NIFA Invests $500K to Strengthen Rapid Response to Invasive Bug in Sugarcane

USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture has awarded - through the Rapid Response to Emerging and Re-emerging Pest and Diseases Events Across Food and Agriculture Systems program - $500k in funding to Louisiana State University Agricultural Center to assist with the developing of integrated pest management strategies to mitigate impacts of the invasive pasture mealybug (Heliococcus novovillei) in Louisiana and Florida sugarcane. Rapid responses to pest and disease events are critical to maintaining a secure, accessible, safe, nutritious, affordable and abundant food supply. Innovative Extension and applied research efforts are needed to alleviate the impacts pest and disease events across the food and agricultural system.

The Rapid Response to Pests and Disease Events program, funded through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, is designed to rapidly deploy strategies and fill knowledge and information gaps to protect the nation's food and agricultural supply chains - and the people who support and rely on them - during and after the emergence or re-emergence of pests and diseases associated with animal production systems and/or the emergence or re-emergence of invasive diseases, insects, and weeds associated with plant production systems and/or toxins affecting the health of either plant or animal production systems.

Explore Funded Project Awardee:

Louisiana State University Agricultural Center