Progress 05/15/23 to 05/14/24
Outputs
Target Audience:We targeted several stakeholders which include students, extension agents, universities, scientific community, industrial hemp producers (small and large scale), chemical companies (insecticides, miticides, biorational compounds etc.), USDA, ARS/APHIS, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumers Services (FDACS), pharmaceutical companies, Food and Drug Administration, medical professionals, health professionals, food, feed, fiber, public at large, pest control industry, state and federal agencies, fungal producing companies, Environmental Protection Agencies, beneficial insect producing companies, and other stakeholders. Changes/Problems:No changes are needed at this time. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Students who participated in these research projects have many opportunities for training and professional development. Each undergraduate student is required to carry out mini-research activities that were conducted in our laboratory or in laboratories of our collaborators. These research activities led to oral and poster presentations at professional meetings. In addition, each student had a faculty and a graduate student as mentors to evaluate and guide the students' projects. Graduate students received training and conducted research towards the MS degree program. In addition to the mini-research projects, we have developed seminar series every semester and featured guest speakers in entomological sciences and entrepreneurship that the students must attend. Furthermore, the undergraduate students receiving a stipend from this project were required to serve on the Student Ambassadors Club of the college and participate in the Cultivating Undergraduate Research Scholars (CURS) Program in the College of Agriculture and Food Sciences (CAFS). They also were strongly encouraged to serve as members of professional organizations (FES, ESA, etc.) and to register for the Florida A&M University (FAMU) Career Development Pathways. The FAMU REC in Quincy (where the field trials were conducted) served as a demonstration/model farm where the technology was transferred to stakeholders. The stakeholders and clientele participated each year in the "Alternative Crop Enterprise Workshop" with a view to enhancing their knowledge, skills, and abilities to correctly identify, monitor, and manage hemp insect pests. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The project accomplishments were disseminated through a variety of avenues, including websites, newsletters, seminars, professional meetings, workshops, and special reports. The dissemination process interlinks with the cooperative extension program located in CAFS and the public relation service of FAMU. Additional avenues include extension bulletins, brochures; seminars; workshops; special reports of CAFS; and the CBC's Newsletters. Scientific findings are reported in referred journals (Journal of Education and Practice, Florida Entomologist, Journal of Agriculture, Journal of Environmental Entomology etc.). A web page for the project is being developed to bring more public awareness to the project and serve as an additional venue where participants at workshops can register and provide feedback. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will continue the following activities (a) field implementation of biologically based IPM management of major pests of industrial hemp, (b) assessment of cost effectiveness of the IPM strategies, (c) collection and identification of pest species of concern to industrial hemp producers as well as beneficial species, and (d) student and stakeholders' experiential learning. We will continue to engage students and other stakeholders through public events and social media. Use virtual platforms to create interactive content to disseminate information and engage prospective students. We will continue to strengthen our partnerships with USDA-ARS, USDA-APHIS, FDACS, and the Florida Pest Management Association and maximize the relationship between CAFS, and other STEM colleges at the University. These strong cooperative linkages will continue to serve as useful and reliable foundations for future ventures. We will develop high-definition (Lucid keys) insect and mite images and spreadsheets to provide support to extension and outreach. We will continue to present research findings at scientific meetings to support stakeholders and clientele.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1. Development of Biologically Based Integrated Pest Management for Key Pests in Industrial Hemp Production. We designed six experimental plots and established drip irrigation in the plots. The industrial hemp seeds were sown in the greenhouse until the seedlings bear 4 leaves, they were then transferred in pot soils and held in high tunnels for a couple of weeks before they were transplanted in the fields. We used perimeter cropping consisting of a single row of 3 trap crops (marigold, bidens, and basil) followed by 3 refuge crops (sunflower, sorghum, and sweet alyssum) alternately and planted surrounding the main crop. Our monitoring and scouting data did not indicate the presence of high pest populations; thus, we did not conduct any inoculative released of natural enemies for this growing season. All insects collected during the samplings were brought to the laboratory for identification as described below. Objective 2. Benefit-Cost and Cost-effectiveness Analyses for Biologically Based IPM for Industrial Hemp Production. We collected information on any costs associated with the implementation of the industrial hemp field trials to develop a 5- year investment plan using market data and a price-cost time-trend model to forecast future prices and costs of hemp production. Our input includes (fertilizer, Top shade, electricity, seed, plastic mulch, drip irrigation systems, other consumable materials, labor, etc.) amounted to $29, 613 for this year. The average cost of hemp production of our collaborators ranged from $20,000 to $100,000 with some costs being variable based on the size and scope of the operation. Objective 3. Survey and Identifications of Pest Species of Concern to Industrial Hemp Production in Florida The insect pest species collected in our experimental plots include tobacco budworm, Cloridea virescens (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), flea beetle, Altica sp. (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae), lygus bug (Hemiptera: Miridae), grasshopper, Schistocera