Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Minutes of the 2007 NCERA-148 Annual Meeting Saint Paul, MN, Oct. 4-5, 2007 Chairman Tom Sappington opened the meeting at 8:30 AM on Oct. 4, 2007. Bill Hutchison provided local arrangements information. Attendees briefly introduced themselves. Tom Sappington asked that we recognize the work of Pete Lingren, a retired USDA-ARS research entomologist and long-time NCR-148 member who died on Sep. 8, 2007. John Westbrook discussed the history and work of Dr. Lingren related to dispersal, to NCERA-148, and to other scientific organizations dealing with aerobiology. Several members noted the strong influence that Pete Lingren had on the initiation and development of their careers. Minutes of the 2006 meeting were unanimously approved. Membership Committee (Scott Isard and Rob Venette) Membership has increased dramatically. Much of this is due to the initiation of a working group focusing on migratory lepidopterans, now known as LAMS (Lepidoptera Aerobiology Modeling Systems) Working Group, and the affiliation of this group with NCERA-148. Venette will participate on this committee. Meagher asked about ARS scientists acting as state reps in areas where no other person serves in that capacity. Policies currently vary among states. Land-grant administrators may be reluctant to commit travel resources for ARS scientists, and ARS scientist typically are not requesting travel funds. Our NCERA-148 group strongly welcomes ARS scientists, whether or not they are allowed to function as state reps. The value of serving as state reps occurs when no other person is serving in that capacity, thus helping communicate activities and information beyond the ARS lab per se. Magarey may be able to become the state rep from North Carolina. Venette will ask about Wisconsin state-rep status. Meagher will probably not represent Florida, but would like to remain active in NCERA-148. Magarey noted the need for more representation from Plant Pathology, and agreed to help recruit Plant Pathologists. Website Committee (Rob Venette and Scott Isard) Last years decision to move the NCERA-148 Web site to Penn State University with Annalisa Ariatti serving as site manager has been completed. This website is at www.ncera148.psu.edu/ Contact Annalisa Ariatti using aua15@pus.edu. Participants expressed much appreciation for Annalisa's efforts and praise for the new website. State reports (as pdfs) are posted. LAMS minutes, and a dependency network built through Netweaver, are posted. Future upgrades would be to link this website to NIMMS. Venette suggested that links to participants programs websites be sent to Annalisa and linked to the NCERA website. Reprints related to migration and dispersal can be posted to the website. Reprint pdfs for posting should be sent to Annalisa. Fleischer moved that the email distribution list be transferred to the webmaster (Annalisa at present). The intent is to have one person maintaining changes to that list. Currently, that list is transferred annually to the incoming secretary. Moving this to the webmaster could improve continuity, and enable links to emails of all participants. Motion passed unanimously. Awards Committee (previously Casey Hoy and David Byrne) No report. Need replacement chair. Hutchison volunteered. Also David Byrne was volunteered to continue on the committee. A list of previous awardees has been prepared, but needs posted on website. Impact Writing Committee (Rick Hellmich) Ravlin and Meyer emphasized the meaning and utility of impact statements. They represent the current currency with federal and state legislatures, often transmitted through legislative aides and Congressional liasons. Impact statements need to be short, written for a lay audience. Nomination Committee (John Westbrook and Shelby Fleischer) John Westbrook and Shelby Fleischer nominated Roger Magarey as the candidate for secretary/treasurer, who was elected by a unanimous vote. Site Committee (site proposed during the 2006 NCERA-148 meeting) Roger Magarey recommended the CPHST (Center for Plant Health Science and Technology, USDA, APHIS) in Raleigh, North Carolina, as the site for the 2008 Annual Meeting, which was unanimously approved. The meeting will be held during Oct. NCERA-148 meetings have traditionally alternated between states within and outside the North Central region, so North Carolina would be appropriate for 2008. CSREES Report (Richard Meyer) 2008 Federal budget currently on a continuing resolution through November, which means currently revert to authorized levels for 2007. 