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Department of Entomology
New York State Agricultural Experiment Station
Geneva, New York 14456

last modified: April 18, 2007

Goal: Measure and mitigate the ecological disruptions caused by long residual soil insecticides

This line of research and extension is in response to a relatively poor understanding of the kind and strength of ecological interactions that make turfgrass habitats best function as robust and resilient agroecosystems in the face of stressors like insect pest outbreaks. A particular emphasis is on the microarthropod community, given the abundance of this fauna and ostensible role in beneficial soil processes, and the lack of a solid foundation on its identity turf. As a perennial system, we ought to expect that turf harbors a diverse assemblage of nonpest invertebrate fauna that have a role in promoting long-term stability.

We are currently conducting a series of studies on an experimental home lawn in Upstate New York to gauge the nontarget impacts of white grub control products. This study was originally conceived to rank the “benevolence” of grub control products and generate knowledge that might be useful to homeowners and IPM educators. We specifically seek information about treatment effects on soil-dwelling beneficials and other nontargets to add to the decision-making process of homeowners interested in choosing environmentally friendly yet efficacious control products. As the stewards of a large proportion of managed turfgrass (2.2 million acres in New York State alone), transmission of new information to these stakeholders could encourage rational pesticide use across broad areas in close association with human activity. From that initial impetus, we launched a series of studies that have been ongoing since 2000. These studies include (a) comparative effects of alternative white grub controls on the abundance of nontarget fauna, (b) long-term effects of imidacloprid on the abundance of nontarget fauna, (c) variation in the response of Collembola, Coleoptera and Formicidae taxa, and (d) functional effects of neonicotinoids on the natural regulation of pest populations

Overall, this series of studies is showing that while modern neonicotinoids may not have the broad spectrum activity of predecessors, they do have broad environmental exposure. Given that white grub control scenarios in the Northeast are increasingly bound to preventive applications of long-residual insecticides (i.e. no sampling and no assessment of thresholds), the tradeoffs between convenient control and best IPM practices needs to be addressed with respect to potential ecological impacts. Even under scenarios deemed “low-risk”, the balance between target and nontarget effects should be explicitly examined.

In a second system, we are using a similar approach to examine nontarget effects on the soil- and surface-active fauna within two tropical cropping systems – maize and cotton – where modern Bt-transgenic technology is being deployed for the first time in Colombia, South America. This work is in collaboration with colleagues at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT, Cali, Colombia).

Turf inhabiting springtails: Onychiurus armatus (A), Spaeridia sp. (B), Entomobrya sp. (C) and Lepidocyrtus sp. (D) (Photos C. Ospina, NYSAES)

Peck, D.C. Submitted. Nontarget effects of alternative white grub (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) control products on the abundance of soil active arthropods in turf.

Ramirez, M., J. Rodriguez & D.C. Peck. Accepted. Comparison of ant communities (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in conventional and Bt-modified cotton in the Cauca Valley (in Spanish). Revista Colombiana de Entomología.

Rodríguez Ch., J., M. Mojocoa, C. Ospina & D.C. Peck. 2004. Diversity and abundance of soil arthropods in Bt (NuCotn 33B) and conventional (DP5415) cotton in the Cauca Valley (in Spanish). Invited symposium paper. In: Memorias, XXXI Congreso de la Sociedad Colombiana de Entomología, Bogotá, Colombia (28-30 July). pp 115-124.

Rodríguez Ch., J. & D.C. Peck. 2004. Gauging the effect of transgenic maize and cotton on nontarget soil arthropods in Colombia. Invited symposium paper in North-South Workshop. 8th International Symposium on the Biosafety of Genetically Modified Organisms. Montpellier, France (26-30 Sept). pp 102-104.

Peck, D.C. 2004. Impact of scarab grub management tactics on nontarget soil fauna, pp. 50-56. In: 2003 New York State Ornamentals Project Reports Relating to IPM. NYS IPM, Geneva, NY. Publication No. 419.

Ospina, C.M., J. Rodriguez Ch. & D.C. Peck. 2006. Biodiversity of Collembola (Arthropoda: Collembola) in cotton and maize of Colombia (in Spanish, poster). Congreso de la Sociedad Colombiana de Entomología, Manizales, Colombia. 07/26/06.

