Project Number: 6206-11220-004-05
Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement

Start Date: Aug 01, 2007
End Date: Jul 31, 2012

Objective:
Search for, identify, and prioritize biological control agents for Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia), saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima), perennial pepperweed (Lipidium latifolium), yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitualis), medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae), Russian thistle (Salsola spp.), Afrian rue (Peganum harmala) and other U.S. invasive weeds from Kazakhstan and central Asia. Determine host range in both field and laboratory. Determine the life and seasonal history, method of feeding, mating, oviposition, pupation and overwintering in the field and laboratory. Develop methods of rearing in the laboratory. Ship living cultures to the U.S. Quarantine Facility, free of parasites and pathogens if possible. Confirm agent identity and establish voucher collection.

Approach:
Candidate insects, mites or plant pathogens will be found by searching the literature and museum collections and by original field surveys. Identify potential control agents through comparison with published taxonomic works and museum collections, and/or consultation with taxonomic specialists. Convert into electronic format the biological literature found that relates to our mutual interest and that is poorly preserved, translate the titles and citations into English and Russian, and make it available to U.S., and other science libraries of the world. Prioritize candidates based on host range, biology and ecology, according to published criteria and in consultation with the ADODR. The critical host-range determinations will be evaluated from literature and museum records, by field collections on the target weed and on other species of the target weed genus and family and by formal laboratory tests. Life history, ecology (including parasitism and predation of control insects), and seasonal history will be measured both in the field and in the laboratory. Laboratory rearing methods will be developed so that the species can be reared through all stages to allow a good reproductive rate and minimal mortality on potted host plants, so that rearing can be successful when they arrive in the U.S. Arthropod Containment Facility (quarantine). Collect and ship candidate control agents to the U.S. quarantine as per standard shipping procedures and per USDA-ARS-PPQ permitting authorities and as requested by the ADODR. Shipped insects should be free of parasites, predators, and pathogens as much as possible. Reports of research progress, complete with tables, graphs and illustrations, will be submitted annually, and with brief quarterly reports. Payment will be made following the submission of appropriate invoices and research reports. First publication of results will be in English.