Author Erfan VafaiePosted on Categories PresentationsLeave a comment on Crapemyrtle bark scale (and other scale) in the landscape: an integrated pest management approachA presentation covering some of the main scale insects found in the Texas landscape, basic biology, phenology, and management. This presentation focuses particularly on crapemyrtle bark scale and cycad aulacaspis scale.
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Chase Martin joined the Texas A&M Agrilife family after graduating from the University of North Texas with a B.S. Biology Degree in 2018. Chase has been involved in research with crapemyrtle bark scale since 2019, working under the supervision of the now-retired Dr. Mike Merchant, Extension Specialist at the Dallas Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center. After Dr. Merchant’s retirement (2020), Chase has continued to work on several research projects on crapemyrtle bark scale at the Dallas center as a part of the Six Legged Aggie Team, including residual efficacy of drench insecticides, impact of fire ants on crapemyrtle bark scale populations, and impact of natural enemy exclusion on crapemyrtle bark scale.
Grace Levy joined the Six-Legged Aggie Team in May of 2021. She graduated with a B.S. in Biology in 2018 and graduated with a M.S. in Entomology and Plant Pathology in 2020. As part of her Master’s research, she studied types of host plant resistance in wheat against bird cherry-oat aphids (Rhopalosiphum padi). Grace is now involved in the crapemyrtle bark scale research including phenology studies and interactions between red imported fire ants and crapemyrtle bark scale.
In her free time, Grace enjoys reading, camping, traveling, playing board games, and spending time with her husband and two dogs.
Author Erfan VafaiePosted on Categories PresentationsLeave a comment on Common landscape scale insects of TexasWebinar delivered on March 2nd, 2021 organized by Rainbow Treecare Scientific Advancements. This presentation includes detailed information about crapemyrtle bark scale, cycad aulacaspis scale, and a quick ‘field-guide’ style view of several other common scale insects of Texas.
Dr. Samuel Vezenegho is has been added as an invaluable member of the SixLegged Aggie Team. He earned his PhD in Medical Entomology and a Master of Science with distinction in Molecular Cell Biology, from the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. During this time, he focused on the systematics and insecticide resistance mechanisms in African malaria mosquito vectors. Dr. Vezenegho completed a post-doctoral fellowship as a lead scientist with Institute Pasteur, Cayenne, French Guinea, where he elucidated malaria transmission mechanisms in different epidemiological context. He has presented his research findings at international conferences, supervised team of researchers in the field and published over 10 peer review scholarly articles in international journals linkedin.com/in/samuel-vezenegho.
Dr. Vezenegho’s current research interest aim to use cutting edge molecular biology techniques to answer key questions that will unravel insecticide resistance mechanisms and vector competence in both mosquito vectors and agricultural insect pest. His ultimate goal is to develop novel vector control tools that will form a vital component in integrated pest management strategy.
Are you wondering if Dr. Samuel Vezenegho has a life outside of science? Wonder no more, yes, he does! Affectionately known as Samy Vez in the dance scene, he is a long-time social dancer and a dance instructor who teaches Kizomba, a partner dance from Angola. He was a finalist in the Urban Kiz category of the 2018 North America Kizomba Olympiads. He has learned invaluable leadership skills from top-notch leaders in the sciences, and from teaching partner dance. He has also done copious amounts of leadership research, which he combined with his lived experience to develop a Kizomba-based leadership training course for teams and organizations.
Author Erfan VafaiePosted on Categories GNRCW, ProgramsLeave a comment on Texas A&M Greenhouse and Nursery Webinar Series – 2020We are particularly excited about our Greenhouse and Nursery Webinar Series this year. This program has traditionally been a single-day in-person program with 5 speakers (Texas A&M Greenhouse and Nursery Symposium). However, due to concerns surrounding COVID-19 this year, we have opted for converting this program into a web series. This gives the attendees the ability to only register for talks that are most relevant to them and gives us the flexibility to invite speakers from all across the nation. See below for speaker and registration information.
End of November till second week in December, from 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm each day. See speakers below for specific dates.
Online through Zoom. Registration is separate for each speaker. See below for details.
Continue reading “Texas A&M Greenhouse and Nursery Webinar Series – 2020”
Author Erfan VafaiePosted on Categories Efficacy Trial, ResearchLeave a comment on Pradia and UpTake – Green Peach Aphid SuppressionWe tested Pradia as a foliar and three different drench rate applications, as well as KleenGrow as a foliar application, to suppress green peach aphids on potted pansies.
Pradia as a foliar application may have provided greater suppression by 3 days after treatment compared to the drench applications; however, all Pradia treatments (all drench rates and foliar application) provided very good suppression (>95%) of green peach aphids by 7 days after treatment.
KleenGrow provided suppression of aphids by 3 days after treatment (~50%), which resulted in reduced aphids throughout the trial.
For the full report, visit the publication in Arthropod Management Tests:
Erfan Vafaie, Christine Pawlik, Insecticidal Control of Green Peach Aphid on Pansies, 2020, Arthropod Management Tests, Volume 45, Issue 1, 2020, tsaa096, https://doi.org/10.1093/amt/tsaa096
Mr. Newburn has been working on the Six Legged Aggie Team since late 2018. He worked for the previous extension program specialist in IPM (Dr. Scott Ludwig) and brings expertise gained from working at one of the ornamental facilities nearby. He is an invaluable asset to the team.
Author Erfan VafaiePosted on Categories PresentationsLeave a comment on Landscape and Ornamental PestsThis slide set is intended for the Master Volunteer Entomology Training on October 14th, 2020. The set contains information on general integrated pest management, basics of insect identification (larval forms), covers basics of some of the most common culprits (life cycles and identification), and covers management basics.
Landscape and Ornamental Pest Management Presentation Handout
Author Erfan VafaiePosted on Categories PresentationsLeave a comment on Master Gardener Entomology Training – IPM V2The PDF presentation slide set provided in this post are an updated version of the IPM section of the master gardener entomology training. All other components stayed as the original and can be found here. The updated slide set contains additional information about insect trapping and pesticide toxicity.