Peck, D.C. 2006. The nature and relevance of nontarget effects: impacts of white grub controls on soil arthropod communities. Department of Entomology, University of Maryland, College Park, MD. 10/13/06.

Peck, D.C. 2007. Biological control of soil insect pests. 39th Annual Professional Turf and Landscape Conference and Trade Show, NYS Turf and Landscape Association, White Plains, NY. 01/10/07.

Peck, D.C. 2006. The nature and relevance of nontarget effects: impacts of white grub control alternatives on soil arthropod communities. Department of Entomology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY. 08/28/06.

Peck, D.C. 2006. The nature and relevance of nontarget effects: impacts of white grub control alternatives on soil arthropod communities in turf. Department of Entomology, NYSAES, Cornell University, Geneva, NY. 04/04/06.

Peck, D.C. 2006. The nature and relevance of nontarget effects: gauging the impact of white grub controls on turfgrass arthropod communities. Department of Plant, Soil and Insect Sciences. University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA. 03/27/06.

Peck, D.C. 2006. Straying off target – how insecticides harm beneficials and why those effects are relevant to turfgrass ecology and management. Empire State Green Industry Show, Rochester, NY. 11/15/06.

Rodriguez Ch., J., D.C. Peck, C. Ospina & A. Mazo. 2006. Effect of Bt transgenic cotton (Bollgard®) NuCotn 33B on nontarget soil arthropods in the Cauca Valley (in Spanish, poster). Congreso de la Sociedad Colombiana de Entomología, Manizales, Colombia. 07/26/06.

Rodriguez Ch., J., C. Ospina, A. Mazo & D.C. Peck. 2006. Field evaluation of the impact of Bt cotton on nontarget soil arthropods in Colombia (in Spanish, poster). 4th International Congress of Biological Control, Cali, Colombia. 05/31/06.

Mazo, A., J. Rodríguez, J. Montoya & D.C. Peck. 2005. Comparison of the abundance and diversity of Coleoptera in conventional and Bt-transgenic cotton in the Cauca Valley of Colombia (in Spanish). In: Resumenes, XXXII Congreso de la Sociedad Colombiana de Entomología, Ibagué, Colombia. 07/27/05.

Peck, D.C. 2005. Response, recovery and resilience of soil arthropod communities to the nontarget effects of white grub control. Symposium: Developing ecosystem-oriented approaches for managing turfgrass and ornamental pests. Entomological Society of America, Ft. Lauderdale, FL. 12/16/05.

Peck, D.C. 2005. Gauging the benevolence of lawn care: impact of pest management practices on nontarget soil arthropods. Ontario Turf Conference, University of Guelph, ON. 02/22/05.

Peck, D.C. 2005. White grub combat: measuring the magnitude and relevance of collateral damage. New Jersey Turfgrass and Landscape Expo, Atlantic City, NJ. 12/07/05.

Ospina S., C.M., J. Rodríguez, M. Mojocoa, F.S. Cardona & D.C. Peck. 2004. Collembola associated with maize and cotton crops in the Cauca Valley of Colombia (in Spanish). In; Resumenes, XXXI Congreso de la Sociedad Colombiana de Entomología, Bogotá, Colombia. p. 57. 07/28/04.

Rodríguez Ch., J., M. Mojocoa M., C.M. Ospina & D.C. Peck. 2004. Gauging the effect of transgenic maize and cotton on nontarget soil arthropods in Colombia (poster). 8th International Symposium on the Biosafety of Genetically Modified Organisms, Montpellier, France. 09/26/04.

Rodríguez Ch., J., M. Mojocoa & D.C. Peck. 2004. Effect of chlorpyrifos on nontarget soil arthropods in maize (in Spanish). In: Resumenes, XXXI Congreso de la Sociedad Colombiana de Entomología, Bogotá, Colombia. p. 35. 07/28/04.

Peck, D.C. 2003. Gauging the benevolence of lawn care: impact of pest management practices on nontarget soil fauna. Section C Symposium: Turf Insects and Soil Environment – A Tribute to Michael G. Villani. Entomological Society of America national conference, Cincinnati, OH, 27 Oct. 2003.