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Funded Project |
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Funding Program:
Enhancement Grants - Special Projects |
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Project Title:
Controlling invasive mole crickets in Florida pastures |
Project Directors (PDs):
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Lead State: FL Lead Organization: University of Florida |
| Undesignated Funding: $25,000 |
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Start Date: Jan-01-2010 End Date: Dec-31-2010 |
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No-Cost Extension Date: Dec-31-2010 |
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Pests Involved: mole crickets |
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Site/Commodity: pastures |
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Area of Emphasis: ipm |
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Summary:
Invasive mole crickets are the most important insect pests of Florida pastures. They are a high priority of the Florida Cattlemen's Association.
Recently-developed technology allows the pertmanent control of mole crickets in pastures at modest cost using clssical biological control in the context of integrated pest management. The project directors are respectively an entomologist who has researched the biological control agents, the Florida IPM Coordinator who has been involved in the research, and a multi-county Livestock Extension Agent who has previously collaborated with the entomologist. The Livestock Agent has enlisted the collaboration of many of his colleagues in other counties to participate. The Florida Cattlemen's Association endorses the project. Livestock Extension Agents will demonstrate to ranchers how to use two biological control agents (a nematode and a wasp) that have achieved great and permanent success in controlling pest mole crickets in the area where both are extablished in northern Florida. The objective is to help ranchers to use these biological control agents wherever in Florida there is need. Although the project starts and ends in 2010, the equipment provided by the grant will be donated to the Florida Cattlemen's Association for laon to ranchers over a period of many years. The experience of this project should be useful for many years to all partcipating Livestock Extension Agents. Objectives: a) To provide an educational service to Florida ranchers about how they can detect and control problems with pest mole crickets economically. b) To provide to Florida ranchers a temporary (12-month) method with which they can detect whether the beneficial nematode Steinernema scapterisci is present on their property. c) To provide to Florida ranchers a method by which they can successfully apply the beneficial nematode to their property, using two chisel rigs to be built and made available by this project, and donated to the Florida Cattlemen s Association in perpetuity. d) To provide to Florida ranchers in several counties demonstrations of application of this beneficial nematode. e) To provide to Florida ranchers demonstrations in several counties of a method to enhance populations of the beneficial wasp Larra bicolor by deliberate planting of plots of its favored nectar source. f) To provide experience in these operations to Florida Extension Livestock Agents so that they may continue assisting ranchers far beyond the duration of this grant. |
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Final Report: |
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Outputs A) The Kennco Co. of Tampa, FL, was commissioned to build two machines designed to apply nematodes subsurface in pastures, and two trailers to transport them. The equipment was delivered in early February 2010 but Florida was undergoing an unusually long, cold winter. Therefore, the application equipment could not be tested under operational conditions until May. The original chisels became clogged with soil and would not deliver the nematodes. In June, the chisels were replaced with coulters from the Yetter Manufacturing Co. of Colchester, IL. These worked well but it was too late in the spring to hold field demonstrations. Not until the fall would we be able to hold field demonstrations. Early in 2010 we began planning for the next mole cricket season in the fall. We inaugurated a website to explain the project to ranchers and livestock agents: http://entnem.ifas.ufl.edu/ fasulo/molecrickets/mcricket2010.htm . We held a meeting for involved Livestock agents on 03 March at the Range Cattle Research and Education Center at Ona, Hardee County. This created considerable interest in the project, including a news article published in the May 2010 issue of The Florida Cattleman (pages, 20, 22, 24). One of the application machines was displayed at the annual convention of the Florida Cattlemens Association on June 20-24. One or other of the machines was displayed at several county meetings and the annual Florida Small Farms and Alternative Industries Conference at Kissimmee. C) In collaboration with county Livestock Extension agents, visits were made to several counties in May-September. Unexpectedly, mole cricket damage was unusually light in the central and southern counties, but greater in some of the northeastern counties. Accordingly, field demonstrations were planned mainly for the northeastern counties as follows: Date County Agent Oct 4 Duval/Baker/Nassau/Clay (at Duval) Brad Burbaugh Oct 6 Volusia Sharon Gamble Oct 7 Alachua Cindy Sanders Oct 12 Putnam/Marion/St. Johns (at Putnam) Mark Warren Oct 27 Osceola Randy Bateman Dec 1 Polk Bridget Carlisle County Agents notified their clientele of the dates of these meetings, and the dates and locations were also circulated to agents in other counties. This enabled many of the states Livestock Extension Agents to attend demonstrations regardless of their home counties. D) The program for each of the demonstrations was almost identical, with an introduction by the local county Livestock Extension Agent followed by modules on (a) mole cricket life histories and problems they cause, and how to sample for them, (b) use of the wasp Larra bicolor as a biocontrol agent, (c) use of the nematode Steinernema scapterisci as a biocontrol agent, and (d) an actual application of the nematode over eight acres. The wasp was present in five of the six application sites, so could be observed by the audience. E) Every person attending a demonstration was asked to complete a survey form at the end of the demonstration, by which time some had left. A summary of the results is attached. F) One of the machines is housed at the Range Cattle Research and Education Center at Ona in south-central Florida, the other at the Hastings Research and Education Center in northeastern Florida. They will be available for loan to ranchers beginning in January 2011. G) A banner poster has been designed and will be distributed to the Livestock Extension agents to help them explain the program. It mentions a new website: http://www.Floridalivestockagents.org which is a redirecting address that will lead to an updated website now under construction. H) The University of Florida/IFAS/ Information and Communication Services video unit is working with us to produced video modules illustrating our field demonstrations. When completed, these modules will be posted on WWW linked to our website (mentioned in G. above). I) The following fact sheet and manual were produced to facilitate use of the nematode and application equipment: Leppla NC, Frank JH, Graesch JA (2010) How to Use Nematac S against Pest Mole Crickets in Pastures. UF/IFAS, EDIS IPM-147 (IN853). Warren MW, Taylor SR, Speckmann RD, Leppla NC, Frank JH (2010) Operators Manual for Beneficial Nematode Applicator. UF/IFAS Extension Fact Sheet |
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Potential Impacts Mole crickets have been the worst insect pests of Florida pastures for decades. Research by University of Florida entomologists, nematologists, and agronomists has shown a potential permanent solution to this problem, biological control using three beneficial species: a nematode, a wasp, and a fly. All three of these species are now established in parts of Florida, but their potential has not yet been achieved. The nematode, Steinernema scapterisci, is available commercially as a product (Nematac S) but must be applied below the soil surface. Cattlemen did not have access to the necessary application equipment, a modified chisel-rig. Populations of the wasp, Larra bicolor, are spreading southward. Research has shown that adult wasps need energy from nectar of wildflowers, and that plantings of specific wildflowers can enhance wasp effectiveness in pastures. Florida Livestock Extension agents in many counties must demonstrate use of this equipment. Installation of wildflower patches will also be demonstrated. Color flyers and a modified website will explain the project. Entomologists will supervise receipt of mole crickets collected in pastures and assess whether they are already infected with the nematode. The objective is to avoid wasting money on new applications if the nematode already is present. |
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