How to Improve IPM in Specialty Crops
Virginia Tech Entomologist Alejandro Del-Pozo to Give Next Seminar
Applied insect ecologist Alejandro Del-Pozo, assistant professor at Virginia Tech, will speak on “Expanding the Toolbox: Applied Research for Improving Integrated Pest Management (IPM) in Specialty Crops” at the next seminar hosted by the UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology.
Del-Pozo, who specializes in applied insect ecology and turfgrass and orgnamentsl will deliver the seminar at 4:10 p.m., Monday, May 13 in 122 Briggs Hall and also on Zoom. The Zoom link:
https://ucdavis.zoom.us/j/9 5882849672
"This seminar will present an overview of the research efforts conducted by the applied insect ecology lab at Virginia Tech," he writes in his abstract. "Nursery crops and turfgrass are used as study cases to better understand pest biology and ecology. During this seminar, the audience will learn more about pest phenology in-field monitoring, landscape ecology, alternative control tactics such as mating disruption, remote sensing and releasing beneficial insects with drones. The ultimate goal of conducting this research is to provide science-based solutions and improve pest management programs among affected stakeholders.”
Del-Pozo has worked at Virginia Tech's Hampton Roads Agricultural Research and Extension Center since August 2020. He previously served as an IPM and entomology advisor for the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR). He worked in Salinas, conducting research and extension on pest management of lettuce and cole crops. Del Pozo received his bachelor's degree in agronomy from the La Molina National Agrarian University in Lima, Peru, in 2003, and his master's degree in entomology from Washington State University in 2011. He obtained his doctorate in entomology from North Carolina State University in 2016.
For any Zoom technical issues, contact seminar coordinator Brian Johnson at brnjohnson@ucdavis.edu. The full list of spring seminars is here.
UC Davis ENT Department Ranked Third in the Country
The UC Davis Department of Entomology and Nematology is ranked third among “The Best Entomology Colleges in the United States for 2024" by universities.com. The department includes 24 active and 19 retired faculty; 28 graduate students (five in the master's degree program and 23 in the doctoral degree program); 47 undergraduate entomology majors (based on the Office of Academic Support and Instructional Services (OASIS) Student Reports); and a staff comprised of 27 academics (non-faculty), 24 career, and 56 student assistants. Professor and chair of the department is molecular geneticist and physiologist Joanna Chiu. Community ecologist Rachel Vannette, associate professor, serves as the vice chair.