Shows
Jolly Green ScientistsUsing Lady Bugs to Manage PestsEvery year we get asked whether lady bugs can be used to manage pests. In this episode, we discuss a review paper on the effectiveness of exotic lady beetles to manage insect pests, but we'll also discuss the use of lady beetles in biological control in general.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/eea.12963 (Randoni et al. (2020). Exotic ladybirds for biological control of herbivorous insects – a review. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 169: 6 - 27.)2021-06-3031 min
Talking BugsBiological Control with Dr. Gerben Messelink, Wageningen Universityhttps://www.wur.nl/en/Persons/Gerben-prof.dr.ir.-GJ-Gerben-Messelink.htm (Dr. Messelink )is a Special Professor in Biological Pest Control in Greenhouse Production Systems and Senior Research Entomologist at Wageningen University in the Netherlands. He has an extensive background in conducting research using predators and parasitic wasps to manage common pests in greenhouse production.
We discuss one of his recent publications looking at using a generalist predator to manage two key pests (whiteflies and thrips) on gerberas.
Leman et al. (2020). https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30549212/#:~:text=In%20laboratory%20studies%2C%20we%20found,whiteflies%20but%20not%20by%20thrips.&...2021-06-2244 min
Bugs by the YardIntro to the Bug NerdsMolly Keck, Wizzie Brown, and Erfan Vafaie - three entomologists working for the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service through the Department of Entomology. We're all passionate about bugs, but why? Learn a bit about each of us, what got us into entomology, what some of our favorite insects are, and what we hope to bring with this podcast series.Podcast art by: Natalie CervantesPodcast music by: Owen DesBles2021-03-0420 minJolly Green ScientistsEp. 13. Horntail snail pest alert and growing plants on MarsA new invasive snail has been observed near Miami (Florida) in August of 2020. If established, the snail can be problematic in nursery, greenhouse, fruit and vegetable production. Recognition is vital - if you see this snail, please report to state regulatory agencies right away (i.e. Texas Department of Agriculture). We also talk about the practical challenges with growing plants on Mars; something we're all going to encounter in the next 5 years or so... probably.
Horntail Snail: https://www.fdacs.gov/content/download/93400/file/horntail-snail-pest-alert.pdf (https://www.fdacs.gov/content/download/93400/file/horntail-snail-pest-alert.pdf)
Growing plants on Mars: https...2020-11-2421 minJolly Green ScientistsEp. 12. Fraternal Twin of Ethylene in PlantsACC, or more commonly known as 1-Aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid on the streets, is a precursor to ethylene, the compound most known for its ability to ripen fruit. ACC was not thought to have its own set of functions, but this recent article supports otherwise. A better understanding of plant physiology can lead to a whole new area of plant research, which includes potential management strategies.
Citation:
Van de Poel, B. 2020. Ethylene’s fraternal twin steals the spotlight. Nat. Plants. 1–2. 2020-11-1020 minJolly Green ScientistsEp. 11. Bacteria in Whiteflies and Diabolical Ironclad BeetlesI've received reports of large migrations of whiteflies recently in the landscape, from Dallas, Austin and even east Texas regions. It's not uncommon to see large clouds of whiteflies when cotton is 'defoliated' in preparation for harvest; however, whiteflies often need some time to get used to their new plant host (acclimation). Changes in endosymbionts, bacteria found inside the insect that commonly have a mutualistic positive relationship with the insect, are a potential explanation for host shift acclimation. For fun, we also talk about the diabolical ironclad beetle and it's incredibly resilient properties that make engineers interested enough to study.
...2020-10-2734 minJolly Green ScientistsEp. 10. Murder Hornet 'Slaughter Phase' and Plant GuttationThe Asian Giant Hornet is one of the many plagues that's hit us in 2020; but as fall approaches, it's thought they will enter the slaughter phase, when they can take out an entire bee hive within hours. Fortunately for us in Texas, recent models suggest that the the Asian Giant Hornet won't establish in Texas due to our suboptimal climate (and because they take "Don't mess with Texas" seriously).
We also discuss new findings on the importance of plant guttation as a nutritional resource for insects and the potential implications for systemic insecticides.
Citations:
Matsuura, M., and S. F. Sakagami. 1973...2020-10-1330 minJolly Green ScientistsEp. 9. Poison Ivy Getting Worse and Beetles Escape Through Frog's Rear EndIncreasing levels of CO2 is one of the driving factors for global climate change. This same CO2 also happens to be vital for plant growth via photosynthesis. As a result, fast-growing plants, such as poison ivy, are actually becoming more abundant and more hazardous.
https://www.southernliving.com/news/poison-ivy-more-poisonous-bigger-climate-change?fbclid=IwAR24gBcp2fknpLYUcnG6IDvLEndKF6RyMhAUqFDgYiWbpoSWsHIN0kXll3A (https://www.southernliving.com/news/poison-ivy-more-poisonous-bigger-climate-change?fbclid=IwAR24gBcp2fknpLYUcnG6IDvLEndKF6RyMhAUqFDgYiWbpoSWsHIN0kXll3A)
If you were eaten by a frog, how would you survive? Well, these water beetles survive by swimming 'downstream'.
