NY Student Wins Science Prize for Model That Could Prevent Crop Damage

The right numbers can add up to a bumper crop. A New York student won a $250,000 science prize recently for his mathematical model on the spread of late blight, the plant pathogen that sparked the Irish potato famine of the 1840s. Benjamin Firester beat 1,800 seniors from nearly 600 high schools to win the top prize. As VOA Correspondent Mariama Diallo reports, his model could be used to prevent crop damage.