Tuesday, September 30, 2008

The Dance of The Bear and The Guardian Angel

Once upon a time on the west side of Chicago there was a boy, he had survived 1966, 1967, 1968, and 1969. Most of all he had survived thanks to the Guardian Angels. Now, we have one Guardian Angel that has decided to dance with a Bear. We will take a look at the story from the very beginning. 

My advice is play dead not stupid.

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G o o g l e genera automáticamente versions html de los documentos mientras explora la web.











Page 1


jimmy g. cheek



Senior Vice President

Agriculture and Natural Resources



perspective



the future of the university of florida’s institute of

food and agricultural sciences (uf/ifas) is bright.



Our

comprehensive educational and research programs

are ranked among the best, and our faculty are

among the nation’s most honored. UF/IFAS is well

positioned as a national and international leader to

meet new and continuing challenges.

UF/IFAS has an impressive history of accomplish-

ments. Our statewide teaching, research and exten-

sion programs have a tremendous impact in Florida,

the nation and in many other countries. Our

“society-ready” graduates are prepared for the

professional opportunities and challenges in today’s

changing job market. Our research achievements

range from developing basic scientific knowledge to

applied technologies that impact every agricultural

commodity and resident in Florida – as well as the

natural resource base and environment. Extension

education programs provide research-based infor-

mation to residents in every Florida county. When

it comes to county support for Extension education

programs, Florida leads the nation – a strong indi-

cation of the value of these programs to our citi-

zens. Since assuming my new role, I have been

impressed by the statewide support for our

programs.

These research and education programs are vital

for the continued success and sustainability of

Florida’s agricultural and natural resource indus-

tries, life sciences, families and youth.

To become one of the top two or three programs

in the nation, we must increase extramural support

for research and education programs, strengthen

graduate education, significantly enhance facilities,

increase public and private financial support, and

continue to attract and retain excellent faculty. In

addition, one of my primary goals is to increase

involvement of individuals and groups to help estab-

lish priorities, launch new initiatives and develop

support for our programs.

At a recent meeting of the Florida Agricultural

Council, a committee was established to restructure

and broaden the scope of the council. In addition,

regional advisory committees are being planned to

seek more local input for identifying priorities and

program initiatives. These regional committees will

also provide increased opportunities for communi-

cation with stakeholders, industry, state and county

leaders, and alumni. This will help UF/IFAS become

more relevant, responsive and valued in the years

ahead.

We have a national and internationally recog-

nized faculty, and we look to them for continued

improvements in productivity and program quality.

We must work together to develop better public and

private support for our programs.

This year the legislature is considering several key

initiatives to strengthen our research and educa-

tional programs. There is significant support for

these initiatives from our clientele. Initial meetings

with legislators and governmental officials have also

been very encouraging.

This issue of IMPACT presents examples of how

UF/IFAS faculty and staff members provide cutting-

edge research and education with local and global

impacts – enhancing our health, environment and

Florida’s economic well-being.




© copyright 2005 by the university of florida/ifas. all rights reserved



|



IMPACT



|



Spring 2005



news updates



4



Benefits of Canker

Eradication Outweigh Costs



5



The Nature Conservancy

Training Program



7



Agriculture in Space



8



Seminole County Inmates

Raise “Beneficial Bugs” for

UF and USDA Researchers



9



Growing Satsumas in the

Florida Panhandle



11



A Winning Combination

for Students!



A growing partnership between

agriculture and dentistry helps

students who want to become

dentists.



features



12



Stopping the Siege in

Santiago



UF/IFAS termite expert helps control

invasive pest in Chile.



16



Exotic Tree Termite

Eradicated



18



Managing the Mosquito

Menace



26



Mission Accomplished



UF/IFAS researchers declare victory in

mole cricket battle.



30



Helpful, Harmful or

Harmless?



UF/IFAS entomologists say most

insects are beneficial.



the institute of food and agricultural sciences magazine



|



vol. 21 no. 2



|



spring 2005



IMPACT is published

by the University of Florida’s

Institute of Food and Agricultural

Sciences and is produced by

IFAS Communication Services,

Ashley M. Wood, director.

EDITOR

Charles T. Woods

PHOTO EDITOR

Thomas S. Wright

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS

Marisol Amador

Josh Wickham

DESIGNER

Tracy D. Zwillinger

CONTRIBUTORS

Pat Bartlett

Tim Lockette

Julie Walters

COPY EDITORS

Chana J. Bird

Amanda K. Chambliss

Mary Chichester

For information about UF/IFAS

programs, call or e-mail Donald

W. Poucher, assistant vice president

for marketing and communications.

(352) 392-0437; info@ifas.ufl.edu

To change an address, request

extra copies of IMPACT, or to be

added to the mailing list, e-mail

Chuck Woods, ctw@ifas.ufl.edu, or

write Chuck Woods, P.O. Box 110025,

University of Florida, Gainesville,

FL, 32611-0025.

IMPACT is available in alternative

formats. Visit our Web site:

impact.ifas.ufl.edu



On the Cover



Jonathan Day, a professor of entomology at the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory in Vero Beach, evaluates

the effectiveness of various insect repellents against mosquitoes. Day recommends repellents containing the active

ingredient DEET, and he says devices such as electric bug zappers are not effective and kill more beneficial insects

than mosquitoes. His research is part of a wide-ranging program at the UF/IFAS laboratory to control mosquitoes

and other medically important biting insects.



cover photo by thomas wright.



©




Benefits



of



Canker Eradication

Outweigh Costs



W



While the state’s citrus canker eradi-

cation program has been mired in

controversy and legal action – result-

ing in a stop-and-go approach to

removing infected trees – a new

University of Florida study indicates

the benefits of the eradication pro-

gram outweigh the costs.

“Without the eradication program,

citrus canker will become widely

established in Florida, with serious

long-term consequences for the state’s

$9.1 billion citrus industry,” said Ron

Muraro, a professor with UF’s Institute

of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “It

would jeopardize our position in the

world market.”

If citrus canker were to become

endemic in Florida, exports of fresh

fruit to Europe would likely cease, he

said. Over the long run, the economic

loss due to an endemic canker prob-

lem would be nearly $2.5 billion.

The bacterial disease, which causes

lesions on the leaves, stems and fruit

of citrus trees, weakens citrus trees,

causing a loss in yields and higher pro-

duction costs. Removal and burning of

infected or exposed trees is the only

way to stop the disease.

According to the study, the canker

eradication program saves producers

4



IMPACT



|



Spring 2005



$169.2 million annually in production

costs for items such as extra bacteri-

cide sprays in groves, and processing

steps at packinghouses to grade out

blemished fruit and disinfect clean

fruit for foreign and domestic markets.

The eradication program also helps

the citrus industry avoid $84.9 million

per year in lost revenues that would be

caused by lower fruit yields and un-

marketable fruit. By contrast, the

annual cost of the eradication program

in 2005 is estimated to be $44 million.

“When the annual impacts are

extrapolated over time, the cost to the

industry would exceed $2.5 billion,

and the disease would be well on its

way to destroying the Florida citrus

industry,” Muraro said.

Total cost of the current eradication

program, which began in 1995, is esti-

mated to be $477 million, which in-

cludes the destruction of infected or

exposed trees and compensation to

homeowners for lost trees. In 2004,

producers received approximately

$28.4 million in compensation from

state and federal agencies for produc-

tion lost to canker or exposure. The

eradication program is administered

by the Florida Department of

Agriculture and Consumer Services

and the U.S. Department of Agri-

culture (USDA).

Muraro, based at the UF/IFAS

Citrus Research and Education Center

in Lake Alfred, said specialty fruit

would be the only segment of the

citrus industry that might experience

a net gain in revenue associated with

endemic citrus canker. The disease

would reduce shipments of certain

fresh fruit varieties, thereby boosting

the market price of fruit harvested

from canker-free groves. The net gain

in prices for specialty fruit would

reduce the benefits associated with the

canker eradication program by $44.5

million. Nevertheless, he said, an

endemic citrus canker situation would

still have an overall negative impact

on revenue for the industry.

The two-year study, funded by

USDA, was conducted by Muraro and

Tom Spreen, professor and chairman

of the UF/IFAS food and resource

economics department in Gainesville.

