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Historic, Archive Document Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. — FORUM Putting the Bio in Biocontrol researchanddevelopmentto improve productionmethods. Mostinsectrearing is donebypublic organizations suchas APHIS andthe statesanduniversities. — Thismonth'scov—erstoryprofilestheoldestandlargest in One bigneedis artificialdietstobringdownthecostof termsofvolume ARSfacilityforimporting insectenemiesof rearing vigorous insectsonamass scale. Today, lab-rearing bugandweedpests. Tofindoutwhatelse ison thewayin this oftenmeans havingtorearapredator'sinsectorplantprey ora growingfield, we talkedtoRichardSoper, ARS'national parasite's insecthost. That'smessy, costly, andtime-consum- program leaderforbiocontrol, Beltsville, Maryland. ing. Weare makingprogress, suchas ajointproject with industry on an artificialdietforapromisingparasitic wasp. Ag. Res. Whatmakes the ARS biocontrol program special? Ag. Res. Isbiocontrol the only way togo? Soper. People here and all overthe worlddependonARS Soper. Probably not. Foratypical crop, the goal shouldbe to supply importedbeneficial insects. Lastyear,justatthe tomakebiocontrol the firstline ofdefenseandintegrateitwith Newarklab, 57,000individual insects and otherstrategies now available orbeing studied. mites ofmorethan 30 species were received Those strategiescan includepest-resistantcrop collectedin adozencountries. Afterreproduc- varieties,cultural p—racticesthatreducepest ingandmassproducing many ofthese species, pressure, andlures like chem—ical mimicsof Newarkshipped 180,000insects tocooperators an insectpest's sex attractant to make the in 17 states andthreeforeigncountries. pestscome tothe insecticide insteadof covering thefield with it. Ag. Res. That's alotofinsecttraffic, but whatimpactisbiocontrol having intheUnited Ag. Res. How has the easingofEastAVest tensionsaffectedbiocontrol research? States? Soper. There havebeen several huge Soper. We'rebeginningthethirdyearof successes suchascontrol ofthe alfalfa farmore extensivejointexplorations withthe weevil—acooperativeeffortofARS, USDA's Soviets andChinese. AndineasternEurope, Animal andPlantHealth Inspection Service we're negotiatinganew partnershipwith (APHIS), andthe states and universities. This Yugoslavia, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, is saving growers $88 million ayearininsecticide costs. Bulgaria, Romania, andPoland. They, as well Manybiocontrol successes aren'twell known because they're as the United States, will benefitfromhaving new biocontrol regional orthepestis suppressedbefore itgetsoutofhand. agents. Ourfirsttargets arenatural enemies forpests of potatoes, fruit, andwheat. Ag. Res. How can youpersuadefarmers thatbiocontrol works? Ag. Res. Whatwill U.S. biocontrol looklike in 10to 15 Soper. We have toprove scientifically, through rigorous years? lab andfieldtrials, thatbiocontrol can work withoutharming Soper. The commercial industry will be larger, as effortsby ARS andothers tohelpdevelopnew products andprocesses profitability. Many farmersare already persuaded. In California, bearfruit. Andwe'llknow much more abouthow tomake strawberry growers areusing predatory mites tocontrol lygus biocontrol work in crop—fields. bugs. That state's farmers are especiallyeagerforbiocontrol One thingisforsure we'll be exploringforenemies of because ofhighconcernoverfoodsafety, groundwater pests wedon'tyethave inthiscountry. Newones invade about contamination, andworkers' health. Othergrowers are every 3 years. — impressedby successful tests liketheone in severalTexas cabbage fields lastspring. The test involvedARS, acommer- cial insectary, and several growers usingbeneficial wasps and bacteriaand very small amountsofinsecticide. Ag. Res. Whatis ARS doingtogetmorebiocontrol insects producedin theprivate sector? Soper. Dozens ofinsects are availablecommercially, although salesrunonly about$2 millionto $3 million ayear. The potential is vast,butmostfirms are too small tomount 2 Agricultural Research/October 1991 ) Agricultural Research Cover: Convergent lady beetles(Hippodamia convergens) are imported forstudy at theARS Beneficial Insects Introduction Research Laboratory in Newark,Delaware. Photoby ScottBauer. (K-4249- 1 4 "Bugs-R-Us" It's Before beneficial insects can enter the United States, they must first put in some time in quarantine. 