1 / 14

Gratiana boliviana Releases in Georgia and Alabama

Gratiana boliviana Releases in Georgia and Alabama. Amy Roda and Stephen Hight USDA APHIS PPQ CPHST USDA ARS CMAVE. Goals. Establish populations tolerant of northern conditions Create field insectaries to serve as source for other northern locations

zubin
Download Presentation

Gratiana boliviana Releases in Georgia and Alabama

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Gratiana boliviana Releases in Georgia and Alabama Amy Roda and Stephen Hight USDA APHIS PPQ CPHST USDA ARS CMAVE

  2. Goals • Establish populations tolerant of northern conditions • Create field insectaries to serve as source for other northern locations • Develop a method to evaluate the impact of Gratiana boliviana • Evaluate the impact of Gratiana boliviana

  3. Evaluation -1x1 m patch • Count all plants • Measure the five tallest plants • % composition that TSA • Count fruits • Photo • GPS center

  4. Evaluation -100’ Line 2005 # of branches crossing line 2006 added 1 m swath each side line height of plants % TSA of area # fruits & flowers # larvae & adults

  5. Kenny’s Site, Coffee Co. AL 2005 • 2,650 beetles released • Transect set – 2 lines with 6 1x1 m patches 2006 • Beetles survived winter • 2,350 beetles released 2007 • Beetles survived winter, located on site edges • No beetles released June 05 June 06 June 07

  6. Kenny’s Site, Coffee Co. AL

  7. Brook’s Site, Geneva Co. AL 2005 • 2,650 beetles released 2006 • Beetles survived winter despite cultural practices • 2,350 beetles released • Transects set – 6 lines 2007 • Beetles survived winter, located ca. 100 m from release • 1,850 beetles released site edges June 05 June 06

  8. Mapleville Site, Chilton Co. AL 2006 • 3,300 beetles released Aug. • Individual plants measured (height, width, length) 2007 • Beetles survived winter • 3,000 beetles released • Transects set – 4 lines August 06 June 07

  9. Herd Farm-Trail Site, Bainbridge, GA 2005 • 2,600 beetles Decatur Co. • Transect lines – only crossings counted • 1X1 m patches 2006 • Beetles survived winter/cultural practices • 1,000beetles released 2007 • No beetles found • No beetles released June 05 June 05 June 06 June 07 June 06

  10. Herd Farm-Trail Site, Bainbridge, GA

  11. Herd Farm-Pond Site, Bainbridge, GA 2006 • Site located in Aug • Transects set – 4 lines • 1,000beetles released 2007 • Beetles survived winter/cattle • 5,250 beetles released in surrounding area August 06 June 07

  12. Late November Site Visits • All stages present • Plant die back • Patches green material Coffee Co. AL 12/1/06 Chilton Co. AL 11/30/06 Chilton Co. 12/1/ 06 Geneva Co. GA 11/30/06

  13. Future Efforts • Continue evaluation of sites • Discontinue release of G. boliviana • Determine impact of over-wintering population • Release new agents • Bainbridge site/new sites

  14. Questions/Discussion • When do we consider the beetles to be “established”? • TSA plants appear very ephemeral & affected by environmental conditions (drought, farm practice, cows, etc.). How do we measure impact of the beetles? • How do we measure seasonal population changes when plots no longer have TSA? • Grant: Explore how biological control of a weed that serves as a virus reservoir helps reduce the virus spread to commercial crops.

More Related