Location: Innovative Fruit Production, Improvement, and Protection
Project Number: 8080-21000-032-049-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2024
End Date: Aug 31, 2025
Objective:
The main objectives of this work are to suppress populations of both invasive species to increase ecosystem health, reduce insecticide inputs against Spotted Lanternfly (SLF) in vineyards and mitigate yield losses, and alleviate impacts on native pollinators and plant species.
Approach:
ARS will: 1) deliver Verticillium nonalfalfae (VNA) to Tree of Heaven (TOH) under field conditions and document potential spread of VNA by SLF; 2) deliver promising commercially available entomopathogens, Beauveria bassiana and entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) to suppress SLF in the field; and 3) Conduct field-based evaluation of complementary biological control agents against TOH and SLF at an Areawide scale.
