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ARS 5-Minute Reads
Spotted lanternfly on a grapevine leaf in Bucks County, PA. (Getty Images).
Cultivating Tomorrow’s Orchard
ARS researchers in Kearneysville, WV, recently conducted laboratory and field studies to determine the types of U.S. specialty crops that are at high risk for damage and yield loss from the spotted lanternfly.
The invasive pest, native to Asia, feeds on a wide variety of cultivated and wild plants. First discovered in Pennsylvania in 2014, the spotted lanternfly has rapidly spread across the Eastern U.S., and according to scientists, is moving further west.
By utilizing innovative tools like drones and environmental DNA (trace amounts of DNA left behind by the insect in the environment) and classic methods like population counts, the researchers conducted field studies in grape vineyards in Virginia and West Virginia. They also conducted field trials with insect-killing nematodes. The nematodes may serve as a biological pest management tool to combat spotted lanternfly populations. Learn more...
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The Agricultural Research Service is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's chief scientific in-house research agency. Daily, ARS focuses on solutions to agricultural problems affecting America. Each dollar invested in agricultural research results in $20 of economic impact. |
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Agricultural Research Service
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