Current Research Projects
We conduct applied research dedicated to the study of pest and beneficial arthropods associated with temperate tree fruit cropping systems. We harness the tools of chemical and behavioral ecology, developmental and environmental modeling, landscape ecology, and plant-insect interactions to better understand arthropod communities and population dynamics in the context of climate change and invasive species in the Great Lakes region.
Spotted-wing drosophila (SWD) is the number one insect pest issue for cherry growers. Active research around the management of SWD includes: 1) the development of RNAi-based attract and kill methods and 2) studies involving parasitoids of SWD. Starting in 2022, we bagan working with the samba wasp and have been mass-rearing and releasing this specialist parasitoid of SWD near cherry and blueberry sites in collaboration with the Isaacs Lab.
The most important non-insecticidal strategy for managing woolly apple aphid worldwide has been through the breeding of resistant rootstocks. A new ecotype of woolly apple aphid has been discovered in the Netherlands that has overcome this resistance. As part of a collaborative project led by UC Riverside, with Washington State Univ., Penn State, USDA-ARS Geneva, NY, and Wageningen Univ., we will sample woolly apple aphid populations in Michigan associated with different scions and rootstocks to determine whether resistance genes may be found here as well. Funded by USDA SCRI SREP.
Shallow-rooted non-native grasses are typically planted in between orchard rows to prevent soil erosion and provide traction. The goal of this project is to compare three different deep-rooted native grass mixes as potential substitutes to provide the same functions with the additional benefits of increasing soil carbon sequestration, improving soil health, and decreasing soil compaction. We will be evaluating the economics of this production practice in the context of local and global carbon markets. Grass mixes were sown into an established orchard at CRC and in a new commercial orchard near Bear Lake, MI in spring 2021. We are also interested in cascading effects on above and below ground biodiversity. Seed funding has been provided by Nestle-Gerber via MTFC.
Climate change is resulting in extended growing seasons and erratic weather that can make it more difficult to predict key life stages, which makes it more difficult to time interventions. This project will compare nearly two decades of historical data collected on crop and orchard pest phenologies with current trends to develop and/or improve forecasting models. Improved models are the key to effective and sustainable pest management programs. This is in collaboration with the Einhorn Lab and MSU Enviroweather.
Borers are a difficult complex of insect pests to manage because they live much of their lives inside the trunks of their host tree. Borers generally respond to stressed or wounded trees, and so we are investigating strategies that either repel or interfere with plant host cues or mate finding in orchards.