- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Chemical ecologist Elvira Simone de Lange, a postdoctoral researcher in the Christian Nansen lab, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, has received a three-year $249,878 federal grant that involves using drones to detect the early infestation of spider mites, and then targeting the pests with biocontrol agents.
The grant is from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program.
Her research project, "Unmanned Aerial System (UAS)-Guided Releases of Predatory Mites for Management of Spider Mites in Strawberry," aims to identify “very subtle differences in reflectance of the strawberry canopy, indicating spider mite-induced stress,” she said. “Releasing predatory mites in these spider mite hotspots will increase their efficacy as biocontrol agents, enhancing sustainability of spider mite management practices in strawberry.”
In her successfully funded proposal, she noted that “Farmers are requesting in-depth testing of how UAS can be integrated successfully into strawberry production to improve management practices.” UAS, or drones, can monitor large areas in a short period of time. California produces 88 percent of the nation's strawberries, with an annual value of approximately $2.6 billion.
The three-year project, now underway through March 2020, also explores the use of drones as a novel, effective way of distributing the predatory mites.
The grant also calls for educational outreach programs, with hands-on workshops and lectures on spider mite sampling at grower and agriculture professional meetings throughout the California strawberry growing region. Growers outside this area will be reached through publications in trade journals and other grower media.
Multiple species of spider mites infest the state's strawberry fields. The twospotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, an annual pest of strawberries in all growing regions, is the predominant species in strawberries grown on the Central Coast, according to the UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management Program's Pest Management Guidelines (PMG), written by lead author and IPM specialist Frank Zalom, distinguished professor of entomology, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.
The mites suck plant juices. The damage can result in decreased fruit size and yield. Mite-feeding symptoms include dense webbing, and dry, brittle and discolored leaves.
“Twospotted spider mite feeding is particularly damaging during the first two to five months following transplanting in late summer or fall,” according to the PMG.
A native of The Netherlands, de Lange joined the Nansen lab in March 2016. She received her bachelor's degree in biology, and her master's degree in plant biology from Utrecht University, The Netherlands. She earned her doctorate in chemical ecology from the University of Neuchâtel, Switzerland. Her first postdoctoral position was at Rutgers University, New Jersey, where she worked on insect resistance in cranberries.
Overall, she hopes her research meshing chemical ecology, entomology, plant-arthropod interactions and biological control in the fields of integrated pest management and precision agriculture solutions, will “lead to the development of novel, sustainable pest management practices.”
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Carey, described as “a truly outstanding teacher,” was named a semifinalist and received a $1000 honorarium. Approximately 100 applicants began the initial process.
“Dr. James Carey epitomizes the scholar-teacher,” said Cherry Award committee member Kevin Dougherty, associate professor of sociology. “He is a prodigious author with multiple books and hundreds of research articles. Millions of dollars in grants have funded his research. Yet, Dr. Carey has done more than produce knowledge. He is an innovative, international leader in interdisciplinary teaching and learning. He is an entomologist who teaches courses on aging, crime, and war to classes ranging in size from 20 to 200 plus. Over a thousand instructional videos also feature Dr. Carey. Dr. James Carey is the type of exemplary scholar-teacher for which Baylor University's Robert Foster Cherry Award for Great Teaching exists.”
The Cherry Award program is “designed to honor great teachers, to stimulate discussion in the academy about the value of teaching, and to encourage departments and institutions to value their own great teachers.” Nominees are from all over the English-speaking world.
The three finalists, to present a series of lectures in the fall of 2017, are Heidi G. Elmendorf, biology, Georgetown University; Neil K. Garg, chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles; and Clinton O. Longenecker, leadership, The University of Toledo. Each receives $15,000, and the home department, $10,000, to foster the development of teaching skills. The winning professor, to be announced in spring 2018, will thus receive a total of $265,000, and $35,000 for his or her home department.
