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After meeting with Dr. Grant Singleton of the International Rice ResearchInstitute in Manila, Philippines, Drs. Loretta Mayer and Cheryl Dyer ofSenesTech, Inc. will join Dr. Lyn Hinds of the Australian CommonwealthScientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and Dr. Sudarmaji ofthe Indonesian Rice Research Council (IRRC) at the field testing site of theIRRC in Sukamundi, Java. The group will initiate the first field trials of theactive ingredient in ContraPest(R). This 21st century alternative to ratpoison will be used to cause permanent reproductive failure in female ricefield rats (Rattus argentiventer).
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The environmentally neutral active ingredient in ContraPest(R) targets theovaries of female rats, and selectively destroys early-stage egg cells. Whenthese cells become inactive after exposure to ContraPest(R), they cannotmature, the animal can no longer ovulate, and the effect on rodent pestpopulations can be dramatic. These rodent pests can eat or damage up to 50% ofa rice crop in Southeast Asia. Just a 10% increase in crop yield due to lessrodent damage will result in feeding up to 380 million more people per year.
"Field testing in the agricultural environment where ContraPest(R) will beapplied is a significant step forward in our product development process,"said Everett Hale, CEO of SenesTech, Inc. "Collecting data from the ricefields on our first target species gives us the right information to designthe best product possible."
Field trials with the rice fields on Java coincide with the annual riceplanting and harvesting cycles. SenesTech, Inc. and its partners are planningmore field testing in March and April 2009.
For additional information contact Everett Hale at [email protected] orvisit http://www.SenesTech.com. ContraPest(TM) is projected to be availablefor commercial use in the spring of 2010.
ABOUT:(SenesTech, Inc.) SenesTech is a platform technology companylocated in Flagstaff, Arizona specializing in fertility control products forcompanion animals and wildlife population control.
SOURCE SenesTech, Inc.
