Arun Babu

Cooperative Extension Entomology Advisor
UC Cooperative Extension - Imperial County
1050 East Holton Road
Holtville, CA 92250-9615
(442) 265-7708
arbabu@ucanr.edu Create VCard

Biography

Arun Babu is the University of California Cooperative Extension Entomology Advisor for Imperial County. He is responsible for developing and implementing research and education programs on managing insect pests of vegetables, forage, field, and specialty crops in Imperial County.
 
Before joining UC Cooperative Extension, he worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Georgia, focusing on developing behavioral and chemical management of the invasive spotted-wing drosophila in small fruit crops. Babu earned his undergraduate degree in Agricultural Science from Kerala Agricultural University, Kerala, India. During his master's studies at Mississippi State University and Ph.D. studies at North Carolina State University, he worked extensively on field crop IPM, focusing on pests such as brown stink bugs, corn earworms, and aphids in various crops. Altogether, Babu has over thirteen years of experience in pest management on various cropping systems.
 
As an Entomology Advisor for Imperial County, Babu is committed to working with growers, PCAs, industry partners, government agencies, and other stakeholders. He is dedicated to developing practical, cost-effective solutions for the various pest management problems faced by the growers in Imperial County.

Education

Ph.D. Entomology, North Carolina State University. 2018
M.S. Entomology, Mississippi State University. 2013
B.S. Agricultural Science, Kerala Agricultural University. 2008

Discipline

Entomology

Specialty

Entomology

Bibliography

Peer Reviewed

  • Babu, A., and A. A. Sial. 2024. Validation of vacuum extraction protocol for larval sampling of spotted-wing drosophila in blueberries. Front. Agron. 6: 1385740.

  • Babu, A., E. M. Rhodes, C. Rodriguez-Saona, O. E. Liburd, C. G. Fair, and A. A. Sial. 2023. Comparison of multimodal attract-and-kill formulations for managing Drosophila suzukii: behavioral and lethal effects. PLoS One. 18: e0293587.

  • E. M. Rhodes, A. Babu, A. A. Sial, and O. E. Liburd. 2023. Potential alternatives to spinosad as the killing agent mixed with two attractant products in attract-and-kill formulations used to manage the spotted-wing drosophila, Drosophila suzukii (Diptera: Drosophilidae). J. Econ. Entomol. 116: 202-208.

  • Babu, A., R. Adhikari, and A. A. Sial. 2023.Vacuum Extraction- an effective larval sampling method for spotted-wing drosophila in small fruit crops. J. Econ. Entomol. 116: 1750-1759.

  • Babu, A., C. Rodriguez-Saona, and A. A. Sial. 2022. Comparative adult mortality and relative attractiveness of spotted-wing drosophila (Diptera: Drosophilidae) to novel attract-and-kill (ACTTRA SWD) formulations mixed with different insecticides. Front. Ecol. Evol. 10: 846169.

  • Chandasir, N., A. Babu, and A. A. Sial. 2022. Comparing the efficacy of Entrust SC mixed with and without a novel adjuvant, Combi-protec, in managing spotted-wing drosophila in blueberries, 2021. Arthropod Manag. Tests 47: 1-2.

  • Chandasir, N., A. Babu, and A. A. Sial. 2022. Comparing the efficacy of insecticides mixed with and without a novel adjuvant, combi-protec, in managing spotted-wing drosophila in blueberries, 2021. Arthropod Manag. Tests 47: 1-2.

  • Babu, A., B. Panthi, and A. A. Sial. 2022. Efficacy of an innovative nanoparticle-based formulation for managing spotted-wing drosophila in blueberry, 2021. Arthropod Manag. Tests 47: 1-2.

  • Babu, A., R. Adhikari, and A. A. Sial. 2022. Evaluating Entrust 2SC added with the adjuvant combi protec in managing spotted-wing drosophila in blueberries, 2021. Arthropod Manag. Tests 47: 1-2.

  • Bryant, T. B., A. Babu, D. D. Reisig. 2021. Brown stink bug, Euschistus servus (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), damage to seedling corn and impact on grain yield. J. Insect Sci. 21: 1-9.

  • Babu, A., D. D. Reisig, M. P. Pes, C. M. Ranger, N. Chamkasem, and M. E. Reding. 2021. Effects of chlorantraniliprole residual on Helicoverpa zea in Bt and non?Bt cotton. Pest Manag. Sci. DOI: 10.1002/ps.6263

  • Babu, A., C. L. DiLorenzo, and A. A. Sial. 2021. Efficacy of attract-and-kill formulations using the adjuvant ACTTRA SWD OR1 for the management of spotted-wing drosophila in blueberries, 2020. Arthropod. Manag. Tests 46: 1.

  • Babu, A., C. Rodriguez-Saona, A. Mafra-Neto, and A. A. Sial. 2021. Efficacy of attract-and-kill formulations using the adjuvant ACTTRA SWD TD for the management of spotted-wing drosophila in blueberries, 2020. Arthropod. Manag. Tests 46: 1.

  • Babu, A., S. Neupane, Z. Williams, and A. A. Sial. 2021. Efficacy of selected insecticides for managing spotted-wing drosophila in blueberries, 2020. Arthropod. Manag. Tests 46: 1.

  • Babu, A., C. Rodriguez-Saona, A. A. Sial. 2021. Factors influencing the efficacy of novel attract-and-Kill (ACTTRA SWD) formulations against Drosophila suzukii.  J. Econ. Entomol. 115: 981-989.

  • Babu, A., A.I. Del Pozo-Valdivia, and D. D. Reisig. 2020. Baseline flight potential of Euschistus servus (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) and its implications on local dispersal. Environ. Entomol. 49: 699-708.

  • Babu, A., and D. D. Reisig. 2020. Efficacy of selected insecticides for managing aphids in cotton, 2019. Arthropod. Manag. Tests 45: 1.

  • Babu, A., and D. D. Reisig. 2020. Efficacy of selected insecticides for managing brown stink bug in corn, 2019. Arthropod. Manag. Tests 45: 1.

  • Britton, T., A. Babu, and D. D. Reisig. 2019. Evaluating the application timing and efficacy of bifenthrin for managing brown stink bug in corn, 2018. Arthropod. Manag. Tests 44: 1.

  • Babu, A., D. D. Reisig, J. F. Walgenbach, R. W. Heiniger, and W. Everman. 2019. Influence of weed manipulation in field borders on brown stink bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) densities and damage in field corn. Environ. Entomol. 48: 444-453.

  • Babu, A., and D. D. Reisig. 2018. Developing a sampling plan for brown stink bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in field corn. J. Econ. Entomol. 111: 1915-1926.

  • Babu, A., and D. D. Reisig. 2018. Within-plant distribution of adult brown stink bug (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in corn and its implications on stink bug sampling and management in corn. J. Econ. Entomol. 111: 1927-1939.

  • Babu, A., D. R. Cook, M. A. Caprio, K. C. Allen, and F. R. Musser. 2014. Prevalence of Helicoverpa zea (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on late season volunteer corn in Mississippi: Implications on Bt resistance management. Crop Prot. 64: 207-214.

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