Texas A&M Entomology Research Network

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Bynum leaves agriculture pest management behind; retires after more than 40 years

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by Kay Ledbetter, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications

Dr. Ed Bynum, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologist, speaks at a forage sorghum field day. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Kay Ledbetter)
Dr. Ed Bynum, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologist, speaks at a forage sorghum field day. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Kay Ledbetter)

AMARILLO — With more than 40 years of service to Texas A&M AgriLife under his hat, Dr. Edsel “Ed” Bynum Jr. will no longer be traipsing out to fields across the High Plains and South Plains looking for the latest insects pestering agricultural crops.

Bynum, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomology specialist in Amarillo, is retiring June 30. A retirement party will be hosted from 5-7 p.m. on June 20 at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center, 6500 Amarillo Blvd. West, Amarillo.

“As I look back at my career, two things occur to me,” he said. “I began in research and by far the biggest changes have been with the technology that has occurred through production agriculture.

“But when I think of my extension work, I think about how rewarding it has been to work closely with producers, crop consultants and the ag industry to address the day-to-day challenges for managing insect pests.”
Bynum spent the past 10 years as the AgriLife Extension entomologist serving the Amarillo area. Prior to that, he served as the AgriLife Extension integrated pest management agent for Nolan, Mitchell, Scurry and Jones counties from 2005-2008.

Dr. Ed Bynum, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologist, looks at a severe infestation of sugarcane aphids on sorghum. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Kay Ledbetter)
Dr. Ed Bynum, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologist, looks at a severe infestation of sugarcane aphids on sorghum. (Texas A&M AgriLife photo by Kay Ledbetter)

Previously, he worked for Texas A&M AgriLife Research with a variety of titles, from technician to research associate to assistant research scientist, at the Lubbock center working primarily with grain crops and the Dallas center working primarily with cotton breeding lines for resistance to flea hoppers.

Bynum said tackling pest management issues has changed tremendously with the growth in computer technology.

“When I first started in 1976, we didn’t have computers to do data analysis very quickly,” he said. “Our first Radio Shack computer had a 5.25-inch floppy disk that was an operating system, and there was no software to help conduct the research. Now everything is so quick, and it makes a difference in our ability to do data analysis.

“We have apps on our cell phones that allow a producer to take a picture in the field and send it for immediate identification as well as management advice,” Bynum said. “We can pull together best management practices and email or text them to our clientele in a matter of minutes instead of it taking days to spread the word.”

During his career, Bynum worked extensively with pests such as the sunflower moth, Russian wheat aphid, greenbug, southwestern corn borer, two-spotted spider mite, Banks grass mite, corn earworm, fall armyworm, cotton flea hopper, and most recently, the sugarcane aphid.

“In the field of entomology, we always have outbreaks of insects,” he said. “My first experience was probably with Russian wheat aphid in 1986. Besides the outbreaks, we have to deal with a lot of pests developing resistance to insecticides.”

Bynum said much of his career has been centered on corn and sorghum insect pests, and evaluating insecticide resistance. This included spider mites on corn during the ‘70s and ‘80s and later greenbug resistance to Lorsban insecticide.

“This was probably the most challenging part of my career because the pests were developing resistance to different modes of actions, and we were constantly trying to evaluate new modes of actions for ways to control them.”

This included conducting laboratory assays to determine the level of resistance developed, and then working with the chemical industry to evaluate new products. Also, he said they evaluated host-plant resistance and biological control to help overcome damage from insects.

Another rewarding part of the job was the development of economic thresholds that producers could use to make control decisions.

“Now, we’ve come full circle. We have insecticide resistance that continues to be an issue for the industry along with resistance to Bt traits,” Bynum said. “So instead of relying on this technology, we have to go back to relying on more integrated pest management.

“Insects will always find a way to overcome methods of control, so producers need to have more than one tool in the toolbox that they rely on. Here I am ending my career, and we are again addressing some of the same problems as when I first started.”

He said new technologies are already on the horizon to help battle insects such as corn earworm/cotton bollworm that have built up resistance to Bt traits.

