This is going out to a wide range of folks who care about invasive plants, especially garlic mustard, and who have been anxiously awaiting the development of a biocontrol agent to help control it. Specifically, I'm sending this to people associated with the Natural Areas Association, the Midwest Invasive Plant Network, The Stewardship Network, and the Michigan Invasive Plant Council. I apologize if any of you received it more than once. Please feel free to distribute it to other groups that may be interested.

In a nutshell, it sounds like Bernd is looking for additional funding to help finish up development of the Garlic Mustard biocontrol. For additional information, or to contribute a big fat check, please contact Bernd directly. Thanks! -dave
David Borneman, Manager
Natural Area Preservation
City of Ann Arbor, Public Services Area
1831 Traver Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
PH: 734-994-4834    FAX: 734-997-1072
dborneman@... <mailto:dborneman@...>

-----Original Message-----
From: Bernd Blossey [mailto:bb22@...]
Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2006 6:36 PM
To: Borneman, Dave
Cc: Victoria Nuzzo
Subject: RE: GM biocontrol funding

Dave:

Thanks for your interest in the garlic mustard biocontrol work and a
potential contribution to funding the remaining work. I have been
involved in this work for nearly a decade now (starting in 1998) and
we are pretty close to petition the USDA for importation and release
of a root feeding weevil (see my webpage for pictures of the insects
and an update - a bit outdated as to final outcomes but all insects
are represented).  For the root feeding weevil Ceutorhynchus
scrobicollis the host specificity work is complete and it looks
extremely good.  The species has a large impact on plant performance
(increased rosette mortality and decreased seed output) and is the
main contributor to control. We continue to study the host
specificity of two stem miners and a seed feeder as well. A model we
developed appears to suggest that control is most likely and lasting
when the root feeder is combined with the  stem miners.

The past years have been plagued by some logistical difficulties and
shortage of funding.  Many of the spring flowers we need to test
didn't grow well in Europe where we did a lot of the initial host
specificity testing and we now work in quarantine in Minnesota (space
limitations as you can imagine and steep learning curve to work with
the insects).  At the present point we are just looking for
additional funds to maintain and complete this work (much of the
current funds come from the US Forest Service and MN DNR).  I am also
trying to find funding to develop an artificial diet to rear the root
feeder to build populations quicker than rearing them on potted
plants and then make them available to people across North America.

When it comes to funding needs, a year in quarantine to work with the
stem miners runs about 60K (1-2 more years are needed), the
development of artificial diet, I assume, would run 30-40K.  I have
successfully developed an artificial diet for a root feeder on purple
loosestrife, which has allowed us to distribute the species quickly
across the US. I hope to achieve the same with the insect on garlic
mustard.  Mass production at a large scale (10,000 +) will require
inputs of additional $$ but we maybe able to provide insects at cost
to land managers once we show that we can successfully rear them.
Once we release the insects, monitoring of release sites should be
done using the standardized protocol that Vicki Nuzzo and I developed and which
is implemented in many areas.  There are other research questions: Are
all places suitable for the insects; how about climate, density of
garlic mustard etc. that should be answered and we will look for
funding but this is only possible once insects are in the field

I hope this little outline provides you with sufficient and succinct
info.  If this is not the case please do not hesitate to contact me
and I will provide whatever is needed. FYI,  I work very close with
Luke Skinner on this program and Luke oversees the current operation
in the quarantine facility.

Thanks for your offer in trying to help get this program completed.
Best wishes, Bernd
--
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Dr. Bernd Blossey
Associate Professor and Director
Ecology and Management of Invasive Plants Program
Department of Natural Resources
202 Fernow Hall, Cornell University
Ithaca, New York 14853
USA

phone: 607-255-5314
fax:   607-255-0349

homepage: http://www.invasiveplants.net

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