Internationally Known Entomologist John Goolsby, PhD. To Speak at 2019 Master Gardener College Dr. John Goolsby, Research Entomologist at the USDA Agricultural Research Service, will highlight a biological control success story and discuss the process and potential of using insects to control invasive species.
By: Devon Johnson Master Gardener College 2019 is set to feature Dr. John Goolsby of the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) as a keynote speaker. Dr. Goolsby is an internationally known research entomologist working on biological control of invasive species. Dr. Goolsby’s keynote address will highlight a major success story for biological control: the reduction of populations of giant reed, or Arundo donax, along the Rio Grande River by introduction of multiple insect species.
“Giant reed is an invasive weed introduced from Spain and widely distributed in Northern Mexico and along the Rio Grande River. It didn’t have any herbivore insects that kept it under control in this environment,” says Dr. