Location: Subtropical Horticulture Research
Project Number: 6038-22000-007-014-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2023
End Date: Aug 31, 2028
Objective:
The objective of this cooperative research agreement is to develop integrated pest management (IPM) strategies for invasive pests that threaten US subtropical agriculture, including fruit crops, and ornamental plants. Targets include pests that threaten to invade or have established in south Florida such as, but not limited to, tephritid fruit flies, thrips, mites, scales, weevils, and ambrosia beetles that vector plant pathogens.
Approach:
IPM components will be evaluated to develop or improve methods for early detection, population delimitation and monitoring, behavioral disruption, and management of invasive species. Strategies will include development of chemical ecology tools (food- and host-based attractants, repellents), use of biological control agents (natural enemies, entomopathogens), evaluation of alternative low risk pesticides (essential oils high in insecticidal terpenoids), and identification of approaches to reduce pesticide resistance. Multidisciplinary research will be conducted, and may include laboratory bioassays, electrophysiology experiments, toxicology experiments, chemical analyses of bioactive substrates, and field trials, as appropriate for each target species and IPM component.
