crop pest
Why did you think this was a good topic for your students? I found the whole story so fascinating. We have an invasive species with no natural predator in a region where we commercially grow citrus—its favorite food! Then to top it off, Californians have all this citrus growing in their landscaping, unaware that they may have Asian citrus psyllids in their trees. Dr. Mark Hoddle goes in search of a wasp in a region of the world that shares the close line of latitude and similar climate as the Central Valley. There is just so much science and geography for students to study a relevant, local issue that is really a global problem. Howwere the students involved? Early on, the students were just participants in playing the game and learning about the predatory wasp. They learned how it had been released to help slow down the populations of the Asian citrus psyllid. The goal is that kids share the experience of playing the game and share the video with their families, who would then go outside to check their citrus trees. If they think there are signs of the Asian citrus psyllid, they would call the hotline. This last year, my students used Foldscopes, a paper microscope, to learn about the vascular system of plants and how huanglongbing disease kills citrus trees. We also looked at Asian citrus psyllid wings to better understand how incredibly tiny this insect is. How did the students respond? This was my students’ first experience exploring the microscopic world. That first magnified view when looking through the lens of a Foldsocpe always brings on the ooooo’s and ahhhhh’s. Since the Foldscope has a magnetic coupler to attach a cellphone, we were able to capture images and create projects with the pictures. How has this project benefited California farmers? Commercial citrus in California is a $7.1-billion-a-year economic industry. The first HLB-infected tree was discovered on a backyard citrus tree in Los Angeles County in 2012. Students are now able to identify the unique wing pattern of the Asian citrus psyllid, they know what signs to look for if it is present on a tree and they know the signs of (the deadly bacteria) in trees. We collected data in our community by reaching out to homeowners, asking them to check their citrus trees for the Asian citrus psyllid.
Above, from left, students Ashlee Zavaleta, Yolanda Aragon and Lucas Blanco play the game “The Bugs are Breaking In.” At left is a Foldscope, used to view the Asian citrus psyllid, among other things. Below, Yolanda, Lucas and Ashlee discover a clue for the game.
Linda DuBois ldubois@californiabountiful.com
MORE ONLINE Learn more about “The Bugs are Breaking In” game and other projects Amy Downs has in the works, at californiabountiful.com.
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