13 Spying on Silage Inocuiants How effective are these bacterial innovations? 14 A NewWayTo GrowTomatoes I'a-jc I7 Looking to grow bigger and better tomatoes? Here's a new mulching plan. 16 Computers Guard the Granary And it's a good thing, too. Some nasty insects keep trying to get in. 18 Exotic Fruits PromiseTaste oftheTropics They're tucking away snippets of germplasm in Hawaii. Page 19 21 In Antibodies, Bigger Isn't Always Better When cows get mastitis, it's an udder shame. Little white cells to the rescue! 22 Agnotes: Skipping Preplant Irrigation Saves Water, Cash Insecticide Adherence Triples With Soybean Oil Sorghum Cleanses Nitrogen Laden Soil — Page21 Please Release Me But Slowly Vol. 39.No. 10 TheSecretaryofAgriculturehasdeterminedthat 10300BaltimoreAve.,BeltsvilleAgricultural October 1991 publicationofthisperiodical isnecessaryinthe ResearchCenter-West,Beltsville,MD20705. transactionofpublicbusinessrequiredbylaw. Phone (301)344-3280. Whenwritingtorequest Editor: LloydE. McLaughlin addresschangesordeletions,pleaseincludea AssociateEditor: ReginaA. Wiggen Information inthismagazine ispublicpropertyand recentaddresslabel. ArtDirector: WilliamJohnson maybereprintedwithoutpermission. Non- PhotoEditor: JohnKucharski copyrightedphotosareavailabletomassmediain EdwardMadigan,Secretary AssociatePhotoEditor: AnitaDaniels colortransparenciesorblackandwhiteprints. U.S. DepartmentofAgriculture Orderbyphotonumberanddateofmagazineissue. Referencetocommercial productsandservicesis R.D. Plowman,Administrator madewiththeunderstandingthatnodiscrimination Subscriptionrequestsshouldbeplacedwith the Agricultural ResearchService isintendedandnoendorsementbytheU.S. SuperintendentofDocuments.Government Printing DepartmentofAgricultureisimplied. Office.Washington.DC20402. Pleaseseeback RobertW. Norton. Director coverfororderform. InformationStaff AgriculturalResearch ispublishedmonthlybythe Agricultural ResearchService, U.S. Departmentof Addressmagazine inquiriesorcommentsto: The Agriculture,Washington,DC20250-2350. Editor,InformationStaff.Room316. Bldg.005. Agricultural Research/October 1991 3 "Bugs-R-Us" It's SCOTT BAUER Across the road from the huge Chrysler assembly plant in Newark, Delaware, a different sort of factory specializes in foreign imports. — The imports—flies, wasps, beetles, andotherbugs will wage adeadly but nonchemical waragainst devastat- ing agricultural pests. The goodbugs' staging site, tucked nextto apasture on the grounds ofthe University ofDelaware, is the Benefi- cial Insects Introduction Research Laboratory ofUSDA's Agricultural Research Service. Here, ateam ofthree research entomologists conducts lab and field studies ofnatural enemies for some of the worstpests, such as gypsy moths, tarnished and alfalfaplantbugs, and Russian wheat aphids. The lab also serves as an Ellis Island fortens ofthousands ofbeneficial bugs. The insects are collectedin foreign countries almostentirely by ARS scientists based in U.S. or overseas labs. Good Bugs In, Good Bugs Out The new arrivals are quarantined "to make sure the shipment has no contaminants, such as mites that would attack a beneficial insect," says Lawrence R. Ertle, the lab's quarantine officer. He also arranges for background checks confirming each bug's scientific moniker before rearing and distributing it. Ifdescendants ofimmigrant bugs pass rigorous research trials, they're let go. Mostly, they're released by the millions in seasonal pest-control programs orfreed in smallernumbers to make new, year-roundhomes in _ crop fields