What these two scientists are independently trying to do with the plant in question, Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium, commonly known as pyrethrum, is to eventually grow large enough quantities of this natural insecticide-producer--at least 10,000 pounds per year--to create a viable American crop amenable to mechanical harvesting. While America uses 75 percent of the world's supply of pyrethrum, U.S. farmers grow it only in experimental, low-yielding plots. Today East African farmers provide 85 percent of the pyrethrum to the world market, most of it harvested by hand-picking. The rest comes from South America, Australia, and New Guinea.
The pyrethrum plant is a long-stemmed perennial producing yellow, daisylike flowers that bloom from spring to summer. The source of the plant's insecticide, pyrethrin, is dried seeds located under the flower's button. Currently, pyrethrin is extracted from the dried flowers with petroleum-based solvents. Many people think that the flower originated in the Middle East. Centuries ...
