Project Overview

Reports

Commodities

• Additional Plants: ornamentals, trees

• Fruits: apples, peaches

• Nuts: pecans

Target Pests

• Target Pests: Ambrosia beetles

Practices

• Pest Management: decision support system, forecasting, monitoring/scouting, pesticide application timing, prevention

• Crop Production: nurseries

• Production Systems: agroecosystems

This is a Continuing Working Group that will address the issues caused by polyphagous wood-boring ambrosia beetles to ornamental tree nursery, tree fruit and tree nut systems in the Eastern and Southern US. Prior to the formation of the initial Working Group, many researchers and Extension specialists have worked on this problem in their respective systems and for their stakeholder groups; thus we recognized the need to have a systematic and collaborative effort to tackle the threat of these beetles on the impacted commodities in these regions. This proposal will continue and expand the initial objectives brought forth by the Working Group which essentially bring together researchers, Extension specialists and Extension agents working across the three affected production systems in the Eastern and Southern US states with the main goals of understanding ambrosia beetle biology and ecology, finding sustainable management options and extending research-based information to stakeholders. In line with these overarching goals, this year, we will do the following: (1) organize a planning meeting mainly to develop a multi-disciplinary and multi-state research proposal to be submitted to the USDA-Specialty Crop Research Initiative Program, (2) organize a symposium on ambrosia beetle research at the 2020 Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting, (3) conduct multi-production system and multi-state surveys to assess the economic impacts of these beetles on affected stakeholders and (4) facilitate a collaborative Extension program on polyphagous ambrosia beetles which would include production of Extension materials for growers and various stakeholders (e.g., researchers, Extension agents and IPM advisors), and developing an early alert system for ambrosia beetle activity in the Eastern and Southern US. We anticipate that successfully implementing our proposed objectives will ensure a comprehensive approach to solving ambrosia beetle problems, which will potentially lead to developing sustainable pest management strategies, and ultimately, offer economic benefits for growers and consumers.

(1) Organize a planning meeting to develop a collaborative, multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional research proposal covering the biology, behavior and management of polyphagous ambrosia beetles in ornamental nurseries, tree fruit and tree nut systems for USDA-SCRI Program

(2) Organize and facilitate a symposium on ambrosia beetle research during the 2020 Entomological Society of America Annual Meeting in Orlando, FL

(3) Conduct a needs assessment survey across the three production systems in various states in the Eastern and Southern US

(4) Facilitate a collaborative Extension program on polyphagous ambrosia beetles which would include production of Extension materials for growers and various stakeholders (e.g., researchers, Extension agents and IPM advisors), and developing an early alert system for ambrosia beetle activity in the Eastern and Southern US.