Marisa Zansler, an economist at

USDA’s Animal Plant Health

Inspection Services in Washington,

D.C., contributed to the study.

The economic analysis of the citrus

canker eradication program was devel-

oped using the predicted values of the

benefits and the costs associated with

the program. The summary reports,

FE 531 and FE 532, are available on

the UF/IFAS Electronic Document

Information Source Web site:

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/.

Spreen said the study did not

measure changes in consumer demand



news updates



Ron Muraro, left, and

Tom Spreen review

data from their new

economic study that

shows that the bene-

fits of the citrus

canker eradication

program outweigh

the costs eight to one.



thomas wright




T



To help meet the growing need for professionals who

manage and protect important natural areas in Florida, The

Nature Conservancy is offering a training program in coop-

eration with the University of Florida.

The Natural Areas Training Academy – the result of a

partnership between the nonprofit, international conserva-

tion organization and UF’s Institute of Food and

Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) – is designed for public

and private resource managers.

During the past four and a half years, more than 700

participants have participated in 30 academy workshops

that provide up-to-date, practical training and management

strategies for protecting natural areas in Florida. Five new

workshops are being offered by the academy during 2005.



the nature



ConservancY



Training Program



IMPACT



|



Spring 2005



5

that might occur if the citrus disease is

not eradicated. “Although citrus

canker will not adversely affect human

health, the mere image of consuming

a product that is visually unappealing

may have a negative impact on the

demand for Florida citrus,” he said.

“Opponents say Florida should

abandon the current eradication pro-

gram and learn to live with the citrus

canker problem,” Muraro said. “They

contend that the citrus industry will

not incur losses that are big enough to

outweigh the cost of the eradication

program, but our research clearly indi-

cates that this would not be the case.”

The study also shows that the

current, expanded-phase eradication

program, which ramped up with re-

newed state and federal funding in

2000, could have removed all trees

infected or exposed to the disease by

the end of this year. However, because

best policy when canker threatens the

Florida citrus industry. Outbreaks of

the disease have plagued the industry

since the early 1900s but have been

throttled by eradication efforts in

earlier campaigns. Previous programs

eradicated canker from the state in

1933 and 1994.

“If another outbreak should occur

after Florida has been certified canker-

free, a policy will probably remain in

place for immediate eradication,”

Graham said. “Stopping the disease as

quickly as possible minimizes the

considerable costs of residential and

grove surveillance for canker and the

removal of infected and exposed trees

to Floridians, the federal government

and the citrus industry.”



I



– chuck woods



For more information, contact:



ron muraro



(863) 956-1151

rpmuraro@ifas.ufl.edu



tom spreen



(352) 392-1826

thspreen@ifas.ufl.edu



of legal challenges that halted tree

removal in Miami-Dade and Broward

counties, the eradication program will

have to continue until January 2008,

the report says.

Spreen said the 2004 hurricane

season “throws another unknown into

the equation” because the disease is

spread by rain-driven wind.

“Our cost estimates for concluding

the eradication program in 2008 were

developed in June 2004 before the

storms passed through the state,”

Spreen said. “Now we are beginning

to see new outbreaks of citrus canker

in Southwest Florida and the Indian

River area, which means the program

may have to continue beyond 2008.”

Jim Graham, a professor of soil

microbiology at the Lake Alfred center

who is studying the pathology of the

disease and evaluating various control

methods, said decisive action is the



news updates



Sandra Vardaman, left, land manager with the Alachua County Department of

Environmental Protection, Peter Colverson and Geoff Parks, land manager with the

City of Gainesville Department of Nature Operations, participate in a recent field

workshop presented by the academy.



josh wickham

josh wickham




6



IMPACT



|



Spring 2005



news updates



Peter Colverson, an associate professor who manages the

Conservancy’s training academy in Gainesville, said the

state has added millions of acres to its protected lands

during the past 15 years, which has created a need for more

and better-trained professionals to manage those lands.

“These professionals provide a critical service – managing

the state’s conservation lands to ensure that important

biological resources are protected for future generations,”

Colverson said. “The training academy’s workshops provide

land managers with the techniques and strategies they need

to protect these valuable natural resources.”

Those who complete a series of

five workshops earn a Certificate

in Natural Areas Management

from the academy. Colverson said

the credential has been adopted by

five Florida counties as a basic

qualification for land management

work. As of March 2005, 55

professional land managers have

earned the certificate, which has

been endorsed by the Natural

Areas Association and used as a

template to establish nationwide

standards for conservation land-

management training.

“Since 2000, the partnership between The Nature

Conservancy and UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural

Sciences has been a key factor in the academy’s success,”

Colverson said. “The partnership combines the expertise of

a well-respected international conservation organization

with 50 years of land-management experience and Florida’s

land-grant university.”

He said the academy now operates as part of the recently

created School of Natural Resources and Environment, a

campus-wide teaching, research and extension program

hosted by UF/IFAS, which gives the academy access to a

large number of academic disciplines and potential

partners.

The academy training program is also supported by the

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the

Florida Park Service, which may make the training a basic

requirement for managers in the state park system.

The combination also allows the conservation organiza-

tion to improve its reach and effectiveness by working with

the UF/IFAS statewide extension education program, he

said. As a result, the Conservancy is able to present its

scientifically based land-management values to a diverse,

interagency audience.

The training academy also provides university faculty and

other personnel with opportunities to engage in natural

resource education, Colverson said. In 2004, for example,

the Conservancy cooperated with the UF/IFAS School of

Forest Resources and Conservation, presenting three work-

shops to help private land owners adopt ecologically

friendly management practices. The close working relation-

ship also helps the Conservancy

obtain grant funding from state

land-management agencies.

Victoria Tschinkel, state director

of The Nature Conservancy in

Tallahassee, Fla., said it is well

known in the conservation

community that acquiring land –

while critical – is not enough to

ensure its long-term protection.

“Lands must be restored, if

damaged, and managed over time

in order to preserve their natural

values,” she said. “This can only be

accomplished by well-trained people who have the neces-

sary resources. The Natural Areas Training Academy has

shown that Florida’s resource managers are interested and

committed to expanding their skills and taking their expert-

ise to a new level.”

While the majority of the lands the Conservancy helps

protect are in public ownership, the organization also owns

and manages several preserves throughout the state,

Colverson said. These include: The Disney Wilderness

Preserve in Osceola County, Blowing Rocks Preserve on

Jupiter Island between the Atlantic Ocean and the Indian

River Lagoon, Tiger Creek Preserve near Lake Wales,

Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve, and the Islands

Initiative Preserve in Northeast Florida.

For more information on the workshops and registration,

visit the training academy Web site: http://nata.snre.ufl.edu/.



I



– chuck woods



For more information, contact:



pete colverson



(352) 392-3210

pcolverson@tnc.org



Since 2000, the

partnership between the

Nature Conservancy and

UF’s Institute of Food and

Agicultural Sciences has

been a key factor in the

academy’s success.



–pete colverson




A



As the United States sets its sights

on new manned missions to the moon

and Mars, University of Florida scien-

tists are helping develop some of the

technologies needed for these chal-

lenging space programs.

In December 2004, researchers with

UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural

Sciences (UF/IFAS) gave the news

media a first-hand look at their work

at the Kennedy Space Center’s Space

Sciences Laboratory where they are

helping NASA scientists develop life-

support systems for future missions to

the Moon and Mars.

Rob Ferl, a UF/IFAS professor of

molecular biology and director of UF’s

Center for Exploration of Life

Sciences, said long-term space travel

poses difficult challenges for the life

sciences.

“Astronauts on a future moon base

or Mars mission will need new, more

efficient ways to produce food and get

rid of waste,” he said. “Much is still

unknown about how people, animals

and plants are affected by conditions

in space beyond Earth’s orbit, or by

long periods in low gravity and possi-

ble radiation in space. And there is

also the issue that missions to Mars

could contaminate the planet with

microbes from Earth, complicating the

search for life there.”

For long missions in space – lasting

18 months or longer – astronauts will

need to grow some of their own food

because it would not be economical or

practical to carry tons of food and

water on the spacecraft, he said.