Carey, who joined the UC Davis faculty in 1980, is nationally and internationally recognized for his innovative teaching program that centers on the strategic use of digital technology. He received the 2015 Distinguished Achievement in Teaching Award from the Entomological Society of America (ESA); the 2014 Distinguished Teaching Award from the Pacific Branch of ESA; and the UC Davis Academic Senate's 2014 Distinguished Teaching Award, an honor given to internationally recognized professors who excel at teaching.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
They are
- Bio-micrometeorologist Ian Faloona, associate professor in the Department of Land, Water and Air Resources, who will speak on “The Universality of Our Fluid Motions: An Experiment in Geophysical Dance”
- Artist Chris Fraser of San Francisco, whose topic is “The Tethered Image”and
- Visual artist/filmmaker Alison O'Daniel of Los Angeles, who will discuss “Quasi-Closed Captions: The Tuba Thieves.”
The event, free and open to the public, takes place from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in Room 115 of the Music Building. A reception begins at 5:30, with the speaker presentations booked at 6 p.m., followed by conversations and rapid fire sharing at 6:45. Reservations are recommended; see ucdlaser03.eventbrite.com.
The LASER events engage the public as participants in conversations with artists, designers, scientists and technologies making significant contributions to their fields, according to coordinators Jiayi Young, assistant professor, Department of Design; and Diane Ullman, professor of entomology, UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.
Faloona, who holds a doctorate in meteorology from Pennsylvania State University, studied physical chemistry at UC Santa Cruz and conducted research in computational chemistry at Los Alamos National Lab before earning his doctorate. He served as a postdoctoral researcher in the Advanced Study Program at the National Center for Atmospheric Research before joining the UC Davis faculty.
Alison O'Daniel works across film, sculpture, performance and music, inviting audiences and collaborators "to navigate, de-construct and re-imagine sound." Her current film, “The Tuba Thieves,” is comprised of narrative film, performance and sculptures based on commissioned musical scores made in response to an epidemic of tuba thefts occurring in Los Angeles high schools. Her solo exhibitions have included Art In General, New York, and Samuel Freeman Gallery, Los Angeles. Among publications showcasing her work: The New York Times, Artforum, Los Angeles Times, and ArtReview. O'Daniel received her bachelor's degree in fibers and material studies from the Cleveland Institute of Art; a post-graduate diploma, fine arts, from Goldsmiths College, University of London; and her master's degree in studio art from UC Irvine.
Chris Fraser, who teaches photography at Mills College, Oakland, is an artist who makes perceptual apparatuses and environments modeled on historic image-making technologies. To Fraser, photographs are unbound by the time and place of their origin and able to meet anyone, anywhere at anytime. “Although much is gained through this freedom, distance is placed between the objects of the world and the images we make of them,” Fraser says. Through his work with apparatuses such as the camera obscura, Fraser says he puts “objects and their images back in dialogue with each other, sacrificing broad distribution for an experience of image that is local and ephemeral.” He will focus his talk on the relationship between objects and images, and how images are regarded when they are physically tethered in space and time to their object and the shifts that occur when the two drift apart. His talk will be accompanied by a live demo in a dark theatre.
The LASER events at UC Davis were launched by the UC Davis Art/Science Fusion Program, co-founded and co-directed by entomologist/artist Diane Ullman of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology, and self-described "rock artist" Donna Billick of UC Davis. Artist/plant scientist Anna Davidson of the UC Davis Art/Science Fusion Program recently moderated and coordinated the LASER events.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
Coordinating the memorial are his longtime friends and colleagues, Extension entomologist Frank Zalom, distinguished professor of entomology, and entomology project consultant Vonny Barlow, both of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. Barlow, the third graduate student in the Godfrey lab (1997) and who holds a doctorate (2006) from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), is assembling a slide show.
Attendees will be invited to speak in celebration of his life. Light refreshments will be served.
Dr. Godfrey, who was widely known for his research on applied insect ecology and integrated pest management (IPM) strategies, died April 18, succumbing to a six-year battle with cancer. He was 60.
At UC Davis, he taught arthropod pest management and agricultural entomology. He developed IPM strategies for not only rice and cotton but for such field and vegetable crops as alfalfa, dry beans, timothy grass, melons, mint and onions.
A member of the entomology department since April 1991, Dr. Godfrey served as its vice chair in 2008, and also that year, as president of the Pacific Branch, Entomological Society of America.
