SCRI CAP PROPOSAL: BIOLOGY, MANAGEMENT, AND REDUCING THE IMPACT OF THE SPOTTED LANTERNFLY IN SPECIALTY CROPS IN THE EASTERN USA

the spotted lanternfly (slf), lycorma delicatula, has emerged as an invasive pest of critical importance to specialty crops including tree fruit and grapes with the potential to affect many others. while we now know that slf incurs immediate, acute damage to grapes, the potential for slf to exert acute and/or chronic damage upon other specialty crops is not yet clear, but potential long-term impact of slf in the usa could be staggering. in states where slf has been established or has been detected, slf threatens $802 million in tree fruit, $113 million in grape, $110 million in small fruit, and $2.6 billion in ornamentals; nationwide these numbers grow to over $18 billion. slf lays inconspicuous egg masses on smooth surfaces including tree bark, automobiles, rail cars, and shipping pallets, portending abrupt, distant spread.through our robust regional collaboration as a team of researchers and extension personnel, we will rapidly develop tactics to mitigate injury to vulnerable specialty crops in the short-term. based on an extensive array of lab and field based experiments, we will also expand our knowledge of slf biology, ecology, behavior and biological control tactics to enable sustainable management, not only directly alleviating the threat to specialty crop producers, but also indirectly benefitting the many other slf-affected stakeholder groups that are enduring pervasive and increasing problems. we will deliver management strategies and new knowledge to specialty crop stakeholders and the general public via synergized and innovative extension programming produced by partnering universities, usda, and neipmc. we will provide slf education and outreach opportunities using traditional and web-based platforms. we will develop and implement evaluation plans to direct research plans and assess efficacy, including economic evaluation, of project outputs and management recommendations. we will train the next generation of scientists and extension educators to be better prepared for invasive pests using cross-training and lab rotations to promote cross-institutional collaborations and enhance coordination of extension and research activities. we will hold stakeholder advisory panel meetings to evaluate accomplishments, direct and prioritize future research plans, and guide extension objectives.through these efforts we seek to ultimately develop and communicate efficacious tactics for managing the invasive spotted lanternfly on vulnerable specialty crops to reduce the risk of widespread, catastrophic damage and to develop strategies for long-term slf management.