orforests. KEEP FROM Lastyear, 253 batches ofinsects Entomologistand quarantineofficerLarryErtlegently places beneficialinsectsincustom- arrived in Newarkfrom adozen designed packagingforshipment. (K-4183-12) 4 Agricultural Research/October 1991 There's a lab in Newark, Delaware, that is a scientific ark, brimming with beneficial insects and riding a surging tide of interest in biological pest control. countries: Argentina. Brazil. Canada, (now based in Sidney, Montana) Even though insects are carefully Chile, China. France. Germany, India, devised a reusable bug-shipping box in packed fortransit, "we have to act fast Indonesia. New Zealand, South Korea, 978. They got the idea from cut-to-fit once they get to the quarantine," says 1 and the Soviet Union. Styrofoam packing used to ship fragile Ertle. Newly arrived packages are The bug-importing business tends equipment like computers and stereos. taken straight to the unpacking room in to be a seasonal affair, says Ertle. The container consists oftwo ahigh-security areajust past the clean- with fall, winter, and spring rela- slabs of insulating foam with three up room. Unpacked eggs and imma- tively slow times for incoming ship- molded cutouts. Two cutouts carry ture insects are taken to anotherhigh- ments. June is different: that's when round specimen boxes with tight lids. security cubicle until they emerge as three-fourths of 1990's shipments The third holds a pint container of adults. Then they go to one ofthe — arrived nearly all from the European coolant to keep bugs from overheat- quarantine's two rearing rooms, where Parasite Laboratory in France. ing in transit. anew generation will be raised. During that same year,410 lots of "Three-fourths ofthe insect labs we One ofthe more unusual items to bugs left Newark forcooperators in deal with use this kind ofcontainer enterNewark's quarantine this yearis ARS, otheragencies, universities, and now," says Larry Ertle. the "parasite pill." Each capsule, made private insectaries in 17 states and 3 foreign countries. Inside the BugVault SCOTT BAUER Fully 238 ofthe outbound lots went to ARS and acooperating agency, Three sets ofheavy steel doors lead intothe quarantine's main work area, a Washington State's Departmentof Agriculture. Nearly all were Korean 20- by 12-foot clean-up roo—m with a large sink and an autoclave a gizmo and ChineseAgeniaspisfuscicollis resembling an industrial-size washing wasps, parasites ofthe apple ermine moth, received during the summer. machine. It uses heat and pressure to sterilize material to be scrapped, like After these wasps cleared quaran- mrmrn "plant parts that come in with a tine. Ertle eyeballed each ofthe 36.950 shipment, packing material, hyperpara- adults (21,962 females) undera — microscope to make sure they were sites, dead hosts anything that must be disposedof," says Ertle. reallyA. fuscicollis. Then, from mid- The clean-up room also has two July to mid-August, he shipped them in several lots to ARS entomologist stainless-steel refrigerators. "We keep Thomas Unruh, based in Yakima, some bugs in the coolerto slow their development," Ertle notes, "because Washington, and acolleague at the the recipients aren't ready forthem, or state's Department ofAgriculture. "The scientists were on the move, it's the wrong time of releasing wasps at many sites, so we yearto release them in Trichogramma waspsarepackaged in sent wasps to various places to keep up the field, orwe're shippingcapsulesforlaterreleaseincorn waiting forresults of fields. Bagsarecolor-coded accordingto with their itinerary," Ertle says. identification work. insect maturity tohelp researchersdeter- Have Bug, Will Travel "The insects usually mineoptimum releasedates. (K-4249-15) aren't much trouble if Lab technician Kenneth S. Swan is the they get a nutritious ofsoft gray cardboard and about the receiverformostofNewark's newly diet, are kept at the propertemperature size ofan oystercracker, holds about arriving imports. "Usually this means and humidity, and get exercise." 