The devastating effect of the bugs' appetite became apparent to farmers in 2010 when swarms destroyed fruit crops across several states in the mid-Atlantic region.
It was also a bad year for insects, with knock-on impacts for fruit and crops which they pollinate.
If the prices of vegetables, fruit and other crops are more flexible than other prices, food inflation may be an early warning of an overheating economy.
Although it is true that drought-resistant seeds will be needed as will low-chill fruit trees and root crops they are not likely to come from genetic engineering.
In industrialised nations, such as the US and in Europe, many farms employ the services of commercial hives to pollinate fruit trees and food crops, and ensure they harvest adequate yields.
Money has also been spent on persuading poppy farmers to grow alternative crops, like fruit trees or saffron.
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It specializes in so-called nonrow agricultural chemicals--herbicides and pesticides for fruit and nut trees instead of crops like corn grown in rows.
"Major supermarkets, in meeting consumer expectations, will often reject entire crops of perfectly edible fruit and vegetables at the farm because they do not meet exacting marketing standards for their physical characteristics, such as size and appearance, " the study said.
Farmers are clubbing together to buy tractors and produce more cash crops, such as soft fruit and tobacco.
In Puebla, officials are encouraging farmers to switch from maize and coffee to higher-value crops, such as bamboo and fruit.
"We've had crops left on the vine or fruit left on the tree because of a shortage of workers, " Norton said.
Great swathes of farmland in northern China devoted to growing wheat will over time shift to high-value crops, such as vegetables and fruit.
Those that have done best are now moving away from staple crops to higher-value things such as flowers and fruit.
The teaching of science stimulates the local economy as farmers become more likely to try out new crops, such as different types of vegetables, or fruit for export.
But some of the crops are destroyed and most of the peach trees are left with no fruit on them.
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