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/water-beetle-frog-eaten-alive-escape-death-butt-excretion?fbclid=IwAR2OhiL1...2020-09-2900 minJolly Green ScientistsEp. 8. Watering potted poinsettiasPotted plants are arguably overwatered in the greenhouse and nursery industry. Over-watering can be considered a waste of water, results in leaching of pesticides and fertilizers, and can promote plant pathogens. In this episode, we discuss a study that uses various sensors to assess plant stress to determine how much watering can be reduced before the plant is 'too stressed'.
For the full article:
Nackley, L. L., E. Fernandes de Sousa, B. J. L. Pitton, J. Sisneroz, and L. R. Oki. 2020. Developing a Water-stress Index for Potted Poinsettia Production. HortScience. 55: 1295–1302.2020-09-1500 minTalking BugsEp. 7. Dr. Anjel Helms, Texas A&M UniversityDr. Helms investigates questions regarding chemical cues between predators, herbivores, and their plants, and how their interact both below and above-ground. In this interview, we learn more about a specific study that looked at how chemical cues from a below-ground predator could potentially 'prime' plant defenses against above-ground herbivores. For the full study, check out:
Helms, A. M., S. Ray, N. L. Matulis, M. C. Kuzemchak, W. Grisales, J. F. Tooker, and J. G. Ali. 2019. Chemical cues linked to risk: Cues from below-ground natural enemies enhance plant defences and influence herbivore behaviour and performance. Funct. Ecol. 33: 798–808.2020-09-0800 minJolly Green ScientistsEp. 7. Whiteflies on PoinsettiasA common assumption is that ornamental plants must be perfectly clean when they hit the retailer. No pests. Nada. This assumption is unrealistic and rather harmful. By making this assumption, we limit our pest management decisions to options that are most likely to kill all the insects: synthetic insecticides. However, how true is it that synthetic insecticides give us perfectly clean plants? And if "zero" pests is unrealistic, what is? Listen to this episode to learn more about a study looking at whitefly densities on poinsettia cuttings received by growers and finished poinsettias that make it to the retailer.
Citation:
...2020-09-0100 minTalking BugsEp. 6. Dr. Juliana Rangel, Texas A&M UniversityDr. Juliana Rangel is an Associate Professor at Texas A&M University. Her research lab focuses their work on honey bee health, studying subjects such as bee viruses, pesticide residues in bee wax, and honey bee nutrition.
For the full research article:
Payne, A. N., T. F. Shepherd, and J. Rangel. 2020. The detection of honey bee (Apis mellifera)-associated viruses in ants. Sci. Rep. 10: 1–8.2020-08-2500 minJolly Green ScientistsEp. 6. Jolly Green CrimeWe often associated federal crimes with illegal drugs, guns or human trafficking, but rarely do we consider that selling plants and insects can be illegal, especially if imported without a permit. In this episode, we discuss two popular science articles that discuss federal investigations into plant and insect smugglers.
Full articles:
Jani Actman (2019). Demand for exotic pets and collectors' items drives a flourishing illegal trade in beetles, spiders, and more. National Geographic: Wildlife Watch. (https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2019/09/bug-smuggling-big-business/)
Rob Walker (2020). Texas's cactus cops battle to save rare desert beauty from smuggling gangs. The Guardian. (https://www.theguardian.com...2020-08-1800 minTalking BugsEp. 5: Dr. Patrick Rydzak: High-resolution meltingDr. Rydzak currently works for the F.B.I. He made his way there through studying plant viruses that are vectored by insects. In this episode, we learn about what motivated Dr. Rydzak, how he learned about opportunities to work for the F.B.I., and his recent research that used a combination of multiplex PCR and high-resolution melting to discriminate between several viruses found in cereals.
Watch the full interview at: https://youtu.be/XzcbryqQuSs (https://youtu.be/XzcbryqQuSs)
Research Publication:
Rydzak, P., Ochoa Corona, F.M., Whitfield, A.E., Wayadande, A.C., 2020. Combining multiplex PCR and high-resolution melting...2020-08-1100 minJolly Green ScientistsEp. 5. Cucumber Mosaic Virus Increases Plant FertilityThe cucumber mosaic virus is a plant virus vectored by aphids. The virus can decrease yields, which would ultimately result in the plant produce less progeny. In a natural environment, we would expect high virus pressure to quickly result in selection for virus-resistant plants. However, the virus counteracts the negative impact on plant fertility by manipulating plant physiology to make it more attractive to pollinators!
