Sustainability

Life

Bacteria

Biological fight

Some insects, fungi and protozoa are the most important organisms that can damage man and man’s activities. Nevertheless, even harmful organisms can be affected by diseases, many of which are transmitted by bacteria. These bacteria can be used to get rid of those organisms that can damage farming, forests, animals’ and man’s health. The Bacillus thuringensis, for instance, is a bacterium used in agriculture and forestry to fight the grubs of many butterflies, which are responsible for the destruction of the foliage. A watery solution containing these bacteria is sprayed onto the plants. As they eat the leaves, the grubs become infected with these bacteria and die in a few hours. These organic fighting techniques are very selective, since the bacteria used in these methods attack harmful organisms only.