Project Number: 1926-22000-017-09
Project Type: Reimbursable

Start Date: Mar 01, 2008
End Date: Feb 28, 2009

Objective:
The proposal address importation biological control of the soybean aphid. The soybean recently invaded North America from Asia. First discovered infesting U.S. soybean fields in 2000 in 10 midwestern states, the soybean aphid has since spread to the eastern seaboard, west to Kansas, Nebraska and the Dakotas, and south to Mississippi and Geogia. In 2003, it infested 42 million acres of the 75 million acres of soybean grown in the US, causing $100 million of damage. Although aphid numbers were much lower in the midwest in 2004, treatment was needed in Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Furthermore, trap catches this fall indicate infestations are likely to be high again in the midwest in 2005. The research in this proposal will be to import and test host range of natural enemies for biological control of the soybean aphid. The approach will be to import promising natural enemies, rear imported parasitoid species in quarantine, and expose them to a range of aphid species to determine which ones they are capable of attacking under laboratory conditions.

Approach:
Rear imported parasitoid species in quarantine. Expose them to a range of aphid species to determine which ones they are capable of attacking under laboratory conditions. Draw inferences about potential host range after introduction against soybean aphid.