ASB Project Antonio Testa 4142 Comstock Hall Cornell University Ithaca, NY (607)

Alfalfa Snout Beetle (ASB) Facts In NY, 500,000 acres of agricultural land is estimated to be infested. This severe pest is currently restricted to nine counties in NY and a small portion of Ontario, Canada. Once established, ASB can destroy entire alfalfa stands in one growing season. Adult ASB feed on red and white clovers, broad-leaved dock, wild carrot, wild strawberries, blackberries, dogwood, other legumes and weeds. Costs for producing milk rises between 22-25% due to rising feed costs to purchase protein supplement, added replanting costs, and lower yields. Signs of a ASB Infestation Winter Kill Plant Upheaval Stand Loss Leaf Feeding

Life Cycle of Alfalfa Snout Beetle Year 1 May: Adults emerge and feed on alfalfa and clover foilage for three weeks to build up fat reserves for egg laying. May-June: Adults enter a non-feeding dispersal phase, laying eggs at the base of host plants. One adult can lay up to 500 eggs. June-November: Larvae feed on alfalfa plant roots, the most heavily damaged plants begin to die in August. Remaining plant death occurs in September-October. In November larvae burrow deep into the soil for a full year, they become adults the following summer. Year 2 April-May: Stand loss is noticed, fields are patchy or barren. Open areas quickly fill in with weeds and grass. June-August: Larvae remain in hibernation, 18-24” deep in the soil, finish developing and turn into adults. Year 3 April-May: ASB that began in Year 1 now emerge in alfalfa fields as adults.

Cornell University, in collaboration with NY Farm Viability Institute and Northern NY Agricultural Development Program, have developed a low-cost bio-control procedure to reduce current infestation levels and to help prevent further spread of the insect. Biological control is accomplished by inoculating fields with entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs). Close soil contact makes ASB susceptible to attack by EPNs which are insect attacking nematodes. The nematodes staged release from host insects are called infective juveniles (IJs). Long-term biological control appears to be a feasible management strategy and studies indicate that EPNs can persist in soils for a number of years. Alfalfa snout beetles are exposed to EPNs at different stages of their life cycle and at various depths within the soil profile. Long-term management strategies turned to using a multi-species EPN approach. Results showed significant impact of using the multi-species approach in areas of heavy ASB infestations. Biological Control of Alfalfa Snout Beetle

Between , 96 field sites in six northern NY counties have been inoculated with EPNs. Economical mass rearing steps for EPNs were developed at Cornell University in 2008, allowing our program to rear approximately 20 billion nematodes for field application during the growing seasons. The insect larvae used to produce the EPNs are called wax worms and arrive in plastic tubs filled with fine wood chips from bait suppliers in the United States. Starter tubs used to generate the IJs for a on-farm program are reared at Cornell University. Once on the farm, producers will generate 200 million IJs for field application. Spray tank will need to be attached to a spray boom either housed on a truck, tractor, or ATV that can be driven in the field. Spray boom should be at least 8 ft wide, and have nozzles and screens removed. Applications are done days after field harvest when re-growth has reached 6”. The ideal time of day for nematode application will be late afternoon-evening which reduces nematode mortality from UV exposure and desiccation. Nematodes are then applied to the field in four strips across the grain of the field. Any tillage of the field would help to distribute the EPNs from strips along the length of the field. During the 2009 field season, four local alfalfa producers successfully learned to rear the bio-control nematodes and apply them to their fields. For the next two years, our focus is to expand this program to all interested individuals across the nine county infested region. On-Farm Rearing and Application Program

Who Should Participate: If you have a current infestation of ASB or your neighbor does, consider joining the program. Belong to Future Farmers of America or 4-H? Program offers a opportunity to work closely with individual farmers to control the pest from spreading. Commercial applicators could develop a system to apply nematodes for a fixed cost for interested producers. Outreach Opportunities Educate farmers in infested areas on ASB and the damage it could cause if an infestation reached their farm. Expand low-labor farmer friendly nematode rearing program. Hold education sessions to teach interested participants in how to rear and apply EPNs. Want to Participate? Contact Information Project Leaders Antonio Testa, Cornell University – Elson Shields, Cornell University Local Cornell Cooperative Ext. ASB Website Launch May