Location: Cattle Fever Tick Research Unit
Project Number: 3094-32000-042-064-A
Project Type: Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Jun 1, 2020
End Date: Nov 14, 2021
Objective:
Cooperator will make mulitple field surveys in South Africa to determine suite of specialist herbivore arthropods feeding on Guineagrass. Candidate biocontrol agents will be sent to stateside quarantine facilities for rearing and preliminary host range testing.
Approach:
Field surveys will be conducted in South Africa at genetic match sites near Durban to observe and collect specialist herbivore arthropods. Surveys will be conducted during different seasons and locations to determine seasonal effects on arthropod presence, abundance, and impact. Cooperator will liaise with biological control scientists at Rhodes University, Grahmstown, South Africa to access field sites. Plant samples will be sent to ARS scientists for confirmation of plant genoptype. Cooperator will liaise with taxonomists in Africa and Europe to identify arthropods collected. Candidate biocontrol agents will be shipped to ARS for preliminary evaluation.
