Vegetable Insect Research Objectives:

• Develop basic knowledge of behavior, life history strategies, and population dynamics of green peach aphid, wireworms, other insect and mite pests of potato, and their natural enemies in relation to potato cropping systems of the western U.S.
• Develop an understanding of the chemical interactions of the potato, potato insect and mite pests, and selected natural enemies.
• Compare and evaluate the activity of entomopathogenic fungi against the green peach aphid and potato aphid, investigate interactions between selective insecticide use and efficacy of entomopathogenic fungi for control of green peach aphid, and investigate the individual and combined activities of entomopathogenic fungi and parasitic Hymenoptera on mortality and reproductive potential of green peach aphid.
• Characterize and integrate transgenic and traditionally inherited plant resistance into integrated pest management programs, utilizing biological control agents and explore indirect effects of potato resistance on natural enemies of potato insect pests.
• Identify pest-specific chemical agents for suppression and control of potato insect pests (such as attractants and disruptants), and develop means of reducing reproduction and colonization of potato by aphids using antifeedants and disruptants.

Researchers Conducting Vegetable Insect Research at YARL:

• Dr. Peter Landolt (Research Leader)
  • Dr. Peter Landolt serves as Research Leader for YARL. Dr. Landolt is heavily involved with several potato research projects.
• Dr. Joseph Munyaneza
  • Dr. Joseph E. Munyaneza is a  Research Entomologist at the Yakima Agricultural Research Laboratory (YARL) with a background in integrated pest management of agricultural insect pests and diseases, with emphasis on the role of biological control in integrated pest management. Joe will be working primarily on potatoes.
  • Dr. Joseph Munyaneza has been featured in a Potato Country article. Click here to read the article.
  • Dr. Joseph Munyaneza was also featured in a recent ARS News Service brief. Click here to read the article
  • Dr. Joseph Munyaneza recently authored an article in the Economist magazine. Click here to read the article.
• Dr. Dave Horton
  • Dr. Horton is a Research Entomologist having interests in behavioral ecology, biological control and applied ecology. His research focuses on the biology and management of insect pests in potatos, including Colorado potato beetle and wireworms. Other interests include studies on the population biology and behavior of predatory true bugs in the families Anthocoridae and Miridae.
• Dr. Lawrence Lacey
• Dr. Lawrence Lacey has worked in various aspects of entomology and insect pathology in the Amazon, West Africa, Asia, Europe, the United States and several other locations around the world. He is now permanently assigned to the Yakima Agricultural Research Laboratory to study and develop entomopathogens as components of integrated management of fruit tree and potato insect pests. Principal vegetable target insects include the potato tuberworm (Phthorimaea operculella), Colorado potato beetle (Leptinotarsa decemlineata) and potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli).
• Dr. Tom Unruh
  • Dr. Tom Unruh's research involves classical biological control introductions of parasitoids, studies of natural products for pest control, landscape ecology studies and molecular studies on pest and natural enemies to evaluate insecticide resistance, biogeographic and genetic relationships, and, most recently, to evaluate predation rates.