sound of bollworms, fade under)

     AND WHAT'S GOING ON INSIDE IS NOISY.  THAT'S THE SOUND OF SOME 50 PINK
BOLLWORMS, AMPLIFIED MANY MANY TIMES, AS THEY EAT AND CRAWL THEIR WAY
THROUGH A BOX-FULL OF COTTON BOLLS.  TO MAKE SURE THAT NEW FIELDS DON'T
GET PLANTED WITH INFECTED SEED, THE COTTON CROP MUST BE CHECKED FOR THE
PROBLEM WORM. CURRENTLY FARM WORKERS HAVE TO CUT OPEN INDIVIDUAL BOLLS
AND POKE AROUND LOOKING FOR WORMS--A TEDIOUS AND DIFFICULT PROCESS, SINCE
BOLLWORMS ARE HARD TO SEE WITH THE NAKED EYE. BUT EVEN ONE LONE
BOLLWORM (sfx: sound of one bollworm) CAN BE HEARD IN HICKLING'S ACOUSTIC
DETECTOR. HE SAYS:

     Hickling: "We can detect the insect. . . in a few seconds, whereas if you cut and search the boll it
takes 45 seconds or a minute to do a proper search."(#180:10 s)

     SUCH A SPEEDY METHOD COULD BE ADAPTED TO FIND BUGS IN FRUITS AND
GRAINS AS WELL, TO FIGHT AGAINST THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF CROPS THAT THE
U.S. LOSES TO PESTS EACH YEAR. WITH SUCH MONEY AT STAKE, HICKLING'S LISTENING
DEVICE SOUNDS GOOD TO EVERYONE.