sp (Orthoptera: Acrididae), fungus gnats, Bradysa sp (Diptera: Sciaridae), leaf miner, Liriomyza sp. (Diptera: Agromyzidae), and Aphis sp. (Hemiptera: Aphididae). We also found sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), brown stink bug, Euschistus servus (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), leaf-footed bug, Leptoglossus phyllopus (Hemiptera: Coreidae), red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), thrips, Thrips tabaci (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) and two spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae (Acarina: Tetranychidae). The biological control agents include Trissolcus basalis (Diptera: Tachnidae) on N. viridula; minute pirate bug, Orius insidiosus feeds on aphids, mites, and whiteflies; green lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea feeds on aphids, and Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinelidae) feeds on aphids and whiteflies. We also found some spiders feeding on hemp pests, and a predatory mite, Phytoseiulus persimilis (Acarina: Phytoseiidae) in our experimental plots. In terms of diseases, we found powdery mildew, Botryti and new Leaf Spot Fungus - Bipolaris spp. fungus. Septoria leaf spot is the most common disease found in our experimental plots. This fungal leaf disease can rapidly spread throughout the fields during periods of extensive rain or high humidity. Objective 4. Development of e-learning Certificate Program and Experiential Learning for Students, Workshops, and Hands-on Training for Stakeholders In addition to the online course "ENY 2006 Global Integrated Pest Management" which includes case studies on industrial hemp Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for use in E-learning certification program. We offered the course ENY 4907 "Special Research Problems" each semester which allowed undergraduate students to carry out mini-research projects on hemp IPM. This initiative has been very popular on FAMU campus in such each semester 5-10 students from the Department of Biology and the College of Pharmacy gained knowledge and research skills through hands-on training for used in future endeavors. The students were supervised by a faculty, a postdoctoral fellow, or graduate student mentors during these experiential learning activities as described above. These students generated results from their mini-research projects and gave oral and poster presentations. The mini-research projects include (a) assessing the efficacy of trap and refuge crops in hemp cropping systems, (b) sampling methods of pest species on industrial hemp production, and (c) collection and identification of pest species on industrial hemp. We also provided summer camp activities for high school students. This initiative exposed 10-15 participants to pest management strategies (digital pest identification, biological control etc.) during two weeks between June and July. Participants created their own insect collection boxes, explored careers in entomology and investigated edible insects. In addition, a graduate student is conducting his research activities towards the fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Science (MS) degree in entomology. The title of his research is "Microbial Control of Key Pests of Industrial Hemp."
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Other
Year Published:
2024
Citation:
Bramwell G., and L. H. B. Kanga. 2024. Development of a Biological-Based Integrated Pest Management Strategies for Key Pests on Industrial Hemp (Cannabis Sativa L) Production in Florida., held in Tallahassee, Florida.
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Progress 05/15/22 to 05/14/23
Outputs
Target Audience:We targeted several stakeholders which include industrial hemp producers (small and large scale), chemical companies (insecticides, miticides, biorational compounds etc.), USDA, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumers Services (FDACS), pharmaceutical companies, Food and Drug Administration, medical professionals, health professionals, food, feed, fiber, public at large, pest control industry, state and federal agencies, fungal producing companies, Environmental Protection Agencies, beneficial insect producing companies, universities, scientific community, students, extension agents and other stakeholders. Changes/Problems:No changes are needed at this time. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Several undergraduate and graduate students who participated in these research projects have many opportunities for training and professional development. Each undergraduate student who is granted stipends under this project is required to carry out mini-research activities that were conducted in our laboratory or in laboratories of our collaborators. These research activities led to oral and poster presentations at professional meetings. In addition, each student had a faculty and a graduate student as mentors to evaluate and guide the students' projects. Graduate students received training and conducted research towards the MS degree program. A career development seminar series was given every three months and featured guest speakers in entomological sciences and entrepreneurship that the students must attend. Furthermore, the undergraduate students were required to serve on the Student Ambassadors Club of the college and participate in the Cultivating Undergraduate Research Scholars (CURS) Program in the College of Agriculture and Food Sciences (CAFS). They also were strongly encouraged to serve as members of professional organizations (FES, ESA, etc.) and to register for the Florida A&M University (FAMU) Career Development Pathways. The project developed a certification program using an e-learning platform coupled with experiential and hands-on training for farmers, students, and other stakeholders. The FAMU REC in Quincy (where the field trials were conducted) served as a demonstration/model farm where the technology was transferred to stakeholders. The stakeholders and clientele have participated in the "Alternative Crop Enterprise Workshop" with a view to enhancing their knowledge, skills, and abilities to correctly identify, monitor, and manage hemp insect pests. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The project accomplishments were disseminated through a variety of avenues, including websites and newsletters. Project achievements were immediately available to the industry through well-established technology transfer routes involving the Extension Service located in CAFS. Additional avenues include extension bulletins, brochures; seminars; workshops; special reports of CAFS; and the CBC's Newsletters. A web page for the project is being developed to bring more public awareness to the project and serve as an additional venue where participants at workshops can register and provide feedback What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We will continue the following activities (a) field implementation of biologically based IPM management of major pests of industrial hemp, (b) assessment of cost effectiveness of the IPM strategies, (c) collection and identification of pest species of concern to industrial hemp producers as well as beneficial species, and (d) student and stakeholders' experiential learning. We will continue to engage students and other stakeholders through public events and social media. Use virtual platforms to create interactive content to disseminate information and engage prospective students. We will continue to strengthen our partnerships with USDA-ARS, USDA-APHIS, FDACS, and the Florida Pest Management Association and maximize the relationship between CAFS, and other STEM colleges at the University. These strong cooperative linkages will continue to serve as useful and reliable foundations for future ventures. We will develop high-definition insect and mite images and spreadsheets to provide support to extension and outreach. We will develop commodity-based information sheets on the major insect and mite pests and their biological control agents. We will continue to present research findings at scientific meetings to support stakeholders and clientele
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Objective 1. Development of Biologically Based Integrated Pest Management for Key Pests in Industrial Hemp Production. We designed three experimental plots (plot 1 has 10,032 sq ft; plot 2 has 17,458 sq ft, and plot 3 covers 19,596 sq ft) to conduct our field trials at the FAMU Research and Extension Center in Quincy, FL. The industrial hemp seeds were purchased from Johnny's Seed (Ft. Myers, FL), and Harris Seeds (Rochester, NY) and they were sown in the nursery before transplanting them in the fields. We established drip irrigation for all our experimental plots. All crops were planted on raised beds covered with a black fabric to reduce plant diseases and weed control. We used perimeter cropping with trap crops (marigold), and refuge crops (sunflower) planted surrounding the main crop. Our field scouting data did not indicate the presence of large pest populations; thus, we did not conduct any inoculative released of natural enemies for this growing season. All insects collected during the samplings were brought to the laboratory for identification as described below. Objective 2. Benefit-Cost and Cost-effectiveness Analyses for Biologically Based IPM for Industrial Hemp Production. We collected input and yield data from our pest management experiments along with all pest control activities and associated costs. We are developing a 5- year investment plan using market data and a price-cost time-trend model to forecast future prices and costs of hemp production. Our input includes (fertilizer, electricity, seed, fabric mulch, drip irrigation systems, other consumable materials, labor, etc.) and amounted to $19, 000 for this year. The average cost of hemp production of our collaborators ranged from $20,000 to $100,000 with some costs being variable based on the size and scope of the operation. Objective 3. Survey and Identifications of Pest Species of Concern to Industrial Hemp Production in Florida Several species of insect and mite pests and their biological control agents were found on our industrial hemp experimental plots; thus, we developed a listing of these organisms. The insect pest species include sweet potato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae), southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), brown stink bug, Euschistus servus (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), leaffooted bug, Leptoglossus phyllopus (Hemiptera: Coreidae), red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), and one unidentified species of a caterpillar and a leaf miner that feeds on the leaves of hemp was collected. In addition, aphids and thrips were occasionally found. The biological control agents include Trissolcus basalis (Diptera: Tachnidae) on N. viridula; minute pirate bug, Orius insidiosus feeds on aphids (Fig. 1 A), mites, whiteflies; green lacewing, Chrysoperla carnea feeds on aphids, and Asian lady beetle, Harmonia axyridis (Coleoptera: Coccinelidae) (Figs. D and C) feeds on aphids and whiteflies. We also found some spiders feeding on pest species. In addition, one species of a plant-feeding mite (two spotted spider mite), Tetranychus urticae (Acarina: Tetranychidae) and one species of a predatory mite, Phytoseiulus persimilis (Acarina: Phytoseiidae) (Fig 2. F) were also found in our experimental plots. A B C Figure 1 (A) Stink bug with pirate bug eggs, (B) Caterpillar, (C) Red spider mite C D E Figure 2. Larvae of ladybird beetle (D) and (E) and (F) predatory mite (P. persimilis) ( In terms of diseases, we found powdery mildew, Botryti and new Leaf Spot Fungus - Bipolaris spp. fungus. Objective 4. Development of e-learning Certificate Program and Experiential Learning for Students, Workshops, and Hands-on Training for Stakeholders We have developed an online course "ENY 2006 Global Integrated Pest Management". This course includes case studies on industrial hemp IPM and production for use in E-learning certification program. The course will be accessible during the Spring semester of 2024. Three undergraduate students have conducted mini-research projects on (a) assessing the efficacy of trap and refuge crops in hemp cropping systems, (b) sampling methods of pest species on industrial hemp production, and (c) collection and identification of pest species on industrial hemp. In addition, a graduate student is conducting his research activities towards the fulfillment of the requirements for the Master of Science (MS) degree in entomology. The title of his research is "Microbial Control of Key Pests of Industrial Hemp."
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Submitted
Year Published:
2023
Citation:
Haseeb, M. and L.H. B. Kanga. 2023. Integrated pest management and plant health. Talk presented during the workshop on the alternative crop enterprise, held in Brooksville, Florida.
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