Location: Peanut and Small Grains Research Unit
Project Number: 3070-30400-001-000-D
Project Type: In-House Appropriated
Start Date: Sep 22, 2025
End Date: Sep 21, 2030
Objective:
Objective 1: Conduct research to develop and implement innovative technology and strategies for monitoring and detecting change in virulence of arthropod pests of small grains in the Southern and Central Plains. (NP304 C3, PS3A; PS3B, and PS3C).
Subobjective 1: Develop an efficient system for detecting and monitoring change in Hessian fly virulence in wheat in the SCP.
Objective 2: Conduct research to identify and elucidate factors that influence the distribution and management of small grain arthropod pests and beneficial arthropods in heterogenous Southern and Central Plains landscapes. (NP304, C3, PS3A, PS3B, and PS3C).
Subobjective 2A. Determine the role of spatiotemporal variation in landscape and weather on aphid pest severity and biological control in grain sorghum. Subobjective 2B. Characterize chinch bug population development in grain sorghum in relation to spatiotemporal environmental variability.
Objective 3: Conduct research to develop sustainable cropping systems via improved technology for managing arthropod pests of small grains in the Southern and Central Plains. (NP304, C3, PS3A, PS3B, and PS3C).
Subobjective 3A: Identify sorghum entries with CB resistance.
Subobjective 3B. Quantify the relationship between whorlworm density and grain sorghum yield, and the relationship of whorlworm to headworm density in sorghum fields.
Subobjective 3C. Develop and test smartphone apps for Ios and Android platforms to implement sequential sampling for HW pest management decision-making in grain sorghum.
Subobjective 3D. Determine aphid resistance levels in barley lines.
Objective 4: Conduct research to identify and elucidate genetic resistance to aphid pests and plant diseases in small grain germplasm and provide improved germplasm along with effective molecular tools for germplasm and cultivar development. (NP304, C3, PS3A, PS3B, and PS3C).
Subobjective 4A. Evaluate a global wheat germplasm collection to identify new genes conferring resistance to all five U.S. RWA biotypes and develop improved resistance sources.
Subobjective 4B. Evaluate wheat germplasm (U.S. germplasm collections and accessible exotic resources) to identify BCOA resistance sources and the underlying genes and develop genomic tools for rapid introgression of BCOA resistance genes into locally adapted cultivars or breeding lines.
Approach:
In the U.S., 49.6 million acres of wheat, 7.2 million acres of grain sorghum, and 3.1 million acres of barley were planted in 2023, with a value exceeding $20 billion. More than 60% of the winter wheat, 85% of the grain sorghum, and 50% of the barley are grown in Great Plains states. The research proposed herein for the upcoming 5-year project focuses on arthropod pests of wheat, barley, and sorghum in the Southern and Central Plains (SCP). Cereal aphids, chinch bug, Hessian fly, and sorghum headworm are serious pests of small grains in the SCP and all are pressing concerns of small grain growers and the commodity groups that support them. The research proposed in this plan will address these grower needs and concerns. During this 5 year project we will: 1) monitor for spatiotemporal change in virulence of Hessian fly in wheat; 2) determine the role of spatiotemporal variation in landscape and weather on sorghum aphid and chinch bug pest severity, biological control, and management in grain sorghum; 3) establish chinch bug laboratory rearing methods and identify sorghum hybrids with chinch bug resistance; 4) determine relationships critical to managing whorlworm and headworm in grain sorghum, and develop and test smartphone IOS and Android Apps to implement cost efficient sampling techniques for sorghum headworm in grain sorghum; 5) test for virulence of cereal aphid species to wheat and barley germplasm, lines, and varieties; and 6) evaluate wheat U.S. germplasm collections and accessible exotic resources to identify new resistance to Russian wheat aphid biotypes and bird cherry-oat aphid and determine the underlying resistance genes; and 7) develop genomic tools for rapid introgression of resistance genes into locally adapted cultivars and breeding lines. The research is expected to greatly improve economic, environmental and human health, and sustainability outcomes of pest management.