Pests and Crop Protection

CFAN 3001 – Entomology Module

Lecture: MW 8:30 – 9:20; Lab: F 8:30 – 10:25Lecture: 132 Plant Growth; Lab: Hodson Hall 485

Web page, www.ipmworld.umn.edu

Dr. Bill Hutchison, 219 Hodson Hall: 612-624-1299, hutch002@umn.eduAmy Morey (TA, Lab Section, 485 Hodson Hall), morey041@umn.edu

Science - The art of deriving sufficient conclusions from insufficient data.

(Study of the Universe)

Biology – Study of Life

Zoology – Study of Animals

Entomology – Study of Insects

Insects are the most prevalent taxa in our environment

Attract human attention when they occur in LARGE numbers

What causes change in abundance, dispersion, and diversity? (Insect Ecology)

Entomology: a pest-based discipline

Identification

• Pest Management – first step is to know what insect(s) are present

• What stage is easiest to control• How many are too many• What tactics can be used

– Prevention– Therapeutic (insecticide)– Impact of control on the agroecosystem

Classification

• Systematics - study of the classification of related organisms based on ancestral characters (Phylogenetics)

• Taxonomy is the science of naming organisms

Species Name

• All organisms have a Latin “binomial”. The Genus and species

• Examples: Leptinotarsa decimlineata Say

Latin Names

• Latin names are descriptive

• Used worldwide

• Key to the scientific literature

Leptinotarsa decimlineata Say

Classification Hierarchy

• Kingdom• Phylum• Class • Order• Family• Genus species

• Kings play chess on Friday’s generally speaking

Principle Features of Phylum Arthropoda and Class Insecta

1. SEGMENTED BODY - with three principal body regions

a. Head (fusion of 5 or 6 six segments into a functional unit – Tagmosis)

b. Thorax (locomotor tagma) c. Abdomen (digestive and reproductive

organs)2. Exoskeleton comprised of CHITIN3.TRACHEAL system for gas exchange4. One pair of ANTENNAE

WHAT MAKES AN ANIMAL AN INSECT?

Class Insecta

• Order classification primarily based on– structure of:

• wings• mouthparts• metamorphosis

1.Development of wings – in Carboniferous (Pterygota: Paleoptera)

2.Wing Flexion – (Pterygota: Neoptera)3.Metamorphosis

a. Simple – (Exopterygota)1)Orthopteroid Orders 2)Hemipteroid Orders (sucking mouthparts)

b. Complex – Holometabolous (Endopterygota)1)Bees, wasps, ants2)Beetles3)Flies4)Butterflies/moths

Major events in Insect Evolution

See lab manual for details

Insect Diversity

Small size

Ability to fly

Unique body

High reproductive capacity

Metamorphosis

- takes little food to mature to reproductive age

- escape enemies, adverse environmental conditions

- waxy layer, strong exoskeleton, jointed legs

- e.g. CPB female can lay 3000 eggs

- adults and young use different resources

Why are insects so abundant?

World-wide entomologists have described about 1 million species, systematists estimate between 2 and 10 million

There are about 100,000 species described in the U.S.

15,000 - 20,000 insect species in Minnesota

Q: How many (%) are pests? < 1% are injurious - ca. 3,000 species worldwide

600 pest insects in the United States

Facts you should know about insects

1. Insects live in every habitable place on earth except ocean floor 2. Chief consumers of plants on the planet

3. Major predators of plant eaters

4. Key role in decay of organic matter

5. Key role as food for other organismsa) In some human cultures insects comprise 10% of the diet

6. Nearly 1 million described species a) From from 2 to 10 million yet to be described.b) Outnumber humans by nearly 200 million to 1

Insect Abundance and Diversity

Injury to crops

DIRECT or INDIRECT injury

Injury to Humans and animals

Blood feeding - disease transmission

Internal & External Parasites

Annoyance

Injecting toxic substances

Destroy stored products and possessions

How Do Insects Cause Damage?

A living organism that occurs in such numbers and places so that it is inconvenient to human health, economics, comfort, or aesthetics.

Pest -

- An insect which favorably affects humans with the result of its actions or products.

Beneficial Insect

Losses in AgriculturePreharvest 13.0%

Postharvest 3.5%

TOTAL 16.5%

Annual loss in the U.S. about $7 billion annually to insects

IPM - an ecologically based pest control strategy that maintains pest species below the economic injury level by use of the most appropriate and environmentally sound methods available.

IPM - Integrated Pest Management

Pest Control

The application of technology, in the context of biological knowledge, to achieve satisfactory reduction of pest numbers or effects.

Control Strategies

1. Natural

2. Biological

3. Cultural

4. Legislative and Regulatory

5. Mechanical and Physical

6. Genetic

7. Chemical

What is a Land-Grant Institution?

1. Established by an act of Congress in 1862, known as the Morrill Act. a. “Donating Public Lands to the several States and Territories

which may provide Colleges for the Benefit of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts. …..an amount of public land …. equal to thirty thousand acres for each senator and representative in Congress.”

b. Land sales funded establishment of the University of Minnesota. c. Mandate was to: “…teach agriculture, military tactics, and the

mechanical arts as well as classical studies”.

2. Hatch Act – 1887, Established the Agricultural Experiment Stations

3. Extension Service – Smith-Lever Act, 1914, “In order to aid in diffusing among the people of the United States useful and practical information on subjects relating to agriculture…..”