The main emphasis of my research and extension program is to improve insect pest management in field crop systems that (a) increases economic benefit for growers, and (b) promotes environmentally friendly tactics. Improved practices target major field crop industries in South Carolina (corn, grain sorghum, cotton, soybean, and tobacco). In addition to addressing clientele needs by conducting research that can be rapidly implemented by growers (e.g., insecticide efficacy and timing, development of economic thresholds, evaluating varieties with resistance to insect pests), my program also strives to address challenges that require a more long-term focus, such as understanding insect dispersal and crop colonization, determining how transgenic crops impact pest biology, or elucidating the feeding behavior of insect herbivores.