“This area has grown tremendously in cotton production, and that may bring increased pest issues,” Bynum said. “So, integrated pest management for cotton is very important now, as it is still fairly new to our producers and current thresholds may be different. The insects may be the same as in the South Plains, but their management varies with growing conditions.”

Bynum said he will continue to work with Dr. Jourdan Bell, AgriLife Extension agronomist, to complete a project on sugarcane aphids, but his primary focus in the future will be spending more time on his artwork and with his family.

Bynum earned his bachelor’s degree in animal production, a master’s degree in entomology and a doctorate in agronomy from Texas Tech University.

He is a longtime member of the Entomological Society of America, as well as the Society of Southwestern Entomologists, where he served as a past president.

His recognitions include: Superior Service team award for sugarcane aphids; the Texas County Agricultural Agents Association distinguished achievement award; Meritorious Award for Technical Staff Support from Texas A&M’s entomology department; Research Support – Off Campus Award from Texas A&M; and an award for Outstanding Contributions to the Agricultural Chemicals Industry of West Texas by the West Texas Agricultural Chemicals Institute.

Former Student Selected as ANRP Intern in Washington DC

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Portrait of Bailee Higgins. Photo by TAMU ANRP Program.
Bailee Higgins. Photo by TAMU ANRP Program.

Congratulations to former student Bailee Higgins as she was selected to work as an intern in Washington, DC for the Agricultural and Natural Resources Policy Internship Program this summer.

Higgins is currently interning in Congressman John Carter’s office. Carter represents District 31 in Texas, which includes Williamson and Bell Counties.

A native of Austin, Higgins graduated with her Bachelor of Science degree in Entomology in May 2019. Her career goals are to receive a master’s degree in vector biology from Cornell University and work for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Fort Collins, Colorado.

During her time at A&M, Higgins was a member of Alpha Delta Pi, where she gained valuable recruiting and communications skills and worked in Dr. Craig Coates lab creating 3D imaging of insects.

“When I found out I was working for John Carter, I was so excited!” she said. “He is the congressman from my district, so I was happy to be around someone my own area.”

Higgins said that Carter’s office staff was very welcoming on the first day.

“I have been here for two weeks and I couldn’t be in a better office,” she said. “Not only is there another Aggie I work with, but also the entire staff is so nice and welcoming. Their main goal is for us to learn and be the best we can be. Everyone in the office, even the other interns from the other schools work well together. I wake up every morning happy to serve Team Carter.”

Higgins wants to use this internship to learn more about the government and hopes to apply what she has learned to both graduate school and her future career.

“My main goal for my internship is to learn about government processes,” she said. “In the future, I want to work for the CDC. This internship has quickly become more. I am learning about public service, population interactions, and the world of politics. By the end of this internship, I bet I will have learned more than I ever expected.”

AgriLife Research looks at gene expressions in sugarcane aphid-resistant sorghum

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by Kay Ledbetter, Texas A&M AgriLife Communications

Sugarcane aphids cover a sorghum leaf. Photo by Ada Szczepaniec.
Sugarcane aphids cover a sorghum leaf. Photo by Ada Szczepaniec.

AMARILLO – Gene expression in sugarcane aphid-resistant sorghum varieties at times when they are most prevalent in the Texas Panhandle were the focus of a recent Texas A&M AgriLife Research study.

Sugarcane aphids remain the most significant threat to sorghum production, and their outbreaks can arise quickly and unexpectedly, especially in the Southern High Plains where infestations commonly coincide with sorghum bloom, said Dr. Ada Szczepaniec, AgriLife Research entomologist in Amarillo.

Sugarcane aphid outbreaks in sorghum were first reported in 2013. Previous research has illustrated that the outcomes of interactions between sugarcane aphid and sorghum — and thus the severity of the outbreaks — depend on the sorghum hybrid and potentially the phenology of the sorghum, Szczepaniec said.

To dig further into the mechanisms that drive the severity of aphid attacks and the role planting timing has in management protocols, she designed a study to understand the physiological changes in a commercially available resistant variety and a susceptible variety of sorghum. The varieties were studied at two weeks and six weeks post-emergence and were exposed to sugarcane aphid infections.