2007 Omnibus budget zerod all special earmarks, moved funds to Hatch. Current House / Senate vary with respect to where CSREES funds fall  into or out of NRI. Differences currently exist in eligibility of 406 and NRI programs, which needs to be reconciled. Could delay Request for Applications (RFA). Usually 406 program RFA comes out in Feb., paneled in May. If 406 programs pulled into NRI, then it is currently unclear how that process might be affected. Farm Bill underway. Both REE agencies change in current drafts. CSREES changed to a newly formed National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). Director will be a political appointee with a 6-year term. This model is more similar to NIH and NSF. The hope is to have greater influence, appropriation, and growth under this new model. The risk is to be more greatly influenced by the political process. CREATE21 website was discussed. Recent staff changes include a new Secretary of Ag (Chuck Connors) as the recent one resigned to run for a political office; a new undersecretary (Gail Buchanan), and two National Program Leader vacancies due to retirements (Horticulture, Agronomy). Amy Rhodes position is being refilled. Anticipate that many earmark programs will return, but with sunset provisions. Administrative Advisor (Bill Ravlin) Bill Ravlin, who is replacing D. Hogg, introduced himself. He brings scientific expertise in entomology, professional experience as a faculty member and Experiment Station Research Director, and institutional experience from Michigan State, Virginia Tech, and Ohio State. He noted that he appreciates this assignment for its multiple disciplines, institutions, and activities, and because it is directly relevant to some of his scientific interests and past experiences, notably with gypsy moth. State Reports. Bullet summaries are listed below; extensive State Reports are provided separately and will be uploaded to the website (http://www.ncera148.psu.edu/index.htm ). State reports due to secretary (Fleischer) by Nov. 1. Florida (Rob Meagher and Rod Nagoshi) Monitoring exotic Spodoptera spp. Found S. littura in Homestead, outside of inspection area. Started mass trapping. Taxonomy requires characters from male genitalia. Mitochondrial CO1 gene is polymorphic for the corn strain, and haplotype ratios among able to distinguish between TX versus FL source locations. Northward tracking from these sources using haplotype ratios underway. Minnesota (Bill Hutchison, Ian MacRae, Rob Venette) Used Helicoverpa zea dispersal information with growers, via the NIU forecasting (~2,500 hits/day during the summer) and Pestwatch (expanded to ~540 sites). Western bean cutworm continuing eastward expansion. Growing pheromone network run through Iowa state, organized through Marlin Rice. Becky Simmon has CO1 species diagnostic marker. HYSPLITused to understand/project green peach aphid migration into Red River Valley, which is important due to virus-vectoring in potatoes and seed potatoes. Results published in Ag Forest Meterology. Northern Illinois University (Dave Chagnon and Mike Sandstrom). Synoptic patterns of Helicoverpa zea migration into Midwest defined from ~20yr weather events from Brian Flood, Del Monte Foods. Used to develop synoptic forecasting system. Information on source critical, Pestwatch system helps. Forecasting requires machine / human interface. Iowa (Tom Sappington) Demonstrated patterns of interference among several lepidopterans in their attraction to pheromone traps when traps contain lures of >1 species. Flight mill studies with European