Production Agriculture Research

Arthropod pests are numerous and result in billions of dollars in lost revenue annually. Traditionally, control of these pests has relied on insecticidal chemical applications or genetically modified crops. However, insecticide resistance has emerged in response to these strategies and new control measures are needed.

Water and nutrient deficits decrease a tomato root hydraulic conductivity (i.e., increase resistance) and can affect water uptake, resulting in daily transient plant water deficits and reduced carbon assimilation capacity. The goal is to understand how the interaction of plant nutritional status and water availability affects young root development and physiology under drying soil and upon re-watering.