Colorado potato beetles have wreaked havoc on potato fields for years. They feast on the leaf’s and leave little in their wake. The beetle is known for being able to breed insecticide resistant offspring making control of them an ever-evolving struggle. In this webinar we look at some of the latest research work into how to control this pest and find out why wild potato relatives may just hold the key to future control.
Presenters
Hanna Jean McCoy, PhD candidate at the University of New Brunswick
Hanna McCoy works in the laboratories of Helen Tai at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Larry Calhoun at the University of New Brunswick Department of Chemistry. In 2022 she graduated from the UNB with a bachelor of science degree with honours in medicinal chemistry. Since then, McCoy has been investigating Colorado potato beetle resistance in a tuber-bearing potato wild relative species, Solanum okadae.
Tim Waters, professor/regional vegetable specialist and Franklin County director for Washington State University Extension
Waters has a bachelor of science in biology, and a master of science and PhD degrees in entomology from Washington State University (WSU). Since 2006, he has been a faculty member in the Agriculture and Natural Resources Program Unit of WSU Extension as well as an affiliate faculty member in the Entomology and Horticulture Departments of WSU. Waters works with commercial vegetable producers in the Columbia Basin where he focuses on integrated pest management issues on crops including: potato, onion, carrot, sweet corn, watermelon, beans, peanut, sweet potato, pepper, peas, beets, cabbage, and hybrid poplar. He conducts applied research in numerous disciplines including entomology, weed science, plant pathology, soil and foliar fertility, cultivar evaluations, and irrigation management to address industry needs.