“Larry was an outstanding contributor to the department, not only as a researcher and teacher, but also in the effective ways that he connected with clientele through outreach,” said Steve Nadler, professor and chair of the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology. “He was a member of our department's Executive Committee and I could always count on Larry for sound advice.”
“Being the two Davis faculty with agricultural entomology extension duties, Larry and I shared a lot over the last 25 years and he was my closest colleague in our department when he passed today,” said Frank Zalom, IPM specialist and a past president of the Entomological Society of America. “I've always respected him for being quiet and humble despite his many accomplishments. He filled the shoes of several faculty members who retired before he came to Davis and he did his job exceptionally well. It's hard for me to imagine not having him nearby as the go-to entomologist for field crops, although his research, extension, and, most importantly his graduate students, will serve as his legacy for years to come.”
Said professor Jay Rosenheim: “Larry was a researcher who always placed the farmer's needs first. This is why he was so highly valued by California's growers of rice, alfalfa, cotton, and vegetable crops, and why his research program grew and grew over his years at Davis. He was also an excellent communicator, and epitomized the role of researcher/educator in the Land-Grant system. Despite his illness, he continued to work tirelessly on his pest management research, refusing to compromise on his commitments. His dedication to our profession was truly remarkable.”
Yolo County Farm Advisor Rachael Long, who collaborated with Dr. Godfrey on dry bean research, said: “He was an incredibly dedicated field crop entomologist and terrific colleague with team spirit, and his loss leaves a big hole in our lives and I'll miss him.”
“What I admired about Larry was his stoicism,” said former graduate student Mohammad-Amir Aghaee, now a postdoctoral fellow at North Carolina State University. “Nothing seemed to wear down his resolve.”
Dr. Godfrey, born July 7, 1956, grew up on an Indiana farm, and was a 1974 graduate of Salem (Ind.) High School. He received two entomology degrees from Purdue University, West Layfayette: his bachelor's degree in 1978 and his master's degree in 1980. He earned his doctorate in entomology in 1984 from the University of Kentucky, Lexington, studying with major professor Kenneth Yeargan. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, Phi Kappa Phi, Sigma Xi and Gamma Sigma Delta.
Said Yeargan: "As I stated in my letter of recommendation for Larry many years ago when he applied for the position at UC Davis, Larry was an outstanding 'synthesizer' of information. He had a knack for looking at a problem, thinking through all the ramifications, and coming up with logical, practical ways to approach the problem – and usually finding a solution. He will be missed by many." It was at the University of Kentucky where Larry met his wife-to-be, Kris Elvin, then a postdoctoral scholar.
Dr. Godfrey began his career as a product development specialist for Union Carbide Agricultural Products Co., Inc., Research Triangle, N.C., before joining the University of Nebraska's Department of Entomology from July 1987 to March 1991 as a research associate.
“Growing up on a farm in Indiana, I saw first-hand the ‘battles' that farmers and homeowners face trying to produce crops and grow landscape plants in competition with insects,” Dr. Godfrey recalled in an earlier interview. “I became fascinated with insects through the typical ‘bug-in-a-jar' hobby. A county Natural Resources Field Day cultivated my interest in entomology and this led to enrollment in the 4-H entomology project. By the time I was several years into the 4-H project, I was transporting a dozen wooden collection boxes full of pinned insects to the county fair.”
“My first summer job involved surveying for Japanese beetles as they progressed across Indiana. This was an invasive insect in the Midwest in the mid-1970s; this same insect is of serious concern now in California an invasive pest that could damage many crops—such as grapes—and ornamentals—such as roses.”
Dr. Godfrey was one of 24 founding members of the California Invasive Species Advisory Committee, appointed by then Secretary A. G. Kawamura of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, to recommend “ways to mitigate non-native species' effects on resources throughout the state.” The goal: to protect California's environment, food systems, human health and economy from invasive and destructive pests, plants and diseases.