500eggs ofthe Mediterranean flour going to the Philadelphia airport, He's notjoking. Once aday, even moth. And inside each moth egg is a where I sign the forms to getthe bugs on weekends and holidays, Ertle or released to me and load them into our Swan removes bug-filled containers surprise forEuropean corn borers in Iowa: an egg ofthe parasitic wasp van," he says. from the refrigerators and puts them by Trichogramma maidis. To give traveling insects asafer, a window. There, the insects warm up, This wasp delivery system, called cozierjourney, Swan and former stretch, soak up some light, and walk Trichocaps, has been successfully Newark entomologist Richard Dysart around theirpaperorplastic prisons. tested and usedforabout 10 years in Agricultural Research/October 1991 5 Scymnusfrontalis (left)andColeomagilla metadata (right) beetlesfeedon peaaphids. (K-4179-19) France. Butthe capsules' first U.S. sands ofTrichocaps containing 4 toresearch leaderLeslie Lewis atthe tryouts came this past summer. million wasp eggs divided into lots ARS Corn Insects Research Laboratory Last spring, afterwasps hatched of 100 Trichocaps. in Ankeny, Iowa. He says the 2-year froma sample ofa small test shipment Aftertesting a sample from each lot, study, on 1-hectare (2.47-acre) plots of and Ertle determinedthat the sample Ertle obtained APHIS approval to ship Pioneercorn seedproduct—ion fields, was "clean," he completed paperwork the Trichocaps to Iowa State University aims to findo—uthow well and how economically the Europeancorn boreris controlledby the wasps, by the bacteriumBacillus thuringiensis, orby the fungus Beauveria bassiana. During this past summer, Iowa This wasp delivery system, called Trichocaps, has State University entomologist David been successfully tested and used for about 10 years Orr scattered Trichocaps in the plots. "In France," says Orr, "they've in France. But the capsules' first U.S. tryouts came gotten an average of74 percent this past summer. control with the capsules and 72 percent with insecticide for the same cost. We want to know ifTrichocaps can be a cost-effective alternative for farmers in this country." Newark's role as an importand distribution centergoes hand-in-hand with the lab's own research. A case in required by USDA's Animal and Plant forcooperative field tests with ARS pointis awonder-wasp with the Health Inspection Service. APHIS, and PioneerSeed Co. tongue-twisting name ofCoccygomi- which issues permits for all imported "The testis part ofacomparative musdisparis. bugs, soon gave the go-ahead for a econ—omic study ofbiological con- Newarkhas imported these wasps French firm to ship Newark thou- trols the first ofits kind," according since the 1970's from collections in 6 Agricultural Research/October 1991 SCOTT BAUER Coccygomimusdisparts wasp inserts its eggs ina gypsy moth pupa. (K-4185-18) India, Japan, Korea, and China. ARS devours the pest from the inside, and Biocontrol Quarantines and cooperators in 16 states have freed emerges as an adult. more than 800,000ofthem. — "This wasp doesn't sting people or Besides Newark, ARS has six The wasp has a lot ofhelp from animals, even though it's biggerthan quarantine facilities forimported otherARS scientists and technicians in some wasps that do," notes Schaefer. biocontrols ofweed orinsectpests the United States and at the ARS Asian Size helps but isn't the key reason in the United States: at Albany, Parasite Laboratory in Seoul, South the wasp got established so readily. California; Frederick, Maryland; Korea, as well as the NewJersey "This wasp's best advantage," says Stoneville, Mississippi; Ithaca, New Department ofAgriculture, Pennsylva- research leaderRogerFuester, "is that York; andCollege Station and nia Bureau ofForestry, Delaware State itthrives on otherpest species when Temple, Texas. College, and other universities. there aren't many gypsy moths ARS researchers