A Biocontrol for a Wide-Ranging Thrips

"A pest with a voracious appetite may have met its match in a predatory mite being evaluated as a biocontrol agent by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists in Fort Pierce, Fla. in collaboration with University of Florida researchers.

The chilli thrips is an invasive pest that feeds on leaves, turns them brown, kills new growth and attacks up to 150 crops, including peppers, strawberries, tomatoes, peanuts, cotton and a variety of ornamentals."

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Source: USDA Agricultural research service

Why Invasive Plants Take Over

"New research shows that two key causes of plant invasion--escape from natural enemies, and increases in plant resources--act in concert. This result helps to explain the dramatic invasions by exotic plants occurring worldwide. It also indicates that global change is likely to exacerbate invasion by exotic plants."
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Source: USDA Agricultural research service

Canopy Cover: The Secret to Gauging Plants’ Thirst

Scientists at the Agricultural Research Service’s Water Management Research Unit in Parlier, California, have confirmed that canopy-cover measurements are invaluable for growers, farm advisors, or irrigation consultants who want to determine precisely how much water a plant has used and currently needs.

“A bell pepper with a canopy cover of 40 percent may use, in a week, an inch of water—the amount you might want to replace the next time you irrigate,” says ARS research leader and agricultural engineer Tom Trout. Canopy-cover estimates, used in a standard equation for irrigation scheduling, provide a fast, accurate, dependable, and affordable way for growers to avoid overwatering their crops.

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Source:

USDA Agricultural Research Service