Grant Awarded to
Study New Biological Control Tool
A group of researchers from Penn State’s
College of Agricultural Sciences was recently awarded a three-year,
$162,000 grant through the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture,
Agriculture research program, to study a new class of biopesticides for
use in greenhouse tomato production.
Pennsylvania is among the top 5 states in
greenhouse tomato production with approximately 200 acres and production
numbers increasing each year. A serious challenge facing greenhouse tomato
producers is management of insects and mites while many of the traditional
pesticides are being phased out as part of the Food Quality Protection
Act. Increasingly, growers are turning to IPM programs.
The study proposes to evaluate the use of
certain bio-pesticides and natural enemies (predators and parasitoids),
both individually and in combination, for control of major greenhouse
pests, emphasizing control of whiteflies, spider mites and powdery mildew.
Biopesticides and natural enemies are two of the tools used in an IPM
program.
“The biopesticides, called Plant
elicitors, are natural compounds that send a message to the plant to
mobilize its defense mechanisms against pests. Biopesticides offer a
distinct advantage over traditional pesticides because they are naturally
occurring, are active at very low doses and have no direct toxicity to
natural enemies or other non-target organisms,” says Cathy Thomas,
senior extension associate in the Department of Entomology at Penn State
and a leader of the project.
The researchers will focus on four
EPA-registered elicitors used in greenhouse tomato production. Thomas says
they are hoping the results will be adaptable to other greenhouse
ornamental and vegetable crops, and even field crops.
Phase I of the project will take place in a
greenhouse at the Penn State University Park campus and will involve
inoculating plants with white flies or spider mites to screen elicitors
for effectiveness in controlling key pests in a greenhouse setting.
Phase II of the project will evaluate the
most effective combination of elicitors and biocontrol agents for their
ability to control natural occurring infestations in greenhouses.
Co-project leaders Kelli Hoover, assistant professor and Gary Felton,
professor and head of Penn State’s Department of Entomology, will be
overseeing these phases of the project.
In the final phase, the ability of the
biopesticides will be evaluated in a commercial greenhouse setting at
Mertz Greenhouses in Northumberland, Pa. “We’ll be introducing new
technology in a real-world setting, and the fruit that the project yields
can be sold as pesticide-free,” says Thomas. She will be overseeing the
biological control aspect of the project at Mertz Greenhouses.
In addition, Felton will lend his expertise
on resistance and interactions. “Fifteen years ago very little was known
about plant elicitors,” Felton explains. “Great strides have been made
in the field and now elicitors are available commercially to growers at
comparable costs to traditional pesticides.” Felton says that while the
field is lacking clear demonstrations in the field and greenhouses, there
is great potential for plant elicitors. “The biggest advantage is that
plant elicitors are non-toxic, natural products, and the amounts needed to
control insect pests are pretty low.”
To find out more about plant elicitors,
contact Penn State’s Department of Entomology at (814) 865-1895.
