Advancing IPM in the Southeast: Small Fruit and Tobacco Pest Management at NCSU

Lorena Lopez, Assistant Professor in Entomology, North Carolina State University

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is the combination of multiple pest management methods against pests of economic importance. In agriculture, these methods often include pest monitoring, the use of action thresholds to schedule pesticide applications or biocontrol agent releases, and cultural practices such as sanitation or early planting. IPM is essential for berry production in North Carolina due to berry pests’ ubiquity, exacerbating infestations and increasing the need for sustainable agricultural practices. Traditional pest control methods often rely heavily on chemical pesticides, which can also lead to pest resistance to pesticides, making them less effective over time. Therefore, implementing IPM practices is crucial for managing pest populations sustainably, protecting the environment, and ensuring the long-term viability of berry farming in North Carolina.

Berry crops in North Carolina, including blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries, are constantly threatened by a range of important pests. These include native and invasive (but established) pests such as spotted-wind drosophila (Drosophila suzukii), twospotted spider mites (Tetranychus urticae), fruitworms (cherry fruitworm, Grapholita packardi and cranberry fruitworm, Acrobasis vaccinii), broad mites (Polyphagotarsonemus latus), and potential invasive threats such as chilli thrips (Scirtothrips dorsalis) and pepper thrips (Thrips parvispinus). The impact of these pests can be devastating, causing substantial yield losses, reducing crop quality, and leading to increased production costs due to the need for frequent pesticide applications.

As an Assistant Extension Professor in the Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology at North Carolina State University (NCSU), my program plays a crucial role in addressing the pest challenges berry growers face in North Carolina. Through a combination of extension and research efforts, my program is dedicated to advancing IPM practices. These practices aim to reduce reliance on pesticides, promote the use of biological control and cultural practices, and enhance crop health and productivity, thereby benefiting the berry farming community in North Carolina. My vision at NCSU encompasses several initiatives designed to address the complex challenges faced by berry growers in North Carolina:

1. Conducting state-wide field surveys and pest monitoring programs to identify infestations caused by native and invasive insect and mite pests. Traditional monitoring tools (e.g., trapping, in situ counts) and innovative sampling tools (image sampling, georeferencing and prediction modeling, multispectral data collection using drones, and plant scanning) are used to identify pests and diagnose arthropod pest infestation levels. This data helps identify pest hotspots and informs targeted management strategies.
2. Documenting the biology and ecology of invasive pests new to North Carolina to inform pest and disease management programs. Understanding pest life cycles, behaviors, and interactions with natural enemies is critical for developing effective IPM strategies against invasive pests in the Southeastern region, which have the potential to establish themselves in the state, such as chili thrips and pepper thrips. It is my job as an Assistant Extension Professor in entomology to train extension agents and berry growers to identify these insects, the injuries, and the damage they may cause and put together mitigation plans against possible future pest threats.
3. Developing and disseminating educational materials, including pest alerts, fact sheets, and instructional videos, to help growers identify and manage arthropod pests and the viral diseases they transmit. Organizing interactive educational activities such as workshops, In-Service training sessions, and field days to provide hands-on training on pest and disease identification and IPM practices.
4. Utilizing precision agriculture tools to generate distribution models and interpolation maps, demonstrating the dispersal patterns of pests and natural enemies (predators and parasitoids) within and around berry plantings. This approach helps optimize monitoring programs and pest management strategies to optimize the use of pesticide applications and biological control.

I am currently engaged in multiple state-wide extension and research berry projects that overlap multiple of the key initiatives mentioned above, including surveying invasive thrips species in strawberries, blueberries, and blackberries (in collaboration with George Kennedy, Jim Walgenbach, and Sriyanka Lahiri), as well as arthropod vectors of plant viruses in blackberry crops (in collaboration with Bill Cline and Dorith Rotenberg), monitoring longhorn beetle infestations in blueberries (in collaboration with r. Gareth Powell), and evaluating the compatibility of predatory mites and pesticides for pest management in strawberries (with support from the NC Strawberry Association). Collaboration is the cornerstone of my work, and I am committed to fostering strong partnerships with berry growers in the region, extension agents, fellow researchers, and industry representatives to tackle pest challenges more effectively. For instance, my involvement with the team of specialists at the Southern Region Small Fruit Consortium allows me to contribute to the development of IPM guides for blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries, tailored to the specific needs of Southern small fruit growers. These guides provide practical, research-based recommendations that growers can implement to improve their pest management programs.

My program’s long-term research and extension goals will include a broader range of pests and berry crops, continuously adapting to emerging challenges in agricultural pest management. I aim to establish a robust, adaptive IPM program that evolves with the changing landscape of pest pressures and environmental conditions. I also plan to increase the reach and impact of my extension efforts by organizing more farm visits and hands-on activities, such as workshops, field days, and in-service training sessions. These interactive educational activities foster a deeper understanding of IPM practices among growers and extension agents.

Lorena Lopez, Ph.D., Assistant Extension Professor in entomology, focused on small fruits and tobacco IPM at NCSU

If you have any questions about my program or ideas for collaboration, please feel free to contact me via email (llopezq@ncsu.edu) or phone (919 515 4415).

Together, we can make a lasting impact on small fruit agricultural practices in North Carolina and beyond.