Research
The goals of our applied research program are to:
Develop effective, economical, and environmentally sound pest management strategies to minimize the impact of arthropod pests in fruit production.
Determine the importance of pollinators for fruit crop pollination and develop strategies for their conservation in and around farm land.
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Beneficial insect conservation with flowering plants: In collaboration with the Landis Lab, we have tested native Michigan wildflowers for their ability to support natural enemies and pollinators. The most effective of these have been established at blueberry farms where Brett Blaauw is evaluating whether they increase abundance of bees and natural enemies in adjacent fields, and whether this translates into reduced pest abundance and/or improved pollination. Julianna Tuell has been investigating the importance of landscape context for the success, or failure, of habitat manipulation to increase pollinator abundance. This project is also measuring the Arthropod Mediated Ecosystem Services provided across landscape and manipulation treatments. A successful outreach program for farmers and gardeners has been developed, with materials available at nativeplants.msu.edu |
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Insecticides and their effect on biological control: New selective insecticides provide opportunities for controlling pests while increasing survival of natural enemies (and also reducing risk to humans and the environment). However, many of these products have sub-lethal effects on natural enemies. Laboratory and semi-field bioassays in collaboration with John Wise at the Trevor Nichols Research Complex are testing the safety of new insecticides to these beneficial insects, and their performance on insect pests. For more information contact Dr. Isaacs.
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Pest phenology and prediction: There is limited information on the phenology of insect pests in berry crops, so we are working to develop and validate phenology models and then implement them as part of IPM programs. Ongoing studies by Steve Van Timmeren and Keith Mason are developing the information to enable more accurate pest prediction and timing of insecticide applications. This research has demonstrated improved control of key insect pests of vineyards (grape berry moth, left) and blueberries (cranberry fruitworm) using phenology-driven spray timings. Results are being integrated into the www.enviroweather.msu.edu web-based weather system. |
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Mating disruption: Grape berry moth is the key pest of vineyards east of the Rockies, and is the target of most of the insecticides applied to this crop. Keith Mason and Luis Teixeira have worked to develop a mating disruption tactic for vineyards that enables rapid delivery of pheromone to large areas, with the aim of reducing the need for insecticide (Teixeira et al. 2010). Our previous small plot experiments using ISCA Technologies' SPLAT-GBM are being followed this year by commercial scale trials funded by USDA’s SBIR and PMAP programs. Pheromone delivery is through our SPLAT-o-Gator applicator (left), allowing significant savings in terms of time, labor, and fuel.
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Native bees and blueberry pollination: Bee-mediated pollination is critical to the blueberry industry, and most growers depend on honey bees to provide this service. The long-term availability of this pollinator is in question, and so we have studied the community ecology of native bees in this system. Of the >170 species identified in blueberry fields, a few species dominate and have high fidelity to Vaccinium flowers as reported by Tuell et al. (2009). We aim to understand the ecological requirements of these species with the long-term goal of enhancing the abundance of native bees during bloom. This conservation approach will provide blueberry producers with ‘insurance’ against the potential loss of honey bees or against poor spring weather conditions.
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Interaction between cultural controls and natural enemies: Cranberry fruitworm, blueberry maggot, and Japanese beetle are all devastating pests of blueberry that spend part of their life cycle in the ground. A single insect in harvested fruit can result in rejection of entire loads by a processor or buyer. This zero-tolerance drives intensive pest management programs, but ants and carabids are significant predators that contribute to suppression of these pests. The effect of cultural practices such as mulching and tillage on biological control of key pests is being investigated in blueberry fields. For more information contact Dr. Isaacs.
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Alternative managed pollinators: Commercially-reared bumble bees can provide an additional source of pollination, but the economic value of this alternative pollinator is not well understood. Julianna Tuell explored the utility of bumble bee colonies as alternatives to honeybees, and is also investigating their foraging range. Using direct marking of bumble bees (right), she was able to determine the distance flown to blueberry fields by individual bees and the active range of colonies. Future research by Annie Kirk will explore the relative contributions of bumble bees and honeybees to blueberry pollination, and optimal strategies for combining these pollinators for optimizing yield.
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