Ph. D. assistantship in reproductive ecology and mating disruption
In cooperation with Dr. Rebecca Hallett’s lab at University of Guelph, we will be recruiting for a highly motivated Ph. D. student, who has an interest in studying the reproductive ecology of mating disruption for a cecidomyiid fly. Three years of funding are available. Please email me if you are interested or know of suitable candidates!
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We just received a new USDA NIFA Crop Protection grant to study the reproductive biology of swede midge, Contarinia nasturtii (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). We want to determine the feasibility of implementing a mating disruption program for this devastating invasive pest.
Swede midge most immediately threatens organic Brassica (broccoli, cabbage, collards, kale, etc.) production, because there aren’t any effective pest management solutions. Although the midge is only currently found in the New York and Vermont, it can potentially colonize all of the major Brassica growing areas, including California. We are alarmed by the increasing number of stories that growers may abandon the planting of Brassica crops, or forgo the planting for a season or two. In Canada, the midge has already spread from British Columbia to Prince Edward Island. Last year’s conventional canola losses in Ontario could be as high as 50%.