“In prior years, we demonstrated that using resistant sorghum varieties is the most effective way to manage these pests,” Szczepaniec said. “We also documented that when sugarcane aphids colonize flowering sorghum or just prior to bloom, their numbers increase extremely fast. This can pose a challenge to timely insecticide applications.”

The effects of sorghum age and genotype on the daily change in aphid densities were also evaluated in separate greenhouse experiments in her study.

“We found that the seedling sorghum expressed significantly more genes involved in natural plant resistance to pests than sorghum at the cusp of panicle emergence. This was true across varieties,” Szczepaniec said.

“More importantly, we found a suite of transcriptional changes in the resistant variety that were weak or absent in the susceptible sorghum. Specifically, the aphid-resistant variety exposed to sugarcane aphids bolstered several genes involved in natural plant resistance to pests, and this response was particularly robust in the two-week plants.”

She said her new research links the sugarcane aphid population dynamics noted in the field studies with gene expression data, which provide strong support for previous management recommendations.

“We found specific pathways in the plants that explain how resistant sorghum can mount powerful natural defenses against the aphids, and we discovered mechanisms responsible for greater susceptibility of sorghum in reproductive stages,” Szczepaniec said.

“These findings further support our recommendations for planting early, using resistant sorghum varieties, and intensifying scouting and sampling, particularly when sorghum is flowering.”

Szczepaniec said outcomes of this research were also of interest to other scientists as research on sugarcane aphid association with sorghum is still fairly new. Prior to this publication, she said, not much had been known about the molecular mechanisms that drive their interactions and result in sugarcane aphid outbreaks.

The gene expression changes in the younger resistant sorghum included induction of powerful plant hormones that govern how sorghum responds to pests, and more effective deployment of genes that help sorghum alleviate the harmful effects of oxidative stress following sugarcane aphid herbivory.

“The suite of physiological changes we quantified in sorghum was mirrored in the aphid population growth, which was significantly faster in the susceptible and older sorghum than in the resistant and younger plants,” Szczepaniec said.

“We believe this research is providing the first insights into molecular mechanisms underlying lower population growth of sugarcane aphids on the resistant sorghum variety,” she said. “It also appears that the younger resistant sorghum was able to mount a robust defense response following aphid infection, which was much weaker in the older sorghum.”

She said there are several pathways and specific genes that provide specific clues into the mechanisms underlying host-plant resistance to this invasive insect, and that will be a part of her continued study.

“We believe this knowledge will inform future sorghum breeding programs and contribute to the development of more varieties that can combat sugarcane aphid infestations,” Szczepaniec said. “It also helps us understand the mechanisms responsible for sugarcane aphid outbreaks and provides further support for specific integrated management tactics producers can take to help reduce the economic costs of these pests.”

This research was published in BMC Genomics and presented at several national and international conferences.

Funding came in part from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Areawide Pest Management of the Invasive Sugarcane Aphid in Grain Sorghum and Texas A&M AgriLife Genomics and Bioinformatics Center.

Jocelyn Holt Receives 2019 Comstock Award

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Jocelyn Holt. Photo by Rob Williams.

Congratulations to Ph.D. candidate Jocelyn R. Holt as she was named the Southwestern Branch recipient of the John Henry Comstock Award during the 2019 Branch meeting in April.

Advised by Dr. Raul F. Medina, Holt is examining the interplay between population genetics and insect mutualisms in invasive species. In her research, she is also assessing the role that insect microbiota plays in mediating mutualisms among insects.

Holt’s research has revealed microbial differences between sugarcane aphids (SCAs) that seem to correspond to genetic differences between sorghum and sugarcane SCA populations. She is currently investigating whether genetically distinct sugarcane aphid populations differ in their attractiveness to ants and is examining fine-scale genetic structure of the tawny crazy ant to inform future integrated pest management.

Holt was born in California where she developed a passion for entomology. While working as a research assistant in the Entomology Department at the University of California Riverside, she studied at Cal Poly Pomona, where she received a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Botany. She then received her Master of Science in Biology at California State University-Northridge.

