Reduce populations of the aggressive invasive weed, brazilian peppertree by the development of a newly approved biological control agent

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) received a $242,090 cooperative agreement award from the United States Department of Agriculture Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) under the agency's Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025).

The award will support UTRGV's efforts from June 1, 2023 to May 1, 2024 to reduce invasive Brazilian peppertree populations through the development and evaluation of a newly approved biological control agent. UTRGV will mass produce, distribute, and assess the safety and impact of releasing thrips to biologically control the target weed. Activities include mass producing the agents, conducting field releases across the weed's invaded range, and evaluating the agents' effect on Brazilian peppertree. This environmentally safe and cost-effective approach to weed control aligns with APHIS' program goals of protecting U.S. agriculture from economically damaging pests and diseases.

This environmentally safe, cost-effective, and sustainable means of weed control will be a ccomplished with the mass production, distribution, and evaluation of the approved biological control agents. Methods will be developed to mass produce, release, detect, evaluate the safety and impact of the thrips on the target weed. Activities will include the M ASS production of agents, field releases throughout the invaded range, and evaluation of the impact of these agents on the target weed.