Conservation biological control of slugs in reduced-till corn and soybean systems
Slugs are a frequent early season pest of no-till corn and soybean in the Mid-Atlantic. We are currently identifying natural enemies of slugs, focusing on ground beetles and mollusk-parasitic nematodes. With this knowledge, we hope to find ways that farms can promote natural suppression of slugs.
Management of lesser mealworm (Alphitobius diaperinus) in poultry systems
The lesser mealworm, Alphitobius diaperinus, is a common pest of the poultry industry that impacts broiler and layer houses. We are interested in understanding how A. diaperinus moves on both an individual scale within houses and on a population scale between houses and farms. Using this information, we hope to improve management techniques used to control populations of A. diaperinus and limit their movement to protect the biosecurity of poultry production.
Waste upcycling with black soldier fly and lesser mealworm
Insects hold the potential to bridge the widening nutrient gap between food system waste and a growing human population. Alphitobius diaperinus (lesser mealworm/darkling beetle), a common pest of poultry and stored grains, is increasingly being recognized as a potential waste upcycler. Lesser mealworms thrive in huge numbers on little food, water, and space, but optimal rearing conditions have yet to be determined. We are interested in the ability of A. diaperinus to upcycle poultry manure into biomass that could then be consumed by other animals. Larva are being reared on poultry feed and poultry litter to compare mass, length, survival, and feed conversion. Our results will determine whether A. diaperinus can efficiently reduce poultry litter while converting it to nutritious biomass of animal feed.
Concurrently, we strive to make waste upcycling with a more widely-recognized insect, black soldier fly, more accessible to businesses, organizations, and households. We are collected food waste from a local brewery, restaurant, and campus dining hall and feeding it to black soldier fly larvae on our research farm. We are evaluating use of the resulting prepupae as feed for wild birds, poultry, and fish, as well as monitoring wildlife that interact with the upcycling bins.
Computer vision-based monitoring of specialty crop pests
Effective management often depends on early detection and continuous monitoring of pests. We seek to develop computer vision-based tools to improve monitoring of pests in specialty crop (lima bean, mushroom, watermelon) systems.
Forecasting pest incursions into crop fields
We are leveraging long-term, regional monitoring networks to generate site- and pest-specific forecasts of the timing of pest incursions into key crops.