Holt received a Graduate Diversity Excellence Fellowship and a Lechner Excellence fellowship at Texas A&M.  She is currently a Ph.D. candidate who has served in leadership roles at both the University and in the Entomological Society of America. Holt is committed to increasing diversity in academia and facilitating the retention of women in STEM fields. She is involved in the ESA’s Student Affairs Committee (SAC) as the Student Representative for the Southwestern Branch and as the SAC Chair for ESA’s Annual Meeting. She is a founding member of Aggie Women in Entomology,  a participant and advocate of the LAUNCH Program and the Texas A&M University Women in Science and Engineering, or TAMU WISE.

“I was glad to learn that ESA granted Jocelyn the Comstock Award. I believe it is a well-deserved recognition for Jocelyn’s work in research, teaching and service.” Medina said. “Jocelyn has successfully balanced her research, teaching and service and she has managed to accomplish much within each of these categories.”

Holt was honored to receive the award at the Branch meeting and is looking forward to attending the Annual Meeting. In addition, she hopes her success will motivate the next generation of entomologists to be persistent and pursue a career that they love.

“I am very honored to receive the 2019 Comstock Award from the ESA Southwestern Branch. It is exciting to be recognized for my research accomplishments as well as my promotion of excellence and diversity in STEM through teaching and mentorship,” she said. “I am proud to represent Texas A&M and hope that my determination to pursue entomology inspires others to accomplish their dreams.”

The Comstock Award is given to one outstanding graduate student from each branch to promote interest in entomology and to stimulate interest in attending the ESA’s Annual meeting held this year in St. Louis. The award consists of an all-expenses paid trip to the meeting, as well as a certificate, and a cash prize.

 

Ann Pool Receives President’s Award for Academic Advising

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Ann Pool, right, with Bonnie Bustos-Rios. Photo by Ann Pool.
Ann Pool, right, with Bonnie Bustos-Rios. Photo by Ann Pool.

Congratulations to Senior Academic Advisor Ann Pool as she received the President’s Award for Academic Advising during the University Advisors and Counselors awards breakfast meeting on May 2 at the MSC.

The award is given to the advisor that goes above and beyond their usual duties to help with the mission of academic advising at the university.

Since joining the Department in 2013, Pool has been advising undergrads in the Entomology and Forensic and Investigative Sciences programs and those pursuing double majors and minors in the Department.

Pool is in charge of the various outreach programs that the department holds and has conducted information sessions every semester for parents, current and prospective students looking to either join the Department or to change their majors.  “Ann is honest, hard-working, enthusiastic, and engaging with others and is an encouragement to all whom she interacts,” Rebecca Hapes, co-worker and fellow departmental advisor, said.

Pool also oversees the Entomology Scholars Society, which is a select group of students that helps with departmental outreach and recruiting events, and New Student Conferences, and helped coordinate several of the 4-H and FFA contests and clinics that are held in the spring and summer months.

She is an active member of the Texas A&M University Advisors and Counselors since 2008 and the National Academic Advising Association since 2005. She has served as the UAC’s Immediate Past President from 2017-2018, President from 2016-2017, and President-Elect from 2015-2016 and currently serves as a member of the Academic Advising Professional Development Committee, in which she co-developed the New Advisor Orientation. This orientation has provided advisors new to Texas A&M University’s advising community or those new to the advising profession completely for hundreds of advisors.

“This speaks volumes not only of her dedication and service to the advising profession but also to the students attending and those who will attend Texas A&M University,” Hapes said.  “She has spent countless hours creating an orientation program for advisors who will interact with thousands upon thousands of students in an effort to ensure that accurate and consistent messaging is taking place across campus.”

Professor and Interim Department Head Dr. Pete Teel also was proud of Pool and her award.

“Ann is an outstanding advisor who far exceeds expectations in all aspects of her job,” Dr. Pete Teel said. “On a daily basis, I marvel at the energy, ingenuity, dedication and commitment she brings to working closely working with students in the various programs within this department in achieving academic and personal successes.”