Assistant Extension Program Leader, Agriculture and Natural Resources

Professor, Pest Management, Vegetable and Fruit Crops

Coordinator: Extension Entomology

Appointment: 33% Administration, 42% Extension, 25% Research

Address:
Department of Entomology
Smith Hall
901 W. State Street
Purdue University
West Lafayette , IN 47907-2089

rfoster@purdue.edu

Rick Foster is Assistant Extension Program Leader for Agriculture and Natural Resources at Purdue University . He provides leadership to the College of Agriculture in the areas of Integrated Pest Management, Sustainable Agriculture, and Small Farms. He also is a professor of entomology and extension entomologist. He has studied the management of insect pests of vegetables and fruit for over 25 years in Illinois , New York , Florida and Indiana . Foster is the author of numerous publications in scientific journals, extension publications, and articles in the popular press. He recently completed the second edition (along with co-editor Brian Flood of Del Monte Foods) of the book, Vegetable Insect Management . He is known as an expert in the management of insect pests of sweet corn, melons, cabbage, and apples. Foster was the 2000 recipient of the prestigious Eric C. Sharvelle Distinguished Extension Specialist Award at Purdue University . He was the 2005 nominee of the North Central Branch of the Entomological Society of America for the ESA Distinguished Achievement Award in Extension. Foster has taught an upper level course on Insect Pest Management at Purdue and is the extension entomology coordinator. For the past 8 years, he has been involved in an IPM CRSP project helping farmers in West Africa improve their ability to produce various vegetable crops, especially tomatoes.

Selected Publications

• · Foster, R. and B. Flood. 2005. Vegetable insect management. Meister Media Worldwide, Willoughby , OH . 264 pages.

  · Foster, R., G. Brust, and J. Palumbo. 2005. Watermelon, muskmelon, and cucumber. Pages 198-216 IN Vegetable insect management. Meister Media Worldwide, Willoughby, OH .

  · Flood, B., R. Foster , B. Hutchison, and S. Pataky. 2005. Sweet corn. Pages 38-63 IN Vegetable insect management. Meister Media Worldwide, Willoughby , OH .

  · Gerber, C.K., C.R. Edwards, L.W. Bledsoe, J.L. Obermeyer, and R.E. Foster . 2004. Sampling devices and decision rule development for Western Corn Rootworm ( Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) adults in soybean to predict subsequent damage to corn in Indiana . IN Western Corn Rootworm: Ecology and Management. CABI Publishing, Oxfordshire, UK .

  · Noussourou, M., R. Foster , and J.S. Caldwell. 2003. Dynamique des populations de Nisotra uniformis, Nisotra dilecta et de leurs predateurs sure Hibiscus sabdariffa au Mali . Etudes et Recherches Saheliennes 10: 39-46.

  · Hill, T.A., and R. E. Foster . 2003. Influence of selected insecticides on the population dynamics of diamondback moth (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) and its parasitoid, Diadegma insulare (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae), in cabbage. J. Entomol. Sci. 38: 59-71.

  · Hill, T. A. and R. E. Foster . 2000. Effect of insecticides on diamondback moth (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) and its parasitoid, Diadegma insulare (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae).J. Econ. Entomol. 93: 763-768.

  · Noussourou, M., R. Foster , J. S. Caldwell, and Y. O Doumbia. 2000. Inventaire des enemies de Nisotra dilecta (Dal) (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) ravageurs d'hibiscus sabdariffa (L) au Mali . Etudes et Recherches Saheliennes 4: 115-121.

  · Yatsukh, K. I., N. I. Svereda, R. Edwards, and R. Foster . 1999. Resistance of potato varieties to late blight. Ukrainian Academy of Agrarian Sciences, Scientific – Technical Bulletin, Institute of Agriculture and Animal Biology, Issue 1(1), 22-27.

  · Brust, G.E. and R.E. Foster . 1999. New economic threshold for striped cucumber beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae in cantaloupe in the Midwest . J. Econ. Entomol. 92: 936-940.

