Location: Stored Product Insect and Engineering Research
Project Number: 3020-30400-001-020-N
Project Type: Non-Funded Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: May 31, 2026
End Date: May 30, 2031
Objective:
The USDA-ARS and University of Thessaly will work jointly to develop:
1) improved monitoring tools,
2) improved management tactics,
3) improved understanding of pest biology,
4) and improved risk assessment protocols.
This will lead to new monitoring and management tactics after harvest that will support stakeholders in the USA in better controlling stored product insects at food facilities.
Approach:
The USDA researcher and the Cooperator will use various experimental approaches (behavior, toxicology, chemical ecology, developmental, and genetic) at multiple scales (laboratory, semi-field, and field) to improve monitoring tools, management tactics, knowledge of pest biology, and risk assessment protocols after harvest. Assays may include dual choice assays, developmental assays, headspace collection, sequencing of RNA/DNA, modeling approaches, insecticide exposure assays, and others. Statistical analysis may involve uni- or multivariate, parametric or nonparametric procedures depending on response variable and explanatory variables.