“The food needed to feed a person

for a year or more presents enormous

storage and transportation problems,”

Ferl said. “It makes more sense to use

that precious space and transport



IMPACT



|



Spring 2005



7



news updates



capability for a growth chamber that

would grow food, turn carbon dioxide

into oxygen and recycle waste.”

The challenge of developing these

advanced life-support systems is being

met by Ferl and other UF/IFAS re-

searchers, including Ray Bucklin and

Khe V. Chau, professors in the agricul-

tural and biological engineering de-

partment; Jean-Pierre Emond, an asso-

ciate professor in the department; and

Kevin Folta, an assistant professor in

the horticultural sciences department.

To address the questions of growing

plants on future space missions,

Bucklin, Chau and their graduate stu-

dents are building and testing models

of greenhouses that simulate growing

conditions in space as well as on the

surface of the moon or Mars. The

growth chambers can create the same

mixture of gases found in the martian

atmosphere and adjust other condi-

tions such as atmospheric pressure,

temperature and sunlight to match

those of the Red Planet.

Ferl said the first step in learning

how to grow plants on Mars may be a

small, toaster-sized growth chamber

that could be part of a future NASA

robotic mission to the planet. The

experiment could send about a dozen

seeds of the Arabidopsis plant – a

small weed commonly used in scien-

tific research – to the martian surface

where they would be planted in soil

dug up from the planet’s surface.

“Each plant would be genetically

engineered to produce a glow in the

presence of a specific mineral or set of

nutrients, giving researchers vital

information on the potential toxicity

of martian soil and how well future

food crops might grow there,” he said.

Folta said growing plants aboard a

space ship on an 18-month mission to

Mars will require artificial grow lights,

and he believes light-emitting diodes,

or LEDs, may be the perfect light

source for space greenhouses.

“We’re exploring the use of LEDs as

a light source for growing plants be-

cause they last much longer and burn

far less electricity than standard incan-

descent light bulbs,” he said. “An LED

can easily last 50,000 hours, which is

probably more than enough to get

through a mission to Mars, without

having to carry spare bulbs.”

Each individual LED is a tiny semi-

conductor, which produces light only

in a small portion of the spectrum –

red, for instance, or blue. Put dozens

or hundreds of different-colored LEDs



agriculture



in Space



Kevin Folta examines plants growing under a bank of light-emitting diodes, or LEDs. He says LEDs, which are

more energy-efficient than incandescent light bulbs, could be used to grow plants on a future Moon base or

mission to Mars.



josh wickham




I



Inmates at the Seminole County Correctional Facility,

who have been growing their own vegetables for more than

10 years, are now raising thousands of beneficial bugs that

attack insect pests and feed on troublesome weeds in

Florida.

The insect “farming” program – the first of its kind in

the nation – will generate about $2,000 a year for the in-

mate welfare fund at the facility and help inmates develop

marketable skills for future employment.

“The project is the result of a new partnership with the

University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural

Sciences (UF/IFAS) to help inmates learn about biological

control – raising good bugs that prey on bad bugs and weeds

– and reduce the need for chemical pesticides,” said Debra

Taylor, a deputy who supervises the training program at the

facility in Sanford, Fla. “These beneficial bugs not only help

control pests on our own veggie crops, but we are raising

thousands of insects for researchers at UF and the U.S.

Department of Agriculture.”

Twelve women inmates participating in the biocontrol

program receive training and certification from UF, which

8



IMPACT



|



Spring 2005



together, and you can produce a white

light as bright as anything that comes

out of an incandescent bulb, he said.

Folta is using LEDs to explore how

different light intensities, colors and

durations affect plant growth. By ap-

plying the right combinations of colors

at the right time, it may be possible to

tell space-borne plants when to bloom,

or how high to grow – or duplicate

perfect growing conditions on Earth.

“The idea of light color affecting

plant growth is nothing new, but we

are learning how different parts of the

light spectrum, both visible and invisi-

ble, affect plant growth,” he said. “The

goal is to limit the need for chemical

department, the program provides

teachers with a two-week lesson plan

on agriculture in space. The lesson

plans are designed for use with

Growing Space, a publication on space

agriculture designed for middle-school

audiences. More information is avail-

able at the project’s Web site:

www.spaceag.org/.

Glenn Israel, a professor in the

department, said that 70 percent of

teachers who used the curriculum

reported that the program increased

interest in science for a majority of

their students.



I



– tim lockette



For more information, contact:



rob ferl



(352) 392-1928

robferl@ufl.edu



growth regulators in space, controlling

important processes with light. Light

treatments can be controlled from

Earth, allowing busy astronauts to

focus on other tasks.”

To help young people learn about

space exploration, UF/IFAS has

launched Space Agriculture in the

Classroom, an educational program

designed for middle-school children in

Florida and other participating states.

Last year, during its first year in opera-

tion, the program distributed educa-

tional materials to 395 sixth-grade

teachers in five states.

Developed by the UF/IFAS agricul-

tural education and communication



Seminole County Inmates Raise



“BENEFICIAL

BUGS”



for UF and UDSA Researchers



Lance Osborne, left, checks papaya plants with Debra Taylor at the Seminole County

Correctional Facility in Sanford. Inmates at the facility, who have been growing their own

vegetables for more than 10 years, are also growing beneficial bugs on the plants for

researchers at UF’s Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka and the U.S.

Department of Agriculture.



news updates



launched the project in cooperation with the USDA, Taylor

said. UF training and certification as “insect scouts” –

recognized by nurserymen and wholesale plant growers in

Central Florida – could help the women find employment

when they are released from the correctional facility.



thomas wright




IMPACT



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Spring 2005



9



t

h

o

m

a

s

w

r

i

g

h

t

IMPACT



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Spring 2005



9



Lance Osborne, a professor of entomology at the UF/IFAS

Mid-Florida Research and Education Center in Apopka who

developed the concept, said the program was started

because there are no commercial biocontrol insect produc-

ers in Florida.

“Raising insects for biocontrol is labor intensive and

expensive, which makes the project ideal for inmates in

correctional facilities,” he said. “With the help of a grant

from USDA’s Animal, Plant Health Inspection Service, we

launched the pilot project in cooperation with the Seminole

County facility.”

He said inmates in Seminole County are now producing

two different kinds of beneficial insects. One is an insect

predator that controls pests on ornamental plants in green-

houses, and the other is a beetle that feeds on the leaves of

tropical soda apple, one of the most troublesome weeds in

the state.

In order to manage the whitefly pest problem in green-

houses where vegetables, herbs and ornamentals are grown,

Osborne developed a biocontrol system that relies on the

production of “banker plants” for Central Florida growers.

“A banker plant is a plant that has been infested with both

the target pest and its natural predator,” he said. “For in-

stance, papaya plants attract the papaya whitefly and a para-

sitic wasp that controls the whitefly on the papaya host

plants, as well as silverleaf whitefly on other greenhouse

plants. As a result, an infested papaya plant becomes a bank

of beneficial insects that can be placed in greenhouses to

control ornamental pests, such as the whitefly, without

applying pesticides.”

Osborne feels that the wasp is the “best natural enemy” of

the silverleaf whitefly pest in greenhouses. But the wasp

was not being commercially produced in large numbers,

which is one of the primary reasons for starting the banker

plant system at the Seminole County facility.

He said there is an increasing demand for the new banker

plant technology, which is not being produced anywhere

else in the nation at this time. Banker plants are grown in

one- to three-gallon containers that sell for $10 to $15 per

plant.

Inmates also are raising thousands of beetles (Gratiana

boliviana) that will be released in pastures across Florida to

control tropical soda apple. The weed is so invasive that

other plants cannot grow around it.

To combat the pest without using harmful herbicides,

UF/IFAS researchers traveled to South America where the

weed originated and found a natural predator that feeds

solely on the plant. After conducting extensive studies with

USDA, UF/IFAS researchers have begun releasing the

beetles in pastures across the state to eliminate the weed.

“Despite positive test results, we do not have enough

beetles available for release,” Osborne said. “That’s why we

turned to the inmates in Seminole County to help raise

these beneficial insects; their work will be an essential part

of our program to control this noxious weed.”