At UC Davis, Dr. Godfrey zeroed in on invasive insect and mite pests such as silverleaf whitefly, panicle rice mite, and rice water weevil. In addition, he targeted scores of pests, including alfalfa weevils, blue alfalfa aphids, spotted cucumber beetles, and two-spotted spider mites. He researched plant response to insect injury, refining economic thresholds.He also researched various pest management tactics, including biological control, reduced risk insecticides, mating disruption, cultural control, and host plant resistance.
Highly respected by his peers, Dr. Godfrey received the Excellence in IPM Award in 2005 from the Pacific Branch, Entomological Society of America (PBESA), followed by the PBESA Distinguished Achievement Award in Extension in 2010. Nationally, he was elected chair of ESA's Section F (crop protection) in 2002.
For many years, he served as the advisor to the UC Davis Linnaean Games teams, which won regional (PBESA) and national (ESA) championships in college-bowl type competitions involving insect questions. He himself was on the championship 1983 University of Kentucky team, the second annual Linnaean Games in the North Central Branch of ESA “where it all started,” he said. “It was a few years before the other branches started this competition and several years before they did it at the national meeting.”
As part of his Extension work, Dr. Godfrey wrote publications, regularly met with growers, and delivered scientific talks at workshops. He addressed the annual California Rice Field Day for 25 years and also spoke at alfalfa IPM workshops, among others. He was a subject editor for the Journal of Cotton Science and the Journal of Integrated Pest Management. In addition, Dr. Godfrey served on many departmental, college and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources committees.
Funeral services took place Saturday, April 29 in his hometown of Salem, Ind. He is survived by his wife, Kristine Elvin Godfrey; his mother, Laura Godfrey; and sister, Carol Green and family. He was preceded in death by his father, Don Godfrey.
Memorial contributions are being made to pet rescue groups or groups that support young people interested in entomology or agriculture.
- Author: Kathy Keatley Garvey
He will speak at 10:45 a.m. on "Using Farmer Data to Improve Pest Management in California Citrus." The half-day meeting takes place in the UC ANR Building, 2801 2nd St., Davis, beginning at 8 a.m. with registration.
The agenda:
8:00-8:25
Registration
8:25-8:30
Introduction – Minghua Zhang, chair of the PUR analysis workgroup
8:30- 8:35
“PUR Data Helps DPR Make California a Better Place” – Brian Leahy, director of California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR)
8:35-8:40
“The Joys and Challenges of Managing PUR Gurus” – Joe Damiano, branch chief of Pest Management and Licensing, DPR
8:40-9:05
“The Use of PUR and Monitoring Data for the Protection of Surface Waters in California” by Dan Wang, Environmental Monitoring Branch, DPR
9:05-9:30
“How, Why, and So What? Answers from the School Pesticide Use Data Steward” by Eric Denemark, DPR
9:30- 9:55
“Air Pollution Challenges: Protecting the air we breathe by using PUR data as part of the regulatory development process” by Rosemary Neal, DPR
9:55-10:20
“Pesticides, Parks, and Priorities: A Tool for Monitoring Pesticides in California Natural Areas” by Erik Meyer, National Park Service
10:20-10:45
Break
10:45-11:10
“Using Farmer Data to Improve Pest Management in California Citrus” by Jay Rosenheim, Department of Entomology and Nematology, UC Davis
11:10-11:35
“Economic Effects of Regulations Restricting Pesticide Applications near School Sites” by John Steggall, California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA)
11:35- 12:00
“Using Behavior to Change Behavior: the Value of PUR Data in Entomology Education and Extension programs” by David Haviland, UC Cooperative Extension, UC ANR.
12:00-12:30
Discussion on what is next and summary
12:30 Workshop ends
Light refreshments and lunch will be provided upon registration by clicking at https://ucanr.edu/survey/survey.cfm?surveynumber=20565. Continued Education units are also available.
For questions: contact Steering Committee members.
- Minghua Zhang, mhzhang@ucdavis.edu, (530) 752-4953
- Kimberly Steinmann, Kimberly.steinmann@cdpr.ca.gov, (916) 445-7929
- Eric Denemark, Eric.Denemark@cdpr.ca.gov, (916) 324-3483
- John Steggall, jsteggall@cdfa.ca.gov, (916) 999-3013
