Department of Entomology, Plant Pathology and Weed Science

Biological Control has the potential to control many insect pests but is frequently undervalued. Control of insect eggs alone is often over 80% when populations of predators are not disrupted by frequent insecticide applications. The ASC farm has maintained good control of alfalfa weevil with biological control for 20 years. Replicating this type of control in just alfalfa and pecan will save growers over $6.5 million per year in reduced losses and control costs. More...

Pecans are a large contributor to New Mexico’s agricultural economy with production exceeding $130 million annually. More...

Weeds within vineyards may harbor insect pests, compete with grape vines for water and nutrients, and interfere with grape harvest. Traditional methods of weed control include plastic mulch and herbicides to prevent weed growth. While effective, plastic mulch is expensive and requires disposal after a few years, and herbicide has potential negative environmental impacts and its use is undesirable to wine consumers. More...

If not controlled, mid-to-late season weeds in chile pepper result in $34 million in lost profits for New Mexico growers. To help growers avoid these losses, the NMSU Weed Science Lab is developing optimal practices for using crop rotations and herbicides to prevent and control mid-to-late season weeds in chile pepper. More...