corn borer defined behavioral patterns, flight durations, duration of longest flight, and speed. Considered influence of mating status, gender, age. Demonstrated evidence of an obligatory flight phase in European corn borer. Stronger for females. Dispersal propensity and capacity is high for both sexes at all ages whether mated or not. Lifetime capacity, at least 150 miles based on genetic marker data. Gene flow studies with Dr. Kyung Seok Kim and Dr. Nick Miller (boll weevil, European corn borer, western corn rootworm). With Dr. Kyung Seok Kim, boll weevil population assignment studies conducted on boll weevils being captured in central Texas eradicated zone to help identify source region of immigrants. Ten microsatellites used to profile populations from southern US. Data suggest captures in Lubbock area in 2006 coming from low-density endemic population. Minnesota (Rob Venette) Invasion biology work on Mediterrean pine engraver, 1st found in US in California in 2004. Data suggesting wide host range, including ability to complete development. Climex modeling, along with data on supercooling point (-20 C) used to estimate potential geographic range. Mark-release-recapture studies initiated. Molecular diagnostics of Copitars decolra, an invasive noctuid, ongoing, using CO1 gene. Classical biocontrol initiated for soybean aphid. Looking into potential of parasitoid in alate. North Carolina (Roger Magarey) Noted need to be aware of both human- and atmospheric-mediated dispersal. CPHST considers both, and uses Pest Risk Assessment methods through their Risk Analysis Lab. Some recent / current work includes soybean rust, Scirtothrips dorsalis, currant-lettuce aphid, gladiolus rust, downy mildew forecasting. Both NAPPFAST and PIPE technologies advanced and used. Suggested broader participation, beyond academic researchers and Extension, to include, for example, industry, seed companies (e.g., ASTA), crop consultants, government. Suggested adding a day to the next NCERA-148 meeting to develop engagement with this broader group of stakeholders. Perhaps through, or leading to, a conference (NSF or NRI funding?), tentatively named Industry PIPE Stakeholders Meeting. Roger agreed to lead this effort. Scott, Ian, Shelby agreed to participate. Ohio (Andrew Michel) Replacing Casey Hoy as the Ohio representative to NCERA-148. Brings population genetics. Range expansion currently being defined in western Ohio for Western bean cutworm, the rotation-resistant variant of Western corn rootworm, soybean aphid. Overviewed work with Rhagoletis pomonella, advancing understanding of sympatric speciation though host and geographic associations, and life stage synchronies. Ohio State is currently advertising for faculty position in Molecular Insect-Plant Interactions. Anticipate two additional positions: Landscape Ecologist; and Insect biologist. Pennnsylvania (Scott Isard) Three graduate students completed degrees, from three disciplines: T. Leslie (Entomology), J. Dauer (Crop and Soil Science), J. Zidek. Seven relevant websites on-line. Soybean rust: improving parameterization of aerobiology models through research on escape of rust spores, microclimate and rate of within-field spore dispersal, wet- and dry- deposition, adhesion of spores. Evaluation of spore trapping methods. Integrated Aerobiology Modeling System (IAMS) operating and its structure, domain, and data sources discussed. Used in Legume PIPE: 17,797 observations from ~2,000 sites. HYSPLITforecasts produced daily, archived. Meteorology undergrad interns, working with P. Knight, develop daily risk maps. Consider source, transport, deposition, infection potential. Ragweed project developing. Weed invading Europe. Pollen data network, plant phenology model, pollen production. Pollen transport to be added. Lepidopteran Aerobiology Modeling System (LAMS) intitiated. Texas (Westbrook) Announced Aerobiology Symposium scheduled for San Antonio in early January. Boll weevil: HYSPLITand pollen in use to define dispersal relevant to eradication efforts. P. Pietrantonio defined spatio-temporal dynamic