Location: Insect Control and Cotton Disease Research
Project Number: 3091-30400-043-000-D
Project Type: In-House Appropriated
Start Date: Jul 23, 2025
End Date: Jul 22, 2030
Objective:
Objective 1: Conduct research to develop/improve pest monitoring and detection technologies and molecular tools to accurately and rapidly distinguish insect pest species in field crops and pecans.
Sub-objective 1.A: Evaluate various satellite image types and other advanced classification techniques for early identification of cotton fields.
Sub-objective 1.B: Prolong the attractiveness of boll weevil pheromone lures.
Sub-objective 1.C: Integrate AI technology with molecular/genomic tools to accurately and rapidly distinguish pest weevil species from non-pest weevils.
Sub-objective 1.D: Identify SNPs and establish a bioinformatic pipeline that can be used to distinguish pecan weevils from different geographical regions of the United States.
Objective 2: Identify biological functions and ecological processes of piercing-sucking insects and elucidate their role as vectors of plant pathogens, including in areas where the boll weevil has been eradicated.
Sub-objective 2.A: Improve understanding of the salivary gland system of the southern green stink bug and potential role in pathogen transmission.
Sub-objective 2.B: Identify candidate salivary effector compounds produced by piercing-sucking insects that affect plant-insect interactions.
Objective 3: Conduct research to develop novel pest management methods that utilize tools such as natural host plant defense chemicals and biotechnology to deter insects and/or reduce feeding damage of target pests.
Subobjective 3.A: Exploit secondary metabolites of wild cotton plants to reduce insect pest abundance and feeding damage.
Subobjective 3.B: Develop genetically engineered cotton plants that express unique traits to deter insect feeding and subsequent damage.
Approach:
Novel and ecologically based management of field crop pests is critical for sustaining agricultural productivity/health and for reducing costs and environmental consequences associated with reliance on chemical pesticides. This project combines entomological, molecular, genomic, and bioinformatic expertise to create a research program that focuses on: 1) development of remote sensing techniques, pest trapping/monitoring systems, and genomic tools to rapidly and accurately detect host plant distributions, pest identity, and pest abundance; 2) improved knowledge on the multitrophic interactions between piercing/sucking insects, plants, and pathogen transmission; and 3) exploitation of natural plant defense chemicals and development of genetically modified plants to reduce pest damage. Project objectives will be accomplished through three main research areas that lead to development of: 1) technologies to improve detection and identification of insect pests and host plants; 2) improved knowledge and methods to better understand the multitrophic interactions among insect pests, host plants, and plant pathogens; and 3) novel pest management technologies and strategies that are target-specific and environmentally safe. Results of project research are expected to provide boll weevil eradication programs, producers, and crop consultants with the appropriate scientific knowledge and technologies to make effective eradication and pest management decisions with minimal environmental impact.