Full citation below:
Groen, S.C., Jiang, S., Murphy, A.M., Cunniffe, N.J., Westwood, J.H., Davey, M.P., Bruce, T.J.A., Caulfield, J.C., Furzer, O.J., Reed, A., Robinson, S.I...2020-08-0400 minTalking BugsEp. 4: Dr. Astri Wayadande: ElectropenetrographyDr. Astri Wayadande is known for her work in our understanding of insect feeding. Using a technique referred to as electrical penetration graph or electropenetrography, sucking insects are integrated into a low-voltage circuit. Upon feeding, the insect completes the circuit and different electrical signal patterns indicate different types of feeding behavior.
Watch the full interview at: https://youtu.be/1DiA9pUOr-Q (https://youtu.be/1DiA9pUOr-Q)
Research article:
Wayadande, A.C., E.A. Backus, B.H. Noden, T. Ebert and J. Hillyer. 2020. Waveforms from Stylet Probing of the Mosquito Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) Measured by AC-DC Electropenetrography. J. Med. Entomol. 57:353–368. (ht...2020-07-2800 minJolly Green ScientistsEp. 4. Impact of Soil Fungi on Milkweed PlantsThe soil harbors all kinds of fungi; some beneficial and some detrimental to the health of plants. A specific class of fungi, known as arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) form a symbiotic relationship with the roots of plants that's associated with over 80% of plant species globally. These fungi can help alter plant defense traits against herbivores or help provide nutrients to plants. In episode, we digest a study specific to AMF of milkweed plants and how it can impact performance of monarch butterfly caterpillars and aphids.
Full citation to study:
Meier, A. R., & Hunter, M. D. (2018). Mycorrhizae alter toxin sequestration...2020-07-2100 minTalking BugsEp. 3: Dr. Brent Sinclair: Insect Cold Tolerance (Pt. 2)In this second part, we learn about a recent publication exploring a new potential organism for studying freeze tolerance. Dr. Brent Sinclair is known for his research in low and high temperature tolerance of arthropods, such as fruit flies and crickets. Some insects can tolerate being completely frozen and thawing out alive, whereas others cannot. This is the second part of a two-part episode with Dr. Sinclair.
Watch the video interview at: https://youtu.be/tfX570tQooE (https://youtu.be/tfX570tQooE)
(Orthoptera: Gryllidae). J. Insect Physiol. 113:9–16. (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30582905/)2020-07-1400 minJolly Green ScientistsEp. 3. Basil Downy Mildew, Crown Shyness and Hating on Bradford PearsMr. Stanton Gill wrote an article in GrowerTalks (https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=24625 (https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=24625)) entitled Basil Downy Mildew Field Observations. We'll discuss some of is main discussion points there, from when it first showed up in the USA, symptoms, and resistant cultivars.
In some forests, tree canopies exhibit an interesting behavior in which the leaves and branches will form a 'jigsaw'-like pattern, with leaves and branches avoiding actually touching. Several hypotheses have been expressed for why this happens which is explored in a JSTOR Daily article that we discuss together (https://daily.jstor.org...2020-07-0700 minTalking BugsEp. 2: Dr. Brent Sinclair: Insect Cold Tolerance (Pt. 1)Dr. Brent Sinclair is known for his research in low and high temperature tolerance of arthropods, such as fruit flies and crickets. Some insects can tolerate being completely frozen and thawing out alive, whereas others cannot. Dr. Sinclair shares some of his stories during his early career as a graduate student and postdoc. This is the first part of a two-part episode with Dr. Sinclair.
Watch the video interview at: https://youtu.be/vnoyovW-nXw ( https://youtu.be/vnoyovW-nXw)2020-06-3000 minJolly Green ScientistsEp. 2. Great Basin Bristlecone Pine vs the Pine KillerThe mountain pine beetle is a devastating pest of pine forests in the west coast of North America. The beetle will bore into and kill healthy trees, much like the Emerald Ash Borer that has recently been detected in Texas. In this episode, we explore how one tree species, the bristlecone pine, is able to defend against the mountain pine beetle.
