***New paper alert 📢 Happy to share @pecenka26's 2nd PhD chapter, out in @SciReports, on how IPM affects pollinators in Midwestern US agroecosystems. This part focuses on the health of managed bees & diversity of 41 wild sp. acting as crop pollinators. rdcu.be/dgjjU

New collaborative work just published with Betty Benrey & colleagues - squash domestication eliminated cucurbitacins from roots, making crops less attractive to striped cucumber beetle larvae doi.org/10.1007/s00425-023-0…

Been a great few days discussing pests/pollinators with watermelon growers to establish IPPM field trials and then training volunteers for a new statewide bumble bee survey! 🐝🍉

Met with a @diversecornbelt grower today who compared the implementation of on-farm diversification practices to Rodney Dangerfield’s famous Triple Lindy dive in Back to School. This officially made my year.

New study out in @JAppliedEcology led by former postdoc Ashley Leach. We show that implementing IPPM on commercial watermelon farms can virtually eliminate insecticide use (from 22 total sprays down to 1) while increasing pollination & yields! 🍉🐝 doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.14…

It's been nearly 15 years and the @ToxicPlantLab is STILL in the passion zone! Very enthused to see this 👏👏👏

@Ingwell_vegIPM, @VeggieGuan, and I are recruiting a team of 3 grad students (MS or PhD) and/or postdocs to work on a newly funded USDA project focusing on insect biocontrol in high tunnels. For full advertisement, see: tinyurl.com/HighTunnelBiocon… Please RT!

Excellent new study led by the Liceaga Lab @PurdueFoodSci featured on the cover of Polysaccharides. Leftover cricket chitin used to create biodegradable films that replace traditional plastics. Yes, this means a future of wrapping food in 🦗🦗🦗 doi.org/10.3390/polysacchari…

Fab talk on social media by @PurdueAg’s Morgan Grosso today in @PurdueSciComm! I learned some new hashtags, rules of tweeting, and about her love of slo-mo vids of snow falling. Please give us a follow for all things insect-related & -adjacent!

I am recruiting 3-4 students (MS or PhD) & postdocs to work across several newly funded projects focusing on ecosystem services (pollination, biocontrol), chemical ecology, and crop diversity. Start dates Jan-Aug 2022. If interested, contact me for further details. Please RT!