  · Stanyard, M. J., R. E. Foster , and T. J. Gibb. 1998. Population dynamics of Amblyseius fallacis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) and European red mite (Acari: Tetranychidae) in apple trees treated with selected acaricides. J. Econ. Entomol. 91: 217-225.

  · Hill, T. A. and R. E. Foster . 1998. Influence of selective insecticides on population dynamics of European red mite (Acari: Tetranychidae), apple rust mite (Acari: Eriophyidae), and their predator, Amblyseius fallacis (Acari: Phytoseiidae) in apple. J. Econ. Entomol. 91: 191-199.

  · Brust, G. E., R. E. Foster and W. Buhler. 1997. Effect of rye incorporation, planting date, and soil temperature on seedcorn maggot (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) damage to muskmelon transplants. Environ. Entomol. 26: 1323-1326.

  · Foster, R. E. and G. E. Brust. 1997. New approaches to cucumber beetle and bacterial wilt management in cucurbits in the midwestern United States . Recent Res. Devel. in Entomol. 1: 59 - 71.

  · Stanyard, M. J., R. E. Foster , and T. J. Gibb. 1997. Effects of orchard ground cover and mite management options on the population dynamics of the European red mite and Amblyseius fallacis (Garman) in apple. J. Econ. Entomol. 90: 595-603.

  · Brust, G. E., R. E. Foster , and W. Buhler. 1996. Comparison of insecticide use programs for managing the striped cucumber beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in muskmelon. J. Econ. Entomol. 89: 981-986.

  · Brust, G. E. and R. E. Foster . 1995 . Semiochemical-based toxic baits for control of striped cucumber beetle (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in cantaloupe. J. Econ Entomol. 88: 112-116.

  · McHugh, J. J. and R. E. Foster . 1995. Reduction of diamondback moth (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) infestation in head cabbage by overhead irrigation. J. Econ. Entomol. 88: 162- 168.

  · Foster, R. E. , and G. E. Brust. 1995. Yield and harvest date effects of insecticides for control of cucumber beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in watermelons. Crop Protection 14 (8): 619- 624.

  · Marenco, R. J., R. E. Foster , and C. A. Sanchez. 1992. Sweet corn response to fall armyworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) damage during vegetative growth. J. Econ. Entomol. 85: 1285- 1292.

  · Foster, R. E. and C. A. Sanchez. 1988. Effect of Liriomyza trifolii (Diptera: Agromyzidae) larval damage on growth, yield, and cosmetic quality of celery in Florida . J. Econ. Entomol. 81:1721-1725.

  · Foster, R. E ., J. J. Tollefson, J. P. Nyrop, and G. L. Hein. 1986. Value of adult corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) population estimates in pest management decision making. J. Econ. Entomol. 79: 303-310.
  

Insect Pest Management Specialist,
Ph.D. Iowa State University (1999)

Southwest Purdue Ag Program
Vincennes, IN

Department position:
50% extension, 40% Research, 10% teaching

wkflam@purdue.edu

Selected publications:

• Lam, W.-K. F. and L. P. Pedigo. 2001. Effect of trichome density on soybean pod feeding by adult bean leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). J. Econ. Entomol. (in press).



• Lam, W.-K. F., L. P. Pedigo, and P. N. Hinz. 2001. Population dynamics of bean leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) in central Iowa. Environ. Entomol. 30: 562-567.



• Lam, W.-K. F. and L. P. Pedigo. 2000. A predictive model for the survival of overwintering bean leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Environ. Entomol. 29: 800-806.



• Lam, W.-K. F. and L. P. Pedigo. 2000. Cold tolerance of overwintering bean leaf beetles (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae). Environ. Entomol. 29: 157-162.



• Pedigo, L. P., W.-K. F. Lam, M. E. Rice, and J. Haanstad. 2000. The soybean aphid: What we know and what we don’t know. pp. 63-74. In the Proceedings for the 12th Annual Integrated Crop Management Conference. Ames, IA. November 29-30.



• Lam, W-K. F. and L. P. Pedigo. 1998. Response of soybean insect communities to row width under crop-residue management systems. Environ. Entomol. 27: 1069-1079.