Full citation of article discussed:
Bentz, B.J., Hood, S.M., Hansen, E.M., Vandygriff, J.C. and Mock, K.E. (2017), Defense traits in the long‐lived Great Basin bristlecone pine and resistance to the native herbivore mountain pine be...2020-06-2300 minTalking BugsEp. 1: Dr. Jenny Cory - Insect PathogensDr. Jenny Cory is a Professor and Thelma Finlayson Chair in Biological Control at Simon Fraser University (https://www.sfu.ca/) in British Columbia, Canada. She is also the Director of the Masters in Pest Management Program; a research-based masters that has slightly more numerous and focused coursework in the area of integrated pest management.
We have an interesting conversation about insect viruses and how they may relate to the current global pandemic (SARS-CoV-2).
Citation for the scientific paper discussed:
Redman, E.M., K. Wilson and J.S. Cory. 2016. Trade-offs and mixed infections in an obligate-killing insect pathogen (https://pubmed...2020-06-1600 min
PlanthropologyJolly Green ScientistsSend us a textHow about a bonus episode? Listen to Episode 1 of the Jolly Green Scientists podcast that I'm co-hosting with Erfan Vafaie! It's fun and sciencey and great! Do us a huge favor and subscribe to the show wherever you like to listen to podcasts and drop us a review on Apple or Podchaser. It'll help with our exposure early on and let us know we're headed in the right direction! Links to the show in all the places are below!Apple: https://apple.co/2ML2AsAPodchaser: https://bit.ly/2XMCmML 2020-06-1231 minJolly Green ScientistsEp. 1. Intro & Insecticides Causing Secondary Pest OutbreaksLearn a bit about the two hosts of the show, Erfan Vafaie and Vikram Baliga, how their aspirations to become medical doctors led to become lowly poor scientists, and how they found their passion for insects sand plants.
In this episode, we also digest an article by Szczepaniec and colleagues (2013) that seeks to understand a commonly observed phenomena; some plants treated with neonicotinoid insecticides appear to increase in spider mite populations.
Neonicotinoids are a class of insecticides that include imidacloprid, dinotefuran, and thiamethoxam (to name a few) and are considered systemic; applications to the soil are taken up by the...2020-06-0900 min
Planthropology19. Real Talk, Oranges, and Total 4-Year-Old Anarchy w/ Bradley BaligaSend us a textI'll be honest, my heart is super heavy this week and I struggled with today's episode. Between my first plan falling through and just not feeling my backup idea, I was pretty lost until I remembered this little recording I did with my son Bradley from the end of March. It's silly, kind of pointless, and chaotic, and I hope it's a fun distraction from...well all the everything going on. Hang in there, friends. Be bold, smart, and kind in all your interactions and in your lives. **************************************************************************************************************This...2020-06-0235 minTalking BugsIntro: Talking Bugs TrailerInsects are some of the most important organisms impacting humans every day; from the deadliest animals (mosquitoes) to those eating our agricultural crops. They also have several incredibly fascinating characteristics that we can learn from, such as freeze tolerance and swarm intelligence.
Every episode, I will interview a new entomologist to learn about how they became entomologists and discuss some of their most recent research. Episodes will be released every two weeks through all major podcast distributors and videocasts pushed to YouTube at this playlist here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCYwYzl9aZxrkNsFf2yGPXx50Jv1unWFp2020-05-2601 minJolly Green ScientistsIntro: Jolly Green Scientists IntroductionOn this show, we'll digest data from scientific research and popular science magazines (such as GrowerTalks) related to horticultural sciences; whether we're talking about insects or plant production practices. The two hosts are:
Erfan Vafaie, Extension Program Specialist II, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Vikram Baliga, Greenhouse Manager and Instructor of Horticulture, Texas Tech University2020-05-1900 min
Planthropology9. Entomology, PhDs, and Sci-fi Monsters w/ Erfan VafaieSend us a textWhat's up, Plant People? Let's talk about insects. Come on, you know you want to. It'll be fun. Everyone's doing it. You guest today is Texas A&M AgriLife Extension IPM specialist, Erfan Vafaie. We had an incredible conversation about insects, science, life, and moving from Canada to East Texas. You're going to love it. Check out the links below to find Erfan and follow all the cool things he does!Six Legged Aggie:FacebookInstagramTwitterYouTubeWebsiteAs always, thanks so...2020-03-0347 min
Kiepersol Texas PodcastCard 53 Comedy | Brad Johnson | ep 19
Card 53 Comedy | Brad Johnson | ep 19 - Kiepersol Texas Podcast
Today we are joined by Brad Johnson who does improv comedy in Tyler, Texas! Card 53 Comedy has been around for 10 years now, playing shows in East Texas. You can find them playing at Liberty Hall and they are sponsored by True Vine Brewing Company!
These 90-minute shows are well worth attending on multiple occasions, because no two shows are exactly the same. Everything is off the cuff, each show, including multiple shows that happen on the same day! This a great date night...2019-04-0815 min