Developing Artifical Diet-Based Mass Production for Noxious Weed-destrying Insects

Noxious, invasive weeds cause billions of dollars per year in damage to the environment. Progress in invasive weed control has been retarded by lack of commercially feasible diet to support mass production of specialist insects that control major noxious weeds. Such damage could be reduced by natural enemies of noxious weeds, but a means to mass produce the insects is not available for economical, large scale releases. Large scale releases would allow more timely reduction of weed problems by allowing weed control experts to release large numbers of weed controlling agents over large geographical regions where weeds are currently a problem. The purpose of this project is to use specific observations and analyses of natural feeding biology of several weed-destroying species to develop economically feasible artificial diets and diet-based rearing systems permitting mass production of weed eaters in much the same way that agricultural pests are mass produced for other programs such as sterile pink bollworm management. Scientifically-based techniques will be developed so that weed eating specialists can be reared in existing commercial facilities. The product of these mass rearing efforts would be available in large numbers and lower costs that will make programs of mass-release possible throughout the habits that are currently being destroyed by the invasive, noxious weeds.