Taylor said the guidance and instruction offered by UF

enhances the existing inmate agricultural program at the

Seminole County facility, and the new biocontrol program

has the potential to generate revenue that will benefit

inmates and support additional training programs.

“If this USDA pilot project is successful, it could develop

into a system where inmates could help society by reducing

reliance on pesticides and save tax payers millions of dollars

in the fight against new invasive pests,” Osborne said.



I



– chuck woods



For more information, contact:



lance osborne



(407) 884-2034

LSOsborne@ifas.ufl.edu



news updates



George Hochmuth, left, and Mack Glass

check flower buds on Glass’s Satsuma orange

crop. About three years ago, Glass decided to

start growing the cold-hardy citrus to diver-

sify his farming operation because of lower

target prices in the federal farm program for

traditional crops such as corn, peanuts and

soybeans.



Growing Satsumas



in the



Florida Panhandle



I



In the heart of the Florida Pan-

handle – hundreds of miles north of

other citrus production areas in the

state – Mack Glass is growing cold-

hardy Satsuma oranges and says

Jackson County could regain its title as

the Satsuma Capital of the World.

“Back in the early 1900s, before a

1935 freeze wiped out the 3,000-acre




entire state with 33 stations linked to

computers at UF in Gainesville. Each

solar-powered station collects weather

data and transmits it to Gainesville

every 15 minutes. The network

includes monitoring stations near

Marianna.

The stations measure temperatures

at two, six and 30 feet above ground,

and soil temperature, wind speed and

direction, rainfall, relative humidity,

barometric pressure, leaf wetness and

solar radiation, he said.

Glass said FAWN is a valuable

production tool because regular

weather forecasts for cities may be

misleading for farmers. “Heat

trapped in concrete and asphalt

can make cities 10 degrees warmer

than farms in rural areas. When

cold weather moves through the

Florida Panhandle, the difference

can be devastating to citrus and

other cold-sensitive crops,” he said.

Growers and others interested

in the weather data can access the

system 24 hours daily by telephone

at (352) 846-3100 or the FAWN

Web site: http://fawn.ifas.ufl.edu/.

Dick Sprenkel, a professor of

entomology and associate director of

the Quincy center, said there have

been few insect and mite problems on

Glass’s citrus trees.

“Overall, Mack’s crop has had fewer

insect pests than I normally see on

dooryard citrus,” he said. “This is prob-

ably due at least in part to the better

quality trees that he planted and the

higher level of management that the

grove has received. At this time, I am

optimistic that any insect problems

that are encountered can be economi-

cally managed.”



I



– chuck woods



For more information, contact:



george hochmuth



(850) 875-7100

gjh@ifas.ufl.edu



10



IMPACT



|



Spring 2005



citrus crop in the Panhandle, our

county was known as the Satsuma

Capital of the World, and annual

Satsuma festivals in 1928 and 1929

attracted 35,000 people,” said Glass,

who is growing five acres of the

Mandarin orange on his farm near

Marianna.

He expects to harvest his first crop

of oranges in the fall of 2005 and said

two other Jackson County growers –

Nolan Daniels and Herman Laramore

– are also planning to start commer-

cial production of the orange.

Glass said he expects brisk local

sales of the tasty oranges, particu-

larly at fund-raising events for

churches and schools. His Satsuma

crop flowers in late April and early

May, and fruit can be harvested

from mid-October through the

second week of November.

A partner and manager of the

Cherokee Ranch of North Florida

Ltd. in Jackson County, he began

growing Satsuma oranges about

three years ago to diversify his

farming operation. He said the

idea to grow Satsumas came from

Wayne Sherman, a professor of

horticulture with the University of

Florida’s Institute of Food and

Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) in

Gainesville.

“It’s no secret that we’re having

some marketing problems here in the

Panhandle because the new federal

farm program has lowered target

prices for traditional crops such as

corn, peanuts and soybeans,” Glass

said. “Peanuts used to be our main

crop, generating about $780 per ton,

but now we’re getting about $335 per

ton.”

He said weather and pest control

are the only challenges they face in

producing Satsuma oranges, but these

have been largely solved with the help

of UF research and extension experts.

“What makes us optimistic about

growing Satsuma oranges in the Pan-

handle is that we now have production

technologies from UF’s Institute of

Food and Agricultural Sciences that

simply did not exist back in the early

1900s – or even 20 years ago,” Glass

said. “We came through several freezes

this year without any damage to our

trees, thanks to a microirrigation

system that puts out 24 gallons of

water per hour for freeze protection.”



news updates



Back in the early 1900s,

before a 1935 freeze wiped

out the 3,000-acre citrus

crop in the Panhandle, our

county was known as the

Satsuma Capital of the

World, and annual Satsuma

festivals in 1928 and 1929

attracted 35,000 people.



–mack glass



He is working closely with George

Hochmuth, director of the UF/IFAS

North Florida Research and Education

Center in Quincy, and Ed Jowers,

UF/IFAS Jackson County extension

director, to solve various cold protec-

tion, pest control and other produc-

tion problems.

Glass said the Florida Automated

Weather Network (FAWN), which

provides real-time weather data 24

hours daily to producers around the

state, helps him keep track of ap-

proaching cold fronts and schedule his

irrigation system to prevent freeze

damage.

John Jackson, a UF/IFAS Lake

County extension agent who helped

establish FAWN in 1997, said the

weather network now covers the




A



Agriculture and dentistry may seem

like an unusual combination of disci-

plines, but a growing partnership

between UF’s College of Agricultural

and Life Sciences (CALS) and UF’s

College of Dentistry is proving to be

ideal for students who want to become

dentists.

The Honors Combined Bachelor of

Sciences/Doctor of Medical Dentistry

Program allows outstanding students to

graduate with professional degrees a year earlier than tradi-

tional programs in the dental college.

“Students accepted into the program receive their bachelor

of science and doctor of dental medicine degrees in seven

years – instead of the usual eight years,” said Jane Luzar, asso-

ciate dean of CALS, which is part of UF’s Institute of Food

and Agricultural Sciences. “Saving a year is a big benefit for

students.”

During their senior year in CALS, program participants

transfer to the freshman class in the dental college. Credits

from the first year of the professional degree are used toward

participants’ bachelor’s degrees, which are awarded after the

first year of dental school.

“I knew in high school that I wanted a career in dentistry,”

said David Beach, a graduate of the program who is currently

finishing a two-year residency in endodontics. “The program

saved me the tuition expenses for a year of undergraduate

studies, and it was a quicker way to achieve my goal of

becoming a dentist.”

Launched in 1992, the program now admits eight to 10

students per year, Luzar said. The program – offered only

through CALS – was developed to help students who have

shown exceptional ability and interest in a dental career.

“We have a number of students who want to pursue a

career in dentistry, and they demonstrate their commitment

to this goal through the quality of their academic work and

activities such as volunteer work,” Luzar said. “We wanted to

offer these students a program that recognizes their interest

and experience, and puts them on a more linear track toward

their goals.”

Students majoring in microbiology and cell science or food

science and human nutrition may apply to the program in



thomas wright



IMPACT



|



Spring 2005



11

their freshman year, she said. Applicants must satisfy a set of

rigorous admissions criteria, including a minimum 3.8 overall

high school grade point average and a minimum Scholastic

Aptitude Test (SAT) score of 1310. Qualifying students must

also have taken two college-level science courses and received

an overall grade point average of at least 3.75 (out of a possi-

ble 4.0) during their freshman year at UF.

Students admitted into the program also receive provi-

sional early acceptance into the dental program, which is

attractive to students at a time when the admissions process

at dental schools across the country is becoming more

stringent.

“Getting into a good dental program is getting extremely

competitive,” said Andrew Cooper, a program participant who

is now attending dental school. “Knowing that I was already

accepted took a lot of pressure off of me as an undergraduate.

I still had to work hard, but I was able to be more focused and

enjoy all of the interesting things that UF has to offer.”

Luzar said that the honors program is one of several

combined degree programs tailored to motivated students

interested in professional or graduate degrees. According to

Luzar, these programs are not only a good opportunity for

students, they are good for the university, too.

