2017 ASHS Annual Conference

A program is connecting Floridians managing invasive air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera) with a 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 addition to the research team, an extension agent with the UF/IFAS St Lucie County Extension was invited to develop an Extension program to bring focus to outreach efforts for this biological control agent. As a result of this Extension program, outreach efforts produced research-based information and targeted project resources to meet program clientele needs. Since the project’s inception, there have been 176,574 visitors using content on the air potato biological control project website. YouTube videos, brochures, posters and other Extension deliverables were developed. This Extension program has resulted in a high level of satisfaction with 95% (196/207) of surveyed program participants expressing their level of satisfaction to others.