patterns of pyrethroids resistance in Helicoverpa zea, and HYSPLITmodeling integrated with these data to explain dispersal patterns influencing these genetic/phenotypic dynamics. Diurnal dispersal and feeding of Brazilian freetail bats being determined, and its influence on crop protection through feeding on noctuids (corn earworm, fall armyworm, tobacco budworm, beet armyworm) being defined. Effects show economic savings to growers through bat conservation. Meeting adjourned for October 4, 2007. Meeting opened on October 5, 2007 at 8:30 am. A series of invited presentations followed: Shelby Fleischer (Penn State) delivered a presentation on the Lepidoptera Aerobiology and Modeling System (LAMS) initiative. David Changnon and Mike Sandstrom (Northern Illinois Initiative) delivered a presentation on Forecasting Helicoverpa zea long distance migration. John Westbrook (USDA-ARS, Texas) delivered a presentation on HYSPLITatmospheric dispersal model: Utility for aerobiology. Nick Miller (USDA-ARS, Iowa) delivered a presentation on Population genetics strategies for characterizing insect movement. Kyung Seok Kim (USDA-ARS, Iowa) delivered a presentation on Spatial and temporal characterization of gene flow among European corn borer populations using microsatellite markers. Katie Ellis (Penn State) delivered a presentation on Effects of wind direction and crop maturity on intra- and inter-field dispersal of European corn borer females. Mark Asplin, J. Hardin, and D. Byrne (Univ. MN, Univ. AZ) delivered a presentation on The relationship between pre-ovipositional flight behavior and reproduction in female whitefly parasitoids. Final business meeting: Roger Magarey nominated for secretary for 2008. Motion approved unanimously. The Committee expressed thanks to Bill Hutchison and Rob Venette for handling all the local arrangements. Tom Sappington thanked Shelby Fleisher and John Westbrook for their efforts as Secretary and Vice Chair. John Westbrook thanked Tom Sappington for leadership of NCERA-148. Meeting adjourned at 12:35 PM on Oct. 5, 2007.

Not applicable to NCERA 148.

Dauer J.T., D.A. Mortensen, and R. Humston. 2006. Controlled experiments to predict horseweed (Conyza canadensis) dispersal distances. Weed Science 54: 484-489. DeWolf, E.D., and S.A. Isard. 2007. Disease cycle approach to plant disease prediction. Annual Review of Phytopathology 45:9.1-9.18. Fleischer, S. J., G. Payne, T. Kuhar, A. Herbert, Jr., S. Malone, J. Whalen, G. Dively, D. Johnson, J. A. Hebberger, J. Ingerson-Mahar, D. Miller, and S. Isard. 2007. H. zea trends from the northeast: Suggestions towards collaborative mapping of migration and pyrethroid susceptibility. Plant Health Progress, doi:10.1094/PHP-2007-0719-03-RV. Isard, S.A., E.D. DeWolf, J.M. Russo, 2006. The Establishment of a National Pest Information Platform for Extension and Education Online. Plant Health Progress, doi:10.1094/PHP-2006-0915-01-RV. Isard, S.A., N.S. Dufault, M.R. Miles, G.L. Hartman, J.M. Russo, E.D. De Wolf, and W. Morel, 2006. The effect of solar irradiance on the mortality of Phakopsora pachyrhizi urediniospores. Plant Disease 90:941-945. Isard, S.A., J.M. Russo, and A. Arriatti. 2007. Aerial transport of soybean rust spores into the Ohio River Valley during September 2006. Aerobiologia, (in press). Isard, S.A., D.A. Mortensen, S.J. Fleischer, and E.D. DeWolf. 2008. Application of Aerobiology to IPM. Radcliff, E. and W. Hutchinson (eds.), IPM Textbook, Cambridge Press, (in press). Jallow, M. F. A., and C. W. Hoy. 2005. Phenotypic variation in adult behavioral response and offspring fitness in Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) in response to permethrin. Journal of Economic Entomology, 98: 2195-2202. Jallow, M., and C. W. Hoy. 2006. Quantitative genetics of adult behavioral response and larval physiological tolerance to permethrin in diamondback moth Plutella xylostella (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) Journal of Economic Entomology, 99(4): 1388-1395. Jallow, M., and C. W. Hoy. 2007. Indirect Selection for Increased Susceptibility to Permethrin in Diamondback Moth (Plutella xylostella) (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae). Journal of Economic Entomology, 100(2): 526-533. Kim, K. S., B. S. Coates, R. L. Hellmich, D. V. Sumerford, and T. W. Sappington. 