BELOWGROUND CHEMICAL ECOLOGY AND INTERACTIONS OF STRAWBERRY ROOT PESTS AND BIOLOGICAL CONTROL

I will test the hypothesis that different belowground herbivores induce specific plant responses in strawberry, and test the impact of these responses on native and introduced entomopathogenic organisms. This study's goals are to provide strawberry (Fragaria spp.) growers with new tools for: a) improved monitoring of cryptic root- feeding pests, b) increased efficacy of insect parasitic nematodes as a biological control tactic c) employing information on plant traits to study the functional role of diverse root characteristics associated with belowground environment. This work will contribute to future belowground pest management programs in strawberry and other agroecosystems. Living amongst a complex ecological foodweb, roots are often heavily attacked by herbivores and pathogens, yet there are significant gaps in our knowledge of belowground environments both from an agronomic and ecological perspective. Understanding complex belowground interactions could provide a model for monitoring soil disturbances while optimizing ecological scenarios to favor biological control. Traditionally, such interactions are studied one-by-one, and there is a need for a multidisciplinary approach to study such relationships. This study will evaluate belowground induced plant signals, the occurrence and life history characteristics of natural belowground populations, and the impact on the control of root pests. With techniques based on quantitative real-time PCR I will evaluate how herbivore induced plant chemistry alters the community dynamics of surrounding soil biota. This study will also determine if plants infested with Strawberry Root weevils, Black vine Weevil, and Rough strawberry weevil secrete recruitment chemicals attractive to entomopathogenic nematodes.