July 2023 - 6
PEST CONTROL
THE
NOSE
KNOWS
Dogs uncover spotted
lanternflies, other pests
Virginia Tech scientists, including dog trainer and doctoral student Sally Dickinson, are examining how dogs can
discover spotted lanternflies. The pest damages grapes and other crops, including apples, peaches, cucumbers
and tree nuts. Photos courtesy of Virginia Tech.
BY DOUG OHLEMEIER
ASSISTANT EDITOR
R
esearchers are employing a novel approach to
help growers discover and deal with spotted
lanternflies (SLF).
Virginia Tech scientists are working with dog
handlers to train canines to detect SLF, a destructive
pest that feeds on a wide variety of crops and plants,
including grapes, apples, cherries, nectarines,
apricots, peaches and plums, as well as almond and
walnut trees.
Researchers want to develop a network of citizen
scientist dog handlers who can be dispatched to
detect the latest invasive species.
" For SLF, we found that dogs can be trained to
detect spotted lanternfly eggs, which can help us to
detect eggs, " said Mizuho Nita, a Virginia
Cooperative Extension specialist and an associate
professor of plant pathology in VA Tech's School for
Plant and Environmental Sciences. " I think it is useful
especially at the front of SLF movement since SLF
lay eggs on many different surfaces, including
stones and pallets. "
6 | JULY 2023
Unofficially called the Canine Citizen Science Study,
the project is funded through a four-year $475,000
grant from the USDA's Agriculture and Food Research
Initiative. It began in 2021 at Texas Tech University's
Canine Olfaction Research and Education Laboratory
and expanded to the East Coast, where SFL is prevalent.
At Virginia Tech's Alson H. Smith Jr. Agricultural
Research and Extension Center in Winchester, Virginia,
scientists are asking dog owners to unite and employ
their pets' skills to sniff out SLF eggs.
SLF can be spread long distances through movement
of infested material or items containing spotted lanternfly
egg masses. Not limited to agriculture, SLF can also be a
big nuisance to the landscape and residential industries.
The insect sucks sap, young stems and leaves,
causing tree withering, reducing photosynthesis,
weakening plants and eventually leading to plant
death. Feeding causes plants to weep or ooze, creating
a fermented odor. Trunks display a grayish-black
trail of wounds. The insects excrete large amounts of
honeydew, covering stems and leaves as well as the
ground below infested plants. Established populations
in Pennsylvania vineyards have caused yield losses of
up to 90%.
July 2023
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July 2023
Editor's Letter
Pest Control: The nose knows
Ag Tech: Drone deployment
Cover Story: Keeping it fresh
Irrigation & Water Management: Stressed out
Berries: Pinpoint precision
Plant & Soil Health: What's good for the gooseberry ...
CA Storage: Keeping control
Farm Market & Agritourism: Agreements between growers provide opportunities
CMI
Ag Labor Review
Classifieds
Advertiser Index
July 2023 - 1
July 2023 - 2
July 2023 - 3
July 2023 - Editor's Letter
July 2023 - 5
July 2023 - Pest Control: The nose knows
July 2023 - 7
July 2023 - 8
July 2023 - 9
July 2023 - Ag Tech: Drone deployment
July 2023 - 11
July 2023 - 12
July 2023 - 13
July 2023 - Cover Story: Keeping it fresh
July 2023 - 15
July 2023 - Irrigation & Water Management: Stressed out
July 2023 - 17
July 2023 - Berries: Pinpoint precision
July 2023 - 19
July 2023 - 20
July 2023 - 21
July 2023 - Plant & Soil Health: What's good for the gooseberry ...
July 2023 - 23
July 2023 - CA Storage: Keeping control
July 2023 - 25
July 2023 - Farm Market & Agritourism: Agreements between growers provide opportunities
July 2023 - 27
July 2023 - CMI
July 2023 - 29
July 2023 - Ag Labor Review
July 2023 - 31
July 2023 - Classifieds
July 2023 - 33
July 2023 - Advertiser Index
July 2023 - 35
July 2023 - 36
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