2007. Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci from the European corn borer, Ostrinia nubilalis (Hübner) (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Crambidae). Molecular Ecology Notes, OnlineEarly Article, doi: 10.1111/j.1471-8286.2007.01974.x. Kim, K. S., S. T. Ratcliffe, B. W. French, L. Liu, and T. W. Sappington. 2007. Suitability of EST-derived microsatellites as population genetics markers in a beetle. Journal of Heredity (in press). Leslie, T. W., G. A. Hoheisel, D. J. Biddinger, J. R. Rohr, and S. J. Fleischer. 2007. Transgenes sustain epigeal insect biodiversity in diversified vegetable farm systems. Environmental Entomology 36: 234-244. Leslie, T. W., W. van der Werf, F. J. J. A. Bianchi, and A. Honek. 2008. Evidence for coupled population dynamics of three aphid species and a shared predator. Agricultural and Forest Entomology (in press). Magarey, R. D., D. M. Borchert, G. L Fowler, T.G. Sutton, M. Colunga-Garcia, and J. A. Simpson. 2007. NAPPFAST, an internet system for the weather-based mapping of plant pathogens. Plant Disease 91:336-345. Miller, N. J., M. Ciosi, T. W. Sappington, S. T. Ratcliffe, J. L. Spencer, and T. Guillemaud. 2007. Genome scan of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera for genetic variation associated with crop rotation tolerance. Journal of Applied Entomology 131: 378-385. Nietshcke, B., R. D. Magarey, D. M. Borchert, D. D. Calvin, and E. M. Jones. 2007. A developmental database to support insect phenology models. Crop Protection 26: 1444-1448. Nietshcke, B., D. M. Borchert, R. D.Magarey, and M. A. Ciomperlik. 2007. Climatological potential for Scirtothrips dorsalis (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) establishment in the United States. Florida Entomologist (in press). Pietrantonio, P. V., T. A. Junek, R. Parker, D. Mott, K. Siders, N. Troxclair, J. Vargas-Camplis, J. K. Westbrook, V. A. Vassiliou. 2007. Detection and evolution of resistance to the pyrethroid cypermethrin in bollworm, Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae) in Texas. Environmental Entomology 36: 1174-1188. Reardon, B. J., and T. W. Sappington. 2007. Effect of age and mating status on adult European corn borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) dispersal from small-grain aggregation plots. Journal of Economic Entomology 100: 1116-1123. Spencer, J.L. 2006. Tracking movement of mate-seeking WCR males between refuges and transgenic corn. Illinois Natural History Survey Reports, Summer 2006, No. 388, p.1. Westbrook, J.K., R.S. Eyster, C.T. Allen. 2007. A model evaluation of long-distance dispersal of boll weevils. pp. 337-344. In: Proceedings of the Beltwide Cotton Conferences, New Orleans, LA, Jan. 9-12, 2007. Dissertation/theses in movement and dispersal arena: Tim Leslie dissertation: Insect diversity and dynamics in agroecosystems adopting transgenic crops. Pennsylvania State University. Joe Dauer dissertation: From emergence to impact: the role of the environment in facilitating dispersal of Conyza Canadensis. Pennsylvania State University. Jeremy Zidek, M.S. thesis: Phakopsora pachyrhizi urediniospore escape for a soybean canopy. Pennsylvania State University. David L. Dorhout, M.S. thesis: Ecological and behavioral studies of the western bean cutworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in corn. Iowa State University. Websites related to NCERA-148 objectives maintained by PSU/ZedX researchers: NCERA-148 Migration and Dispersal of Biota www.ncera148.psu.edu/ Pest Watch of Sweet Corn: www.pestwatch.psu.edu Ragweed Forecasting System; www.ceal.psu.edu/ragweed.htm Computational Epidemiology and Aerobiology Laboratory (CEAL) www.ceal.psu.edu Pan-American Aerobiology Association: www.paaa.org IPM PIPE (Public website) sbrusa.net IPM PIPE (Restricted access website) aphis.zedxinc.com