INVESTIGATING THE ROLE OF COVER CROP SOIL LEGACIES IN PLANT-HERBIVORE INTERACTIONS

This research project aims to investigate the downstream effects of soil legacies from different cover crop species on western corn rootworm fitness. Soil ecological interactions are chronically understudied, and my goal with this project is not only to improve belowground pest management practices, but also to develop novel methods of studying belowground systems. The study will contribute to a better understanding of the complex relationships between soil health, crop productivity, and pest control, and identify potential benefits or drawbacks of using specific cover crop species for western corn rootworm management. The project outcomes will advance our knowledge of soil-pest interactions and their impact on agroecosystem functioning by connecting crop performance, pest performance, soil microbiomes, plant defense, and natural enemy attraction. Ultimately, this research project will provide valuable information for the development of more sustainable and efficient agriculture practices that can help to improve food security and environmental sustainability.Objectives:Determine whether soil legacies from different cover crop species improve defense phytohormone production, change the soil microbial community, or hinder WCR performance.Assess whether soil legacies from different cover crops and herbivore-induced root volatiles improve the preference of entomopathogenic nematodes (EPN), natural enemies of WCR.Use supervised machine learning to determine the cover crop species, microbial species, and root volatile compounds which have demonstrable importance for predicting WCR fitness.