also work in "A few years ago, around." That's critical: Newark quarantines operatedby Montana first new gypsy studies have shown thatgypsy moth State University in Bozeman andby become established parasites often fail to take hold unless the Florida Division ofPlant in the United States in the moths are fairly abundant. Industry in Gainesville. ARS has 50 years," says University ofMinnesotaentomolo- cooperative arrangements with Newark entomologist gist Willis Schaupp and colleagues more than a dozen other quaran- Paul W. Schaefer. have released some 3,600 C. disparts tines at universities and federal While most parasitic wasps are wasps since 1989. and state agencies. gnat-size or less, C. disparts is about While the state has exterminated Overseas, ARS scientists explore 10 times bigger: a sleek, coffee-colored small invasions ofgypsy moths, for, identify, study, and export inch ofaerodynamics. Schaupp wants the wasps to form part biocontrol agents from theirbases at The female wasp lays its eggs ofavanguard ofnatural enemies ready ARS laboratories in Argentina, inside the pupal cases ofsoon-to-be- to attack the moths ifand when they Australia, France, and South Korea. adult gypsy moths, attacking about invade in large numbers. ARS also conductsjointbiocontrol 200 pests over a 3-week period. One In the meantime, he hopes that explorations and studies with parasite develops per pupal case, "even ifthe state escapes large inva- scientists from the Soviet Union, sions ofgypsy moths, the wasps will China, and othercountries. Agricultural Research/October 1991 7 SCOTT BAUER Research entomologistsRogerFuester (left) and Paul Schaefercollect Calosoma beetlesand markthemto identify theirsex. (K-4178-18) do us afavorby ganging up on forest specimens to scientists at ARS' generation removedfromthe wild tentcaterpillars, easterntentcaterpillars, Systematic Entomology Laboratory Chinese parents. and fall webworms." at the Smithsonian Institution in "Toprecondition these adults forthe But Schaupp wantedto release wasps Washington, D.C. [See Agricultural hosts they'd be finding," says Schaupp, thathadn't been reared forseveral Research, February 1990, pp. 8-11] "webroughtthem webworm and tent generations in alab "where they can When they positively identified the caterpillarpupae from the fieldto become conditioned to looking forfood practice on." in the bottomofacage instead ofon SCOTT BAUER Last fall, he and colleagues released tree branches in aforest." So he asked about 2,000 wasps at sites nearthe Schaeferforwasps that were "as nearto Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan wild as possible." — area. "That's where the gypsy moth Schaupp's first—shipment from would first be likely to show up in Korea via Newark arrived in 1989. large numbers," he says. The second shipment, in 1990, was Last spring, for the first time, from China. Early that summer, pupae Schaupp recovered young wasps ofapple ermine moths harboring wasp near one ofthe sites, proofthat some larvae were rounded up in Shanxi ofthe Chinese wasps had found Province, China. The pupae were mates and laid eggs. collected by ARS' Robert Pemberton of "We're ahead of schedule and theAsian Parasite Laboratory in South very happy for it," says Schaupp, Korea andWang Ren, directorofthe Calosoma beetleattacksandfeedsona who hadn't expected to find the Sino-American Biological Control gypsymothcaterpillar. (K-4187-8) wasps so soon. Laboratory in Beijing. While Coccygomimus disparis is a Three lots ofimmature wasps wasps as Coccygomimus disparis, relatively recent arrival, an old beetle arrived in Newark in mid-July 1990. Ertle sent 28 to Schaupp. import is spreading new trouble When adults began to emerge, quar- Schaupp used these wasps toreara among gypsy moths. Released in antine officer Larry Ertle sent a few new, largerbatch that was only one New England since 1906, the bright green caterpillar hunter Calosoma 8 Agricultural Research/October 1991