Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** the diamondback moth (DBM) is a…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** the diamondback moth (DBM) is a global pest of brassica crops that is a limiting factor in the successful production of brassica crops throughout much of the US, especially the mid-atlantic and southern regions. The elevated severity of this insect compared to other lepidopterans attacking brassicas is due to producer's high reliance on synthetic insecticides for management and IT's proclivity to develop resistance to a broad range of insecticides. Resistance to >100 active ingredients representing virtually all classes of insecticides has been documented. The goal of this ardp project is to enhance the IPM toolbox for sustainable production of brassica crops through the use of mating disruption to manage the DBM, leading to reduced insecticide inputs, increased levels of biological control, and improved profitability of brassica production. This goal will be met by meeting the following objectives: 1) develop optimum use strategies of pheromone-mediating mating disruption for management of DBM in both greenhouse transplant and commercial field production of brassicas; 2) compare brassica insect management programs with and without DMB mating disruption in large plot field trials on the efficacy of pest suppression, total insecticide inputs, impact on biological control, and economics of pest management programs; and 3) conduct an extension program to educate brassica growers and supporting industries on the use of mating disruption for DBM management. The project aligns with the applied research priorities of the cppm program, which includes development of new pest management tools and tactics, increasing the understanding of interactions among management tactics, conducting field-scale experiments over multiple seasons, and outcomes that reduce pest populations and provide tools for making management decisions