“Genes and genetic mechanisms contributing to fall armyworm resistance in maize” with Sandra Woolfolk and Leigh Hawkins, research entomologist and molecular biologist (respectively) at USDA-ARS.

Fall armyworm is a major pest around the world, causing millions of dollars in damages yearly. However, farmers are not alone in the fight against these invasive creatures, with plant breeders coming alongside to help develop more resistant plants. This episode, Drs. Sandra Woolfolk and Leigh Hawkins discuss their work tracking down the traits that can lead to higher resistance against this frightful pest.

Tune in to learn:

·         What fall armyworms look like

·         What makes fall armyworms such a scary pest

·         How DNA, SNPs, and metabolic pathways are like a highway

·         Which metabolic pathways were the most promising

If you would like more information about this topic, this episode’s paper is available here: https://doi.org/10.1002/tpg2.20311

This paper is always freely available.

Contact us at [email protected] or on Twitter @FieldLabEarth if you have comments, questions, or suggestions for show topics, and if you want more content like this don’t forget to subscribe. If you’d like to see old episodes or sign up for our newsletter, you can do so here: https://fieldlabearth.libsyn.com/.

If you would like to reach out to Sandra, you can find her here: [email protected]

If you would like to reach out to Leigh, you can find her here: [email protected]

Resources

CEU Quiz: https://web.sciencesocieties.org/Learning-Center/Courses/Course-Detail?productid=%7bC387DA69-8D72-EE11-9AE7-000D3A32379C%7d 

Transcripts: https://www.rev.com/transcript-editor/shared/gO8Zy7pkPBbpenhl5Z7o3mWCDXVuqTraIt1PHDLmlsP-kM8FcNxq8KsaRT9LoPsyLMjNayKO-a8gQB_MxKZZu6FqCUM?loadFrom=SharedLink 

Corn Host Plant Resistance Research Unit: https://www.ars.usda.gov/southeast-area/mississippi-state-ms/crop-science-research-laboratory/corn-host-plant-resistance-research/

Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_armyworm

Entomology Department, University of Florida: https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/field/fall_armyworm.htm

Mississippi State Extension Fall Armyworms page: http://extension.msstate.edu/content/fall-armyworms

Mississippi State Extension Fall Armyworms in Hayfields and Pastures article: http://extension.msstate.edu/node/7154

USDA-ARS Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AgriculturalResearchService

USDA-ARS LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/usda-ars/

FAO Fall Armyworm page: https://www.fao.org/fall-armyworm/en/

USDA Fall Armyworm article: https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2018/02/26/fall-armyworm-usda-research-lends-hand-international-pest-outbreak

Field, Lab, Earth is Copyrighted by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.