Studying Crop Pests

Dr. Miriam Kishinevsky Va'adia-BARD Postdoctoral Fellow

at the Department of Integrative Biology at The University of Wisconsin-Madison

 

 

What got you interested in parasitoids and crop pests?

I learned about parasitoids and their importance for biological control as an undergrad from my mentor, Prof. Tamar Keasar, who specializes in environmental biology research at the University of Haifa.

Parasitoids are fascinating creatures. They are tiny, but, since they feed on agricultural pests, can have huge impacts on them and thereby on food production. Because they are so small and diverse, many aspects of their biology are unknown, especially under field conditions. In addition I am fascinated by translating insect ecological knowledge into agricultural systems to benefit farmers and crop production.

What is the main focus of your Postdoc work?

In my postdoctoral research in the lab of Prof. Anthony R. Ives at department of integrative biology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, I look at how natural enemies, including parasitoids, are affected by different agricultural practices. Surprisingly, we found that developmental time plays a key role in determining the effects of agricultural disturbances on important parasitoid species.

In addition, we are studying how to better identify which natural enemies actually lower the growth rate of pest populations, and not only follow their abundances, and hence can provide effective biological control serves.

What tip would you give someone just beginning a career in agricultural research?

What helped me most to understand the different systems and needs in agricultural research is going out to the field. When meeting farmers and discussing their problems and being in close contact with extension specialists, I got a comprehensive understanding of how my scientific research can be both sound and applicable.