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Something Smells: How We Can Use Plant Odors to Fight Crop Pests

When
16 Jan 2025
7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Location
Online via Zoom

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Donation - Suggested – $5.00
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Can plants talk? If so, what are they saying? Who are they talking to? In the past three decades, researchers have found that plants use chemical odors (volatiles) to communicate with other plants, repel attacking herbivores, and attract insect predators and parasitoids. In this presentation, Dr. Russavage will discuss the secret language of plants and how entomologists and crop breeders are using it to their advantage to stop agricultural pests.

Emily Russavage is a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Entomology at the University of Maryland. Her research focuses on biological control, which is the use of insect predators, parasitoids, and pathogens to control pests in agricultural systems. She obtained her PhD in Entomology from Texas A&M University, where she studied plant volatiles and their use in pest management and crop breeding.

The Natural History Society of Maryland is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and contributions are tax-deductible.

The mission of the Natural History Society of Maryland is to foster stewardship of Maryland’s natural heritage by conserving its natural history collections, educating its citizenry, and inspiring its youth to pursue careers in the natural sciences.