Program Leader: Josephine Antwi, Irrigated Crop Entomology Specialist
Research in the Irrigated Crop Entomology program is based on applied ecology to address pest management questions through insect-plant-microbial interactions, insect molecular ecology, and the role that the environment plays on these interactions. Current research studies focus on major and emerging insect pests of potatoes, onion, and sweet corn.
Current Research
- Developing alternative control methods including entomopathogenic fungi, to manage insect pests on vegetables.
- Developing conventional insecticide programs for field crop insect pests on vegetables.
- Understanding insect vector pathogen transmission in potato.
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Area-wide (Umatilla and Morrow Counties) monitoring of major potato pests on commercial potato fields in eastern Oregon. Insect pests include in this project are: potato aphid (Macrosiphum euphorbiae), green peach aphid (Myzus persicae), potato tuber moth (Phthorimaea operculella), beet leafhopper (Circulifer tenellus), potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli), and Lygus bugs.
- Weekly data from this study is shared in the Crop Update Newsletter. There's also an interactive map available here.
Current Extension Activities
- Insect identification workshops
- Field Days
- Grower meetings and site visits
- Commodity conferences.
Colorado potato beetle on potato and infected with a parasite, which is either leaving or
entering the beetle. Photo by Alex "Scott" Kremer.
Research Collaborators
- Washington State University
- University of Idaho
- USDA-ARS in Wapato, Washington
- RDO Farms
- AgriNorthwest Farms
- Schreiber Farms
- Oregon Potato Commission
- PNW Potato Reserach Consortium