Dr. David Ragsdale presents his report on the Department of Entomology's teaching and research activities.
Mike Merchant demonstrating how to improve photographing insects during the first day of the conference.
Texas AgriLife Entomologists Discuss New Research Ideas at Annual Science Conference
Research and Extension entomologists along with representatives from the Texas Department of Agriculture and USDA listened to new ideas and the latest updates from the Department of Entomology during the three-day-long Entomology Science Conference at the College Station conference center.
The morning session started with Dr. Chris Sansone’s update for the Extension Entomology program. He commended the Science Conference committee for working to put this year’s conference together and praised the Extension and Research teams for their work this year.
“You did a lot of work and I really appreciate it,” he said.
Despite the budgetary issues and downsizing, the team has done very well, he said. Sansone noted that the annual meetings, such as the conference, are examples of ways that the Extension and Research groups can collaborate and learn from each other. “This is the time to visit with each other and develop partnerships,” he said
During the IPM Update, Statewide IPM Coordinator Dr. Charles Allen said the budget is set for the year for the Extension’s IPM Program. He said federal program funding fared quite well compared to last year, but said that budgets will be tight in the upcoming years.
Department Head Dr. David Ragsdale updated the group on the Department’s teaching activities, including the growth of the Department in the past year. He was encouraged that the graduate program has grown to one of the second largest programs in the country and that the Department is recruiting high-quality students.
“This is really something to be proud of,” Ragsdale said.
Texas AgriLife Research Executive Associate Director Dr. Bill McCutchen presented on corporate relations in the AgriLife Program and how to create strong strategic partnerships between federal and state agencies and foundations and Dr. Robert Coulson updated members on the status of forestry IPM in the state. Other updates included the Texas Department of Agriculture and the US Department of Agriculture – APHIS., Dr. Roger Gold and Janet Hurley completed the morning discussing research updates at the Center for Urban and Structural Entomology and the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) respectively.
Eight of the Department's graduate students also presented their research alongside faculty during all sessions.
After lunch, most of the sessions focused on urban and ornamental issue updates, including bed bugs, landscape IPM and nursery IPM. Anthony Camerino and Paul Nester enlightened the audience on the importance of IPM in developing green roof in the Houston area. Pat Porter and Mike Merchant gave a mini-lesson on taking better photos of insects. Tips highlighted included correct shutter speed, aperture, camera selection and correct lens usage.
Wednesday’s session focused on mostly on the applied research on entomology with corn and cotton production in the state. Dr. Greg Sword, Parencia Chair for Cotton Entomology, discussed entomopathogens as endophytes for cotton pest management. Other agenda items included fleahopper management techniques and research, cotton bollworm trapping, how certain pesticides affect corn earworms and chinch bugs, and research results on the performance of miticides on corn.
The final day’s talks included entomology research updates on rice, wheat and other small grains, and sorghum production. Allen Knutson spoke to the group about Hessian fly Pheromone Trapping and Rob Duncan discussed Variety Specific Management Related to Pest Problems. Mo Way provided updates on pest issues affecting rice and soybeans, including redbanded stink bugs, rice water weevils and soybeans. Rounding out the morning sessions were presentations on various pests in sorghum grains, and a short talk from Mo Way about research projects concerning bioenergy sugar cane and the role of IPM has in protecting crops.