9/27/2020

Biological Control of Brazilian Peppertree

Dr. Carey R. Minteer* UF/IFA S Indian River Research and Education Center Fort Pierce

Aquatic W eed Control Short Course 2020

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BRAZILIAN PEPPERTREE (BP)

• Schinus terebinthifolia • Anacardiaceae • Perennial tree • Coastal and open areas

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BRAZILIAN PEPPERTREE (BP)

• Schinus terebinthifolia • Anacardiaceae • Perennial tree • Coastal and open areas

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EDDMapS.org, 2020

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BRAZILIAN PEPPERTREE WAS INTRODUCED INTO FL IN THE LATE 1800S

• Nearly 280,000 ha infested • Invades disturbed and natural sites • Displaces native vegetation

Cuda et al, 2006 EDDMaps, 2020

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BRAZILIAN PEPPERTREE WAS INTRODUCED INTO FL IN THE LATE 1800S

• Nearly 280,000 ha infested • Invades disturbed and natural sites • Displaces native vegetation • Dr. Geo Stone (physician who introduced BP into Punta Gorda) “It ought to be in every garden in Florida”

Cuda et al, 2006 EddMaps, 2020

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ANNUAL CONTROL COSTS (FLO RIDA)

• State and fe d e ra l agencies $2.5 million/ year on publicly-held conservation lands (Hiatt et al., 2019) • Does not include private lands

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WHAT MAKES BRAZILIAN PEPPERTREE SO AGGRESSIVE? • Tolerance to shad e, fire, drought and saline conditions • Allelophathiceffects to neighboring plants • Hybrid vigor • Massive plant grow th and fru it production • Long disp ersal by birds

Panetta and McKee 1997, Ewel 1978, Doren et al. 1991. Morgan and Overholt 2005

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BRAZILIAN PEPPERTREE CONTROL BIOLOGICAL

Pseudophilothrips ichini Calophya latiforceps

Wheeler et al. 2016 Diaz et al. 2014

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Calophya latiforceps Burckhardt

Male Female Brazil

Buckhardt et al, 2011 Diaz et al, 2014

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DEVELOPMENT TIME FROM EGG TO ADULT TAKES 40 TO 45 DAYS

Egg: 7‐10 days

Nymph: 30‐40 days 11

OVIPOSITION- CALOPHYA LATIFORCEPS

250 Schinus terebinthifolia

Schinus molle

200 Schinus polygamus plant

Toxicodendron radicans per

Pistacia chinensis 150 laid Pistacia vera Atlantica

eggs Rhus copallinum 100 of

50 Number

0

C. latiforceps C. lutea Prade et al. 2016 12

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IN NON-TARGET SPECIES, THE NYMPH DIED OR COULD NOT COMPLETE ITS DEVELOPMENT

Schinus molle After 30 days

Pistacia vera Golden Hills Schinus terebinthifolia

After 16 days After 30 days Prade et al. 2016

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DAMAGE ON BP INCLUDES YELLOWING, DEFORMATION AND IN SEVERE INFESTATIONS LEAF DROP

Prade et al. 2016

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PIT GALLS REDUCE PLANT GROWTH

0.07 60 Control Insects Control 0.06 50 Insects 0.05 40 0.04

(cm) 30 0.03 20 0.02 Increase in plantheightIncrease in 10

Proportion of missing leaves of missing Proportion 0.01 0 0 

Prade et al. 2016 15

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PLANTS WITH INSECTS HAD 12% LOWER RELATIVE GROWTH RATE (NS)

2 Control

1.8 Insects 1.6

1.4

1.2

1

0.8

Relative Growth Rate Relative Growth 0.6

0.4

0.2

0

Prade et al. 2016

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TH E VERDICT ON CALOPHYA LATIFO RCEPS

• Host sp ecific! • Dam aging to BP! • Approved for release!!

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CALOPHYA LATIFO RCEPS REARING

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CALOPHYA LATIFO RCEPS CURRENT STATUS

• COVID-19 travel re strictions in place • Must collect Calophya latiforceps in sum m er m onths • November – January best • Establish colony in containm ent (2-3 m onths) • Cleared by FDACS-DPI • Releases mid-2021 (best case)

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY‐SA

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Pseudophilothrips ichini

Calophya latiforceps

Wheeler et al. 2016 Diaz et al. 2014

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BP TH RIPS

Wheeler et al. 2016

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BP TH RIPS

• Host specificity • Tested 127 plant ta xa G. Wheeler • 33 orders • 45 fam ilies • Very narrow host range (lab te sting) • Field testing is underway

Cuda et al. 2009 E. Vichich Wheeler et al. 2017

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BP THRIPS IMPACT

• After 30-day exposure to thrips

Manrique et al. 2014

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THRIPS “V ERD ICT”

• Host sp ecific • Dam aging • Approved for release! • Release began in Florida in June 2019

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CURRENT RELEASES

• Over 200,000 across state • Multiple releases (uncaged) • Caged release testing in progress

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AGENT SPREAD

This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY‐SA‐NC

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ACKNOW LEDGM ENTS • Minteer Lab • Collaborators overseas • Drs. Marcelo Vitorino, Fernando McKay • Collaborators • Drs. Eutychus Kariuki, Patricia Prade, Jam es Cuda (UF-IFA S) • Drs. Greg W heeler, Min Rayam ajhi, Dale Halbritter (USDA-ARS) • UF/IFA S Extension Agents • Drs. Eric Rohrig, Em ily Kraus, Chris Kerr and Sedonia Steininger (FDACS-DPI) • Dr. Veronica Manrique (Southern University ) • Dr. Rodrigo Diaz (Louisiana State University )

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THANKS FO R YOUR ATTENTION!

Randy Westbrooks [email protected] FDACS‐DPI Twitter: @c_minteer Facebook: Minteer Biological Control of Weeds Lab

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