Written by Lexx Thornton
One of the core functions of Lincoln University’s College of Agriculture, Environmental and Human Sciences (CAEHS) is to address emerging animal and plant pests and diseases. As part of this effort, Lincoln partners with the 1890 Universities Center of Excellence for the Global Food Security and Defense Symposium, a collaboration among 1890 land-grant universities to address critical needs in global food security and defense.
Dr. Jessica Epple-Farmer, reproductive physiologist & assistant professor of animal science, works directly with the Center. She and her colleagues host biannual symposiums in which collaborators from the United States and Latin America come together to teach attendees about problematic pests in their regions.
Symposium participants recently met in person at LU’s George Washington Carver Farm or joined via Zoom to discuss current events, along with future symposium dates and topics.
Dr. Avelino Hernández Corichi from Mexico and Dr. Walfer Martinez from Guatemala had a chance to present the work being done in their areas and take questions.
Dr. Corichi reported a rise in screwworm infestations in Mexico. The screwworm is a type of parasitic fly that lives off the flesh of warm-blooded animals. The presence of this parasite can lead to significant losses on farms for several reasons, including the death of the affected animals.
Dr. Martinez reported a problem with pine bark beetles, insects that bore into the bark of pine trees to feed and breed. These insects often introduce fungi to the trees they inhabit, which can harm or kill the tree.
Dr. Epple-Farmer and her colleagues focus on these types of pests in each symposium. Future subjects will include melon pests, diseases found in legumes, and bean weevils. These presentations and others will be slated to take place during upcoming symposiums on October 2, 2025, or March 6, 2026.
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), funds the Center of Excellence. The goal of NIFA is to find innovative solutions to the most pressing problems agriculture faces; the Center helps make this happen.