“Our B.S./D.M.D. program is gaining national recognition

now, as students call from all over the nation to talk to us

about applying,” Luzar said. “Our combined degree programs

are becoming a big draw for students of the highest caliber

from Florida and out of state.”



I



– julie walters



For more information, contact:



jane luzar



(352) 392-2251

EJLuzar@ifas.ufl.edu



a winning

combination



for



students!



David Beach, a graduate of the program, is currently finishing a two-year residency in endodontics. “The program

saved me the tuition expenses for a year of undergraduate studies, and it was a quicker way to achieve my goal

of becoming a dentist.”



news updates




by Chuck Woods



Stopping



the



Siege



in



Santiago



Stopping



the



Siege



in



Santiago



12



IMPACT



|



Spring 2005

First identified in Chile in 1986, subterranean termites have spread over more

than 18,000 square miles, causing widespread damage to structures in

Santiago, Valparaiso and surrounding areas.

Nan-Yao Su, left, Teresa Rivas and Jim Smith discuss termite damage in

the municipality of Cerro Navia in Santiago, Chile. Rivas, whose property

received extensive subterranean termite damage, said she replaced

wood furniture, fences and other construction materials with concrete

and metal to stop the damage.

In residential areas such as Cerro Navia, extensive use of wood construc-

tion – usually in direct contact with the soil – provides easy access for

termites. About 15,000 homes are severely infested with termites, and

the destruction is spreading rapidly.



by Chuck Woods



chuck woods

chuck woods




I



In Santiago and other urban areas

near the sprawling capital of Chile, an

invasion of subterranean termites is

gnawing away on thousands of homes,

causing fear and confusion among resi-

dents who don’t know how to stop the

destruction.

Subterranean termites were not a

problem until the pest was first identi-

fied in the country in 1986, probably

introduced from the United States

through the port city of Valparaiso.

Since then, the termite has spread over

18,600 square miles in the region

around Valparaiso and Santiago, and



IMPACT



|



Spring 2005



13



when an invasion of subterranean termites



recently became a problem in Chile, researchers with the country’s Ministry of Agriculture

turned to a University of Florida termite expert for help. Nan-Yao Su, a professor of entomology

with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, is internationally recognized for his

expertise on termites and is frequently called upon to help stop the destructive pest.



chuck woods



the problem has gone from bad to

worse.

“You can see it in the faces of people

who are worried about the destruction

of their homes,” says Renato Ripa, an

entomologist with the government’s

Instituto de Investigaciones

Agropecuarias (INIA). “It’s taken about

40 years for the problem to reach this

point, and most people don’t know

anything about termites or how to

control them.”

In a desperate attempt to stop the

destruction, people remove damaged

wood and throw it out on the street,

Ripa said. Others then use the

discarded wood to build or repair their

homes and fences – not knowing the

wood is already infested with subter-

ranean termites.

Popular remedies such as pouring

bleach or kerosene on infested wood

are ineffective because termite colonies

are underground, often hundreds of

feet from the infested structure.

About 15,000 homes are severely

infested with termites, and the destruc-

tion is spreading rapidly, Ripa said.

While the problem affects people

from all socioeconomic levels in the



Subterranean termite

(Reticulitermes flavipes)



chuck woods

nan-yao su




14



IMPACT



|



Spring 2005



region, it’s particularly troublesome in

poor urban neighborhoods, he said.

Extensive use of wood construction,

usually in direct contact with the soil,

provides easy access for the wood-

hungry insects. The termites also

attack and kill trees.

Ripa, based at the INIA research

station in the town of La Cruz about

60 miles from Santiago, said he did not

have a lot of experience with subter-

ranean termites, which prompted him

to seek the advice of Nan-Yao Su, a

University of Florida termite expert.

Su, a professor of entomology with

UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural

Sciences (UF/IFAS), is internationally

recognized for his expertise in control-

ling subterranean termites and works

with government agencies in many

countries. In the United States, he

recently helped the National Park

Service stop termite infestations at the

Statute of Liberty in New York, the

French Quarter in New Orleans and

the Christensted National Historic Site

in St. Croix.

With the help of funds from the

Chilean government, Ripa and Su initi-

ated several research projects in Chile’s

fifth region, which includes the

nation’s second largest city of

Valparaiso. Chile is divided into 13

government regions extending more

than 2,500 miles from north to south

along the Pacific.

Paola Luppichini, an agronomist at

the INIA research station in La Cruz, is

working with Ripa and Su on the

project.

“The goal of our research was to test

the four commercial pesticide treat-

ments now on the market and develop

recommendations for controlling

severe termite problems in the region,”

Ripa said.

For their research, Ripa and Su

selected two test sites in Valparaiso

and two sites in the town of Quillota to

compare barrier and bait treatment

methods. Barrier treatments include

chemicals applied to soil to prevent or

repel termites from entering the struc-

ture. Bait treatments include chemicals

that termites feed upon and carry back

to their underground nests, causing the

entire underground colony to slowly

die.

The barrier treatments are Termidor,

manufactured by BASF, and Demon,

made by Syngenta Corp. The bait treat-

ments are FirstLine, made by FMC

Corp., and Sentricon, made by Dow

AgroSciences.

In the early 1990s, Su helped

develop the Sentricon Termite Colony

Elimination System in his research

program at the UF/IFAS Fort

Lauderdale Research and Education

Center. At the time, industry experts

called Su’s system the biggest advance

in pest control in more than 50 years.

Su’s bait system has a chemical

called hexaflumuron, a growth regula-

tor that prevents termites from

molting, thereby reducing the ability of

the worker population to sustain the

colony. The chemical has a low toxicity

to humans and the environment. Less

than one gram kills an entire colony

containing millions of termites.

“In Chile, after two years of anlayz-

ing results from our field tests



Top: Nan-Yao Su, left, and Paola Luppichini check a

Sentricon termite baiting system in Valparaiso,

Chile. The termites probably found their way into

the country through the port city about 40 years

ago.

Below: Nan-Yao Su, left, and Renato Ripa inspect

subterranean damage in Valparaiso, Chile.



chuck woods

chuck woods




IMPACT



|



Spring 2005



15

comparing the barrier and bait

systems, we found that the barrier

treatments do help protect homes and

other structures from subterranean

termites, but these treatments do not

provide complete protection,” Ripa

said. “Termites are clever – they still

find ways to go around barrier treat-

ments to feed on wood in the struc-

ture. It looks like the termites are just

avoiding the repellants.”

Ripa said tests on one of the two

baiting systems did not show effective

control. “We saw little or no feeding

activity by subterranean termites on

the FirstLine bait, and the

damage was the same as the

untreated areas,” he said.

“However, the Sentricon

baiting system provided total

control of the termites at all

four test sites in about one

year.”

Su said the long-term solu-

tion to controlling and eradi-

cating subterranean termites in

the region is to kill the under-

ground colonies, and Sentricon

is the only way to achieve this

kind of result. “Otherwise,

you’re just chasing termites

around with barrier or repel-

lant chemicals,” he said.

Ripa said the next step is to make

their research data available to govern-

ment agencies, pest control operators

and consumers.

“Based on our test results, we are

recommending the Sentricon system

to eliminate underground termite

colonies and chemical barriers to

protect structures,” he said. “We are

seeking additional government funds

to continue developing termite

controls in the region. We also want to

work with government agencies to

develop new building codes to prevent

future damage.”



Santiago Siege



In Santiago, the nation’s largest city

with more than five million residents,

Su is working with James Smith, an

entomologist and commercial pest

control operator, to battle the termite

problem that now affects all areas of

the city. When subterranean termites

started causing widespread damage

seven years ago, Smith and Su started

developing solutions for area-wide

management of the problem.

Smith, who owns Terminator

Systems in Santiago, said termite con-

trol may not be a high governmental

priority in the poorer areas of the city

where people worry about feeding and

caring for their families. The problem

is aggravated by the fact that almost all

low-income housing is built with wood

in the ground, creating a haven for

subterannean termites.

“Some people just give up and think

they’re going to have to live with the

destructive pest, but we are saying, ‘no,

that’s not true,’” Smith said.

“So the first thing we need to do is

educate people and some 30

muncipal governments in the

Santiago area about the

growing threat,” Smith said.

“Then we need to show them

effective control measures

that local governments will

support.”

To demonstrate how subter-

ranean termites can be

stopped with the Sentricon

system, Smith and Su initiated

test projects in two relatively

poor areas of the city – the

municipalities of Cerro Navia

and Las Condes. Smith’s

company installed the under-

ground baiting stations and

monitored termite activity at the test

sites, comparing results with adjacent

neighborhoods that were not treated.

In Cerro Navia, the demonstration

project includes 108 homesites, with

half of the $100,000 cost being paid by

the Chilean government and half being

covered by Smith’s firm. In Las

Condes, which includes two different

sites with 30 homes each, the muni-

cipal government is paying for 96



Nan-Yao Su, left, and James Smith check termite

damage to a wood fence in Cerro Navia, one of

many municipalities in the Santiago metro area

that are being attacked by the pest.



chuck woods



When you consider a system

such as Sentricon, which can

eliminate the subterranean

termite problem in Chile, you

also need to remember that the

cost of controlling the pest is far

less than the cost of repairing or

replacing damaged homes,

businesses and other

structures later on.



–nan-yao su




U



University of Florida experts and state officials have eradi-

cated a newly introduced termite species in South Florida,

and they say it’s the first time an invasive pest like this has

ever been stopped.

First discovered in Broward County almost four years ago,

the tree termite could have caused as much as a billion

dollars in property damage if it had become established in

the state. Eighteen structures, including commercial facili-

16



IMPACT



|



Spring 2005



percent of the cost and homeowners

are paying for 4 percent.

“When the Cerro Navia project

started, 75 percent of the homes in the

six-block test site had severe termite

problems, and we were able to bring

that down to just 3 percent in a year

and a half – achieving 95 percent

control of the pest,” Smith said.

“In Las Condes, municipal inspec-

tors said the demonstration site was

‘eaten up’ by subterranean termites,” he

said. “We installed the baiting system

in September 2002 and there were no

termites – zero – by June 2003.”

Raul Valdez, an urban pest manage-

ment specialist for the the municipal-

ity of Las Condes in Santiago, said the

Sentricon system solved their termite

problem, but he expressed concern

that the issue is not being addressed by

various government agencies on a

regional level.

“The nice thing about our project in

Las Condes is that it brings all people

together to solve a problem,” Valdez

said. “The public sector is working

with private business and residents in

the area to show a need and respond to

it in an effective way.”

Su said the long-term cost of not

controlling the pest in Chile will far

outweigh the cost of taking corrective

measures now.

“When you consider a system such

as Sentricon, which can eliminate the

subterranean termite problem in Chile,

you also need to remember that the

cost of controlling the pest is far less

than the cost of repairing or replacing

damaged homes, businesses and other

structures later on,” Su said.

“We have demonstrated that there is

an effective way to stop this invasive

pest in Chile, and we hope the govern-

ment and other community leaders

will find creative ways of bringing this

pest control technology to the people,”

he said.



I



For more information, contact:



nan-yao su



(954) 577-6339

nysu@ufl.edu



ties, homes and boats in dry dock were already infested.

“Because it damages buildings, this pest ranks right up

there with citrus canker in terms of the economic damage it

could do,” said Rudolf Scheffrahn, a professor of entomology

with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences

(UF/IFAS). “We believe we’ve eliminated all of the colonies

of tree termites in South Florida, stopping the pest from

gaining a permanent foothold here.”



Rudolf Scheffrahn examines a nest of exotic tree

termites at Dania Beach in Broward County. The

termite nests and forages at or above the soil

surface.



EXOTIC



Tree Termite



ERADICATED



uf



/



ifas file photo




IMPACT



|



Spring 2005



17

Scheffrahn, based at the UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale

Research and Education Center, identified the bug as

Nasutitermes corniger, a pest commonly found throughout

the Caribbean region and in Central and South America.

This species was also recently discovered in New Guinea by

a Belgian scientist.

Unlike most termite species in the United States, which

spend most of their lives underground, the non-native

termites build their nests above ground, usually at the base

of trees, and travel on or above ground in search of wood.

This posed a problem for local pest control operators hoping

to stop the insect.

“Most termite control methods were developed for

subterranean termites,” Scheffrahn said. “When you apply a

pest control agent to the ground around a house, the ter-

mites pass through or feed on that agent and carry it with

them. Tree termites travel above ground, like ants, so those

methods are not effective.”

While most homeowners in the termite’s native range

have been fighting the insect for centuries, their experience

offered little help, said Brian Cabrera, an assistant professor

of entomology and extension specialist who worked with

Scheffrahn on the termite control project.

“This termite is found in many areas of the developing

world, where pest control services are not available or [are]

very expensive, so people will attempt to control the pro-

blem with whatever they have on hand,” Cabrera said.

“Usually, replacement of damaged wood is the only option.”

To limit the spread of the new termite in South Florida,

Steve Dwinell, assistant director at the Florida Department

of Agriculture and Consumer Services, created an emer-

gency task force in 2002, which includes Scheffrahn and

Cabrera as well as other state officials, pest control opera-

tors and pesticide manufacturers.

“At the time, we were not sure that we could eradicate the

termite because a new population is usually well established

by the time it’s discovered,” Scheffrahn said. “However, the

tree termite is different because the nests, tubes and

damage are usually obvious. Until now, no one had ever

eliminated an exotic termite after establishment on land.”

When Scheffrahn and Cabrera surveyed the area in 2001,

they estimated the tree termite had been in Dania Beach for

at least eight years before it was discovered. But the infesta-

tion appeared to be limited to an area of one square kilome-

ter – about a third of a square mile – a relatively small area

for an eight-year-old infestation. The finding raised the

possibility that the task force might be able to eliminate the

entire infestation, Scheffrahn said.

With a $30,000 grant from the state, the UF researchers

found that a pair of widely used pesticides would kill the

termites when sprayed on nests or infested trees. After three

treatments with the pesticides and the fumigation of several

buildings, a survey of the area in July 2004 revealed only

three remaining populations, which have since been

treated. With volunteers from the pest control community

and logistical support from the state agriculture depart-

ment, the researchers say the tree termite has effectively

been defeated.

Scheffrahn said the program saved the state from a poten-

tially costly pest – at little cost to state government. For

their efforts, the Tree Termite Task Force received a 2004

Davis Productivity Award that recognized the team’s innova-

tive and cost-cutting approach. The $500 award was

donated to victims of the 2004 hurricanes.



I



– tim lockette



For more information, contact:



rudolf scheffrahn



(954) 577-6312

rhsc@ufl.edu



Brian Cabrera holds a nest of tree termites in his

laboratory at the UF/IFAS Fort Lauderdale Research

and Education Center. He believes the pest found

its way into Florida by ship.



uf



/



ifas file photo




Managing the

Mosquito Menace



18



IMPACT



|



Spring 2005

A female black salt marsh mosquito (Ochlerotatus taeniorhynchus) emerges from the pupal skin. This

species is a major pest in Florida coastal areas because large numbers of adults frequently emerge from

aquatic habitats in salt marshes and mangrove swamps, and then they fly several miles in search of a

blood meal. (photo by james newman)



by Chuck Woods




the florida medical entomology

laboratory in vero beach



is one of the

world’s largest facilities devoted to understanding and controlling mosquito-borne

diseases such as West Nile virus, St. Louis encephalitis, eastern equine encephalitis,

dengue fever and malaria. The lab – part of UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural

Sciences – provides vital, research-based information to mosquito control districts,

public health agencies and consumers in Florida and the nation.



IMPACT



|



Spring 2005



19




W



With summer on its way and mosquitoes beginning to

buzz, the threat of West Nile and other diseases transmitted

by these blood-feeding insects will only increase. And

Florida could become the next hot spot for mosquito-borne

diseases.

Ever since West Nile virus first appeared in North

America in 1999 and Florida in 2001, it has upended early

assumptions that it is a mild disease that only affects the

elderly. The virus has the potential to cause massive human

epidemics on a scale not seen in the United States in the

past 100 years, according to researchers at the Florida

Medical Entomology Laboratory in Vero Beach.

In fact, West Nile epidemics have already hit Illinois,

Colorado and Arizona during the past five years. Every state

except Alaska, Hawaii and Oregon has experienced human

cases or animal infections. In 2003, the number of human

cases across the nation exceeded 9,800 – more than double

the previous year. The death toll in 2003 was 262, slightly

lower than the 284 in 2002.

Health officials believe most infected people show no

signs of the illness, but some experience flulike symptoms

such as fever, headache and body aches. In some cases, the

virus may cause encephalitis or meningitis that can be fatal.

Since there is no vaccine for West Nile, prevention is

crucial.

“Although Florida has been spared so far, we certainly

have all the ingredients for a massive West Nile epidemic,

which makes accurate surveillance and prediction even

more critical,” says Walter Tabachnick, director of the Vero

Beach lab. “The disease could have a severe impact on the

health and well-being of Florida residents and visitors, and

hit the state’s tourist industry hard.”

20



IMPACT



|



Spring 2005



Tabachnick said birds are the natural host of the virus,

which was first identified in 1937 in the West Nile region of

Uganda in Africa. Mosquitoes, which become infected after

biting infected birds, can infect humans, animals and unin-

fected birds with their bites.

In its mission to control mosquitoes and other disease-

carrying arthropods, the Vero Beach lab works closely with

Florida mosquito control districts, health departments, the

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services,

and other government agencies, including the Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention, the National Institutes of

Health (NIH) and the World Health Organization.

Tabachnick said researchers at the lab are working on

more than a dozen different projects that will help alert and

protect Florida and the nation from mosquito-borne disease

epidemics. Work is being done on West Nile, St. Louis,

eastern equine, and dengue viruses, malaria, their mosquito

vectors, and new strategies for their control. Although

focused in Florida, studies at the laboratory include interna-

tional projects in Belgium, Brazil, Israel, Peru and

Uzbekistan. The research has worldwide implications.



Mosquito-Borne Viruses



Cynthia Lord, an associate professor of entomology who

leads a faculty team at the lab working on a five-year, $2.5

million NIH grant, said their research project includes three



Chelsea Smartt studies the ability of mosquitoes to resist pesticides commonly used to control these pests

and prevent transmission of disease.

George O’Meara uses a fine mesh net to collect mosquito larvae and

pupae in the water of a stormwater catch basin.



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major components: mathematical modeling to understand

factors that affect mosquito outbreaks, laboratory research

on how well different mosquito species can transmit the

virus, and field experiments to measure transmission rates

by mosquitoes. She is using data from all three components

to construct models that best predict the epidemiology of

West Nile.

“This multidisciplinary approach will improve risk assess-

ment for West Nile and utilize state-of-the-art information

to develop new strategies to reduce the risk of this and

other arthropod-borne pathogens to public health,” Lord

said.

She said these viruses are maintained in nature by cycling

between the mosquito vector and wild birds. Her mathemat-

ical models on the transmission cycles of West Nile virus

and St. Louis encephalitis demonstrate how the natural

cycle functions and how to improve surveillance and

control efforts.

“Outbreaks of West Nile virus could become more cyclical

in different areas of the United States over time – dying

down one year and flaring up the next,” she said. “It is a

common pattern for viruses transmitted by arthropods such

as mosquitoes, sandflies and ticks.”

Lord said these are very complex transmission cycles,

which can be difficult to understand and control. Under-

standing the cycles, however, is crucial to predicting the risk

of large-scale epidemics and human disease.

The Vero Beach laboratory research focuses on the ability

of different mosquito species to transmit West Nile virus

and how the age of these mosquito populations affects

transmission rates. Current research is aimed at measuring

virus transmission by two common species of mosquitoes:

Culex nigripalplus and Cx. quinquefasciatus. These mosquitoes

can be long-lived, so the effect of age on transmission is

important. Another important question being addressed is

the relationship between the number of mosquitoes that are

infected and the number that are able to transmit the virus.

Faculty members working to characterize mosquito West

Nile transmission capability include Tabachnick and Chris

Mores, Roxanne Rutledge and Chelsea Smartt, assistant

professors of entomology.

The field component of the research, led by Jonathan Day,

a professor of entomology, uses sentinel chickens to detect

virus transmission by mosquitoes. Mosquito collections at

the same sites are used to determine the age structure of

natural populations and how it affects transmission.

Rutledge also serves as liaison to mosquito control districts

to locate field sites and mosquito populations. George

O’Meara, a professor of entomology, provides ecological

information on the primary mosquito vectors of West

Nile virus.



Roxanne Rutledge, left, holds a scale model of a mosquito used in her extension education programs. The

model demonstrates how mosquitoes feed on blood, how the blood is digested, and how mosquito-borne

diseases are transmitted to humans and animals.

Walter Tabachnick, below, extracts DNA genetic material from mosquitoes at the Florida Medical

Entomology Laboratory.



marisol amador



marisol amador




uf



/



ifas file photo



Mosquito Mapping



In another project, Day is working with state and federal

agencies to predict outbreaks of mosquito-borne diseases.

Using the St. Louis encephalitis virus as a model, he has

developed a reliable system for predicting outbreaks in

Florida, and he works closely with state and national

mosquito control districts and other public and private

groups to disseminate the information.

By combining weather information from the Florida

Division of Forestry and the National Oceanic and Atmo-

spheric Administration, data on sentinel chicken surveil-

lance from the Florida Department of Health and reports

from local mosquito control districts, Day has developed a

forecasting system for Florida that is now available as a risk

map, with accompanying explanation, on the lab’s Web site:

http://eis.ifas.ufl.edu/.

“The map changes as various indicators for encephalitis

show up or disappear across the country,” he said.

He posts the current-year maps in January and updates

them monthly through June, after which updates become

weekly through the end of mosquito season.

Day’s other research and education work – which has

attracted national media attention – includes studies on

mosquito attractants and repellants. Recently, he warned

consumers that electric bug zappers are not effective in

controlling mosquitoes, and the devices end up killing more

beneficial insects than mosquitoes.



Tiger Mosquitoes



Researchers at the Vero Beach lab are also studying inva-

sive, disease-carrying pests such as the Asian Tiger mosquito

(Aedes albopictus) that invaded Florida in the late 1980s.

Native to East Asia, the mosquito is now one of the most

prevalent biting pests in the warmer regions of North and

South America, Europe and Africa.

To learn more about the health risks associated with this

aggressive mosquito in Florida and South America, scien-

tists at the lab are working on an NIH-sponsored project in

cooperation with Illinois State University, Yale University

and the Oswaldo Cruz Institute in Brazil. This project was

originally supported by NIH, which provided $1.5 million

for a four-year project. Funding was recently renewed by

NIH, which provided an additional $2 million to continue

the project for five more years.

Phil Lounibos, a professor of entomology at the Vero

Beach lab who leads the project, said their goal is to learn

more about the ecology and genetics of the Asian Tiger

mosquito, which can transmit several diseases. He said the

mosquito is a good model for studying invasive mosquito

species. The significance of learning why certain mosquito

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Cynthia Lord, left, uses a pipette to collect mosquito larvae for a research project at the Florida Medical

Entomology Laboratory in Vero Beach.

Below: Cynthia Lord, left, Walter Tabachnick, George O’Meara, Roxanne Rutledge, Jonathan Day and Chelsea

Smartt review plans for various research projects at the Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory.

These tiny containers, above, allow researchers to observe the growth and development of mosquito larvae

feeding on genetically modified yeast cells that produce TMOF. Cells that produce TMOF starve the larvae to death.




species make excellent invaders is critical for protecting the

United States from new pests. The project is receiving inter-

national recognition.

“In the tropics, the Asian Tiger mosquito carries dengue

virus, which infects millions of people annually but is

usually not fatal,” Lounibos said. “Dengue is epidemic in

Brazil right now, and we’re trying to understand how inva-

sive mosquitoes transmit it. There is very real risk for the

arrival of dengue virus into Florida and the U.S. We must

know more about the mosquitoes capable of transmitting

dengue if we hope to reduce the impact of this disease.”

In research on the population dynamics of mosquitoes,

O’Meara, another member of the team, found that the Asian

Tiger mosquito forced the common Aedes aegypti mosquito

out of its native habitats in Florida – causing that mosquito

to disappear in many areas of the state. The distribution of

these mosquitoes is key to determining the risk from

dengue, since both species are capable of transmitting

dengue virus to humans.

O’Meara also found that a new mosquito (Culex biscaynen-

sis) in South Florida occupies habitats that Asian Tiger

mosquitoes would normally colonize. This and other native

mosquito species that live as larvae in bromeliads fill one of

the habitats where Asian Tiger mosquitoes could breed.



Nutrient-Rich Mosquito

Breeding Sites



O’Meara, along with Jorge Rey, a professor of entomology,

and Sheila O’Connell, a biological scientist, are examining

mosquito production in nutrient-rich aquatic systems, espe-

cially those created by human activities.

“We are investigating both underground systems such as

stormwater catch basins and above-ground habitats, particu-

larly stormwater and wastewater treatment areas,” O’Meara

said.

“Large numbers of mosquitoes, including those that trans-

mit West Nile virus and other disease-causing organisms,

can develop in these nutrient-rich habitats,” he said. “The

primary goal of our research is to develop information for

designing and maintaining stormwater and wastewater

habitats that are less likely to generate mosquito problems.”



Biological Control



Researchers at the Vero Beach lab are also developing

environmentally friendly ways of controlling mosquitoes

without pesticides. One solution: rugged little crustaceans

that attack mosquito larvae with a vengeance.



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thomas wright

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Jonathan Day, right, counts mosquitoes collected in a light trap set on the grounds of the Florida Medical

Entomology Laboratory in Vero Beach.

Dov Borovsky, below, examines Petri dishes with TMOF colonies.




Rey’s research shows that the copepods are easy and inex-

pensive to raise and deliver to target areas. Large numbers

of copepods can be reared in small plastic pools, plastic

garbage cans and other inexpensive containers. Copepods

thrive in warm climates but can survive freezing tempera-

tures for short periods. Pesticides commonly used for

mosquito control do not kill the copepods.

He said more research is needed on ways to distribute the

copepods in the environment for effective mosquito larvae

control.

“Standard spray equipment can be easily modified to

dispense copepods,” Rey said. “Since they can withstand

almost dry conditions, storage and transportation will not

require large quantities of water.”

He said biocontrol techniques, such as using copepods for

controlling mosquito larvae, are attractive for developing

countries where human resources usually are more available

than money for expensive control alternatives.

Rey, Rutledge, O’Connell and Richard Escher, a biological

scientist, have developed mosquito copepod kits for Florida

teachers. The kits contain all the materials needed to estab-

lish cultures of copepods that are predators of mosquito

larvae.

“With the kits, students can study the complete mosquito

life cycle,” Rutledge said. “The kits, available free to Florida

teachers, also contain a CD with illustrations and back-

ground information on mosquitoes and copepods.”

For ordering instructions, visit

http://fmel.ifas.ufl.edu/kits/.

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“We’re using the native organisms to control mosquitoes

when they breed in standing water, usually in ponds, tires

and other open containers,” Rey said. “By adding tiny crus-

taceans called copepods to the water, we can kill mosquito

larvae before they become adults that may spread West Nile

and other diseases.

“Tests at our lab show that the copepods (Macrocyclops

albidus and Mesocyclops aspericornis) feed on mosquito

larvae at an amazing rate, killing up to 90 percent of the

larvae,” he said.

His research shows the copepods prefer young mosquito

larvae, usually those not older than four days. But they will

attack older larvae when the number of young larvae

declines.

He said copepods are native to Florida and common

throughout the world. They pose no danger to people,

animals or plants. However, copepods do not exist in every

body of water and would have to be introduced in order to

be effective on a wide scale.

Once the copepods become established, they reproduce in

high numbers for effective natural control – or

biocontrol – of mosquito larvae, Rey said. Copepods survive

so well because they feed on a wide range of insect prey in

the natural environment.

“Over the years, a variety of other biological control

agents ranging from viruses to fish have been tried for

mosquito control, but nothing seems to work as effectively

as this microscopic natural predator,” Rey said.

Current restrictions on pesticides, along with the growing

problem of insect resistance to many chemicals, make

biocontrols such as copepods increasingly attractive, he said.



The eastern treehole mosquito (Ochlerotatus triseriatus) can often be found in water-holding cavities of live oak, hackberry and other types of trees. This mosquito

is engorged with blood.



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In Florida, this species of mosquito (Culex nigripalpus) plays a major role in the transmission of disease-causing viruses. This mosquito is engorged with blood.



agricultural applications against other insects, relying on

similar molecules to control their digestive enzymes,”

he said.



Extension Education



Scientists at the Vero Beach lab also provide a variety of

education programs through the statewide UF/IFAS exten-

sion service, local and district mosquito control organiza-

tions, the Internet and other venues.

Under Rutledge’s leadership, faculty at the Vero Beach lab

train more than 300 mosquito control and public health

professionals annually. A course on mosquito identification

offered by Rutledge and Richard Darsie, a courtesy professor

of entomology, is internationally recognized by mosquito-

control professionals. Over the past five years, more then

150 people have completed the two-week course, including

students from throughout the United States and as far away

as New Zealand and Turkey.

Information on the lab’s outreach programs is available at

http://mosquito.ifas.ufl.edu/. This site, which receives more

than 200,000 hits annually, provides information for profes-

sionals in public health and mosquito control as well as the

general public.



I



For more information, contact:



walter tabachnick



(772) 778-7200

wjt@ifas.ufl.edu



Biotechnology



Research on mosquito biochemistry and molecular

biology at the lab has resulted in a promising new pest

control method that is efficient and safe for the

environment.

Dov Borovsky, a professor of entomology, has developed a

mosquito “diet pill” that alters their digestion, making it

impossible for them to feed, lay eggs or survive.

He discovered that the TMOF (trypsin modulating oosta-

tic factor) hormone can stop digestion in mosquito larvae,

causing them to die of starvation. And he is using biotech-

nology to incorporate the TMOF hormone into a variety of

microorganisms that mosquitoes eat.

“As a result, the same pond scum that nourishes young

mosquitoes can now deliver their death blow,” Borovsky

said. “We have genetically engineered the aquatic organism

chlorella found in marshes as a means to help to control

mosquito larvae that eat chlorella and algae. After eating the

chlorella, the larvae cannot digest food, and they die from

starvation.”

He has also genetically engineered yeast to produce

TMOF. The recombinant yeast can be mass-produced, dried,

formulated and sprayed over large areas like other pesti-

cides. The recombinant yeast starves the mosquito larvae to

death after they eat the cells.

What’s more, Borovsky is engineering other plants to

produce TMOF and control agricultural pests. “TMOF tech-

nology that started with mosquitoes can be used in




I



It’s been an historic struggle dating

back to 1978, but an invasion by South

American mole crickets is being

stopped, thanks to a University of

Florida research program that pits

natural enemies against the destruc-

tive pests.

The successful release of three

biological control agents – wasps,

nematodes and flies imported from

South America – has reduced mole

cricket populations in the Gainesville

area by 95 percent, and these controls

are spreading throughout Florida.

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after a long fight against mole crickets, university of florida

researchers are declaring victory against the invasive pests that

caused $94 million in damage to turf and pastures each year. the

mole cricket research program is a prime example of how uf’s

institute of food and agricultural sciences is using biological

control to manage pests without conventional pesticides.



Mission Accomplished



by Chuck Woods

“Dramatic reductions have occurred

during the past 12 years as populations

of the introduced natural enemies

increased and began to have a spectac-

ular effect on the mole cricket pests,”

said Howard Frank, a professor of

entomology who has coordinated the

mole cricket research program at UF’s

Institute of Food and Agricultural

Sciences (UF/IFAS) since 1985.

Frank said four species of mole

crickets are found in Florida: north-

ern, short-winged, southern and

tawny. The northern mole cricket,

which is indigenous to the state, is not

closely related to the three South

American invaders, and it is not trou-

blesome because native wasp and

nematode species in Florida keep it

under control.

Unfortunately, the three invasive

mole cricket species are not affected

by native wasps and nematodes in

Florida, he said.

Accidentally introduced to the

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