Air Potato Biological Control Extension Program

About the Program

Category: County Resiliency (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

A program is connecting Floridians managing invasive air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera) with a new biological control agent: the air potato leaf beetle (Lilioceris cheni). Researchers with the USDA ARS Invasive Plant Research Laboratory in Fort Lauderdale demonstrated that L. cheni is a viable biological control. A team of scientists with UF/IFAS, USDA-ARS and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Division of Plant Industry partnered to conduct research on L. cheni. In 2014, an extension agent with the UF/IFAS St Lucie County Extension was invited onto the team to develop an Extension program to bring focus to outreach efforts for this biological control agent. The extension agent conducted the Air Potato Biological Control Extension Needs Assessment beginning September 22, 2014 to target outreach efforts. As a result of this Extension program, outreach efforts produced research-based information and targeted project resources to meet program clientele needs. From 2014-15, 19,635 L. cheni were released on 100 sites in St Lucie County. This program was extended statewide resulting in increased knowledge about biological control of invasive plants, improved management practices and releases of L. cheni to manage invasive air potato on 1,766 sites.