Recipient Organization
COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
FORT COLLINS,CO 80523
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
Climate change and its impact on agricultural crops is driving the expansion of cropping systems to plants better adapted to rising temperatures, prolonged periods of drought, poor soils, and high salinity. One of such crops is quinoa,Chenopodium quinoaWilld (Amaranthaceae) - a traditionally Andean grain cultivated in South America for over 5,000 years.Quinoa is a climate-resilient crop that can yield adequately with mere 10-15 inches of irrigation.Its production is relatively new to the U.S., and it was introduced to San Luis Valley in southern Colorado several decades ago. Over 3,000 acres of quinoa are raised in Colorado by small-acreage farmers, and quinoa production has expanded to other regions such as Idahoand Pacific Northwest.However, a stem-boring insect has recently colonized quinoa in Colorado (and neighboring states) - an agromyzid fly,Amauromyza karliHendel (Diptera: Agromyzidae). These infestations were discovered in 2021 in 100% of quinoa fields in San Luis Valley, CO, and have either caused severe yield losses or destroyed the crop entirely.This emerging and invasive pest of quinoa is posing an immediate threat to production of this niche crop in Colorado and other states (e.g., Idaho and Oregon), and requires immediate action to develop effective strategies to suppress its devastating impact on quinoa in the U.S. The critical knowledge gaps we need to address to effectively suppress this highly destructive pest include 1) establishing abundance patterns ofA. karliin the field that can inform planting date modifications and timing of biological and chemical control, 2)knowledge of weeds that can serve as hosts to the fly to formulate recommendations for weed management that can effectively lower the risk and severity of infestations in quinoa;3) evaluating integrated pest management tactics such as host plant resistance within existing quinoa varieties, biological control, and systemic insecticides; and 4) ensuring that the recommendations for management are widely shared with quinoa producers.The long-term goal is to support profitable quinoa farming while protecting the environment and facilitate increased production of this climate-resilient crop well-adapted to our increasingly hotter and drier weather patterns.
Animal Health Component
100%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
100%
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
A stem-boring fly, Amauromyza karli Hendel (Diptera: Agromyzidae) was recently discovered in quinoa and its devastating outbreaks destroyed all quinoa grown in Colorado in 2022. This pest threatens sustainability of this crop and the future of quinoa farming in the U.S. We designed an integrated project that includes research and Extension to ensure rapid adoption of effective management recommendations against this emerging pest. The short-term goal of this project is to aid quinoa producers in managing A. karli using integrated approaches, and to cooperate with stakeholders to facilitate dissemination of research-supported management recommendations that are effective, feasible for growers, sustainable, and ecologically sound. The long-term goal is to support profitable quinoa farming while protecting the environment and facilitate increased production of this climate-resilient crop well-adapted to our increasingly hotter and drier weather patterns. These goals will be accomplished through the following objectives:Objective 1: Determine life history traits ofA. karlirelevant to its managementEstablish peak activity of the flies in the field to inform management tactics such as planting date modifications and timing of biological and chemical controlIdentify non-crop hosts ofA. karliin the field to inform weed management strategies focused on eliminating alternative hosts in vicinity of quinoaObjective 2: Evaluate integrated pest management tactics to suppressA. karliin quinoaExplore host plant resistance againstA. karliamong existing quinoa varietiesTest the effectiveness of endophytic fungi as effective biocontrol forA. karliQuantify the impact of systemic insecticides on suppressingA. karlipopulations in the fieldObjective 3: Develop outreach and education programming to increase awareness ofA. karliand its management strategies among quinoa growers, industry agronomists, crop consultants, diagnostic labs, researchers, and other stakeholders.
Project Methods
Objective 1:Determine life history traits ofA. karlirelevant to its management:Field surveys:Field surveys will be conducted in fields owned by quinoa producers in San Louis Valley, CO. At least four different fields will be used in these surveys, which will be repeated over two growing seasons.Area within and outside (~100-foot perimeter) of the cooperators' fields will be surveyed, and the activities will be repeated in year one and year two of the project. Objective 2:Evaluate integrated pest management tactics to suppressA. karliin quinoaa.Explore host plant resistance against A. karli among existing quinoa varieties:Field experiment:Quinoa varieties (30) previously identified to possess any level of resistance or tolerance toA. karliwill be planted using standard agronomic practices in a small plot trial at a cooperator's farm. Each variety will be replicated at least four times (N=120). These surveys of quinoa varieties for resistance or tolerance toA. karliwill be conducted in year one and two of the project.Test the effectiveness of fungi as effective biocontrol for A. karli:Entomopathogenic fungi:Two strategies will be used to identify fungal species/strains to be tested for pathogenicity againstA. karlilarvae and adults. First, using field-collected larvae we will test for presence of naturally-occuring fungi and isolate them from the insects. Second, we will testin-vitro and in-planta pathogenicity toA. karliand endophytic abilities.Those fungal species that show efficacy (i.e., kill the larvae) will then be testedin planta. Efficacious fungi will be tested in quinoa fields to confirm their biological control potential.Quantify the impact of systemic insecticides on suppressing A. karli populations in the field:This objective will be carried out at the Colorado State University San Louis Valley Research Center in Center, CO. Two insecticides with systemic activity will be tested, imidacloprid, and spirotetramat.Each of these treatments will be replicated six times for each insecticide. Individual plots(replicates) will measure 4 rows by 20 feet with 2-row buffers between plots, and the entire experiment will be embedded within a 4-acre field of quinoa. The experiment will be repeated in both years of the project.Objective 3: Develop outreach and education programming to increase awareness ofA. karliand its management strategies among quinoa growers, industry agronomists, crop consultants, diagnostic labs, researchers, and other stakeholdersa.Advisory Board establishment and role in research design, dissemination, and assessment of outcomes:Advisory Board comprised of the leaders of Colorado Quinoa LLC, Arden Mills, and quinoa producers will be formed. Members of the Board have already provided input and comments on the design of this research and participated actively in formulating priorities for this project. The Advisory Board will meet quarterly for the duration of this project to receive updates regarding progress of the work and continue providing feedback on research design. Members of the Board will also assess the outcomes of the work and evaluate feasibility of implementing recommendations supported by research outcomes.Creation of comprehensive web resources:Accessible resources outlining the scope of the problem, results of this research, and comprehensive recommendations will be created and housed on the CSU IPM website (https://agsci.colostate.edu/agbio/ipm/). The website will also incorporate means for users to leave feedback, participate in surveys, and ask questions. In addition, project updates will be posted on separate social media and platforms such as Twitter and Facebook and the Agricultural Biology departmental website (https://agbio.agsci.colostate.edu/).Grower meetings and facilitation of peer-to-peer education:To facilitate implementation of IPM recommendations forA. karliwe will organize on-farm field days and grower meetings on farms where the research will be conducted. We will include growers in the outreach activities as well, and we will facilitate peer-to-peer education and involve producers in field demonstrations to further increase adoption of research-supported recommendations for management ofA. karli.Dissemination of the work through talks, presentations at regional and national meetings, factsheets, and peer-reviewed publications:Researchers will present project findings at professional meetings such as Entomological Society of America (ESA) Pacific and North Central branch meetings and annual meetings. The work will also be shared through a formal factsheet on the impact and management ofA. kaliin quinoa, and peer-reviewed publications.Evaluation of Extension and Education Activities:The effectiveness of resources posted within the IPM website and social media postings will be evaluated by several verifiable indicators, including number of visitors to the website, number of downloads, comments, and suggestions posted by visitors, personal emails, and phone call from stakeholders about the information provided. In addition, evaluations and surveys will be distributed at each of the meetings and outcomes will be summarized each year and distributed on the website. Moreover, the impact of publications including scientific and extension publications will be evaluated based on number of views, downloads and citations, and number of requests for publications by non-participating growers. Lastly, the strongest measure of our success in dissemination of research outcomes and implementation of our recommendations will be reflected in return to quinoa acreage prior to outbreaks ofA. karliin 2021. This will be used as an indicator of the effectiveness of our extension and education activities.