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David Owens is the UD agricultural entomology extension specialist. He helps manage insect pests in Delaware and works with the Extension team at Carvel. David completed his Master’s degree at Virginia Tech while studying stink bug injury and behavior in soybean fields. Afterwards, he moved to Florida to study insect pest management in sweet corn for his Ph.D. From there, David worked with the USDA studying avocado pests and North Carolina State University studying two spotted spider mite control in fresh market tomatoes. He works with both field and vegetable crop pest management. In addition to conducting efficacy trials this summer, he is active in fields surveying pest and beneficial insect populations and studying pest behavior.

Entomology

University of Delaware University Profile

University of Delaware Pest Management

Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education Projects Profile

What’s in a Nest: Scavenger Turns Major Pest in Chicken Houses

Owens offers summary of soybean pests in Delaware Ag Month address

How climate change impacts Delaware agriculture

Enlighten Me: First State farmers adapt to new climate ‘norms’

Owens delivers recent findings on insect crop pests

Extension Specialist - Entomology

University of Delaware Entomologist David Owens explains the issues associated with the Alfalfa Weevil and how to scout/sample  it in the field.
Links referred to in the video: 
https://www.udel.edu/content/dam/udelImages/canr/pdfs/extension/sustainable-agriculture/pest-management/Insect_Control_in_Alfalfa_-2023.pdf
 https://www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/canr/cooperative-extension/sustainable-production/pest-management/commercial-field-crop-pest-management/

Scouting for Alfalfa Weevil

University of Delaware Extension Entomologist David Owens reminds us to not skip the fine print! don't apply a product to the wrong pest! in this video, we discuss pest management resources and critical sections on insecticide labels to get the most out of your investment. Links referenced: https://www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/canr/cooperative-extension/sustainable-production/commercial-crops/vegetable-crops/midatlantic-vegetable-recommendations/ 
https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/456/456-016/456-016.html

Insecticide Labels and IPM Resources

Seedcorn maggot is one of the earliest crop pests in the mid-Atlantic. In this video, David Owens reviews seedcorn maggot’s pest status, biology, and management considerations for this pest, as well as current applied research efforts. Links to sources referenced in the video include: 
https://vegento.russell.wisc.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/249/2017/03/Seed-corn-maggot-A3820-2007.pdf 

https://www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/canr/cooperative-extension/sustainable-production/pest-management/insect-management-reports/ 

https://agweather.cals.wisc.edu/thermal_models/scm

Seed Corn Maggot Control

David Owens, Extension Entomologist for Agronomic Crops evaluates what causes damage in early corn. He reviews how to identify slug, grub, cutworm, dear and bird damage,

Diagnosing and Identifying Pests Issues in Corn

Extension entomologist David Owens explains the process of applying chemicals through drip irrigation

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