The diamondback moth, widely considered an agricultural pest, is found all over the world and feeds on vegetables like cabbages, broccoli, and cauliflower.

A proposal by Cornell University to release genetically engineered moths with a gene that causes them to eventually die off has been approved for a small area in upstate New York by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Researchers say the engineered insects could be a pesticide-free tool in fighting crop damage caused by the diamondback moth, an invasive species known to destroy cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli. The federal agency is giving a green light to the experiment because it says the field trial is unlikely to pose a risk to the environment or human health.

Since the 1950s, scientists have been creating sterile insects by exposing them to radiation to help reduce pest populations on farms. But if this experiment moves forward, it will be the first open-air release of genetically modified insects created with a technology other than radiation for agriculture in the U.S.

The moth trial signals a growing interest—and anxiety—around more widespread use of genetic modification in agriculture, as academic and commercial researchers move from using the technology on plants to insects.

U.K. company Oxitec, owned by biotechnology conglomerate Intrexon, is the maker of the moths. The company has designed male diamondback moths to have what it calls a “self-limiting gene.” When the males mate with females, the gene is passed on to the offspring. The gene makes female offspring die before they reach adulthood so they can’t reproduce. The idea is to shrink the population of moths in the area where the insects are released. The moths are also engineered to have a fluorescent protein marker used to track and monitor them.

The caterpillars—not adult moths—cause crop damage, so Oxitec says releasing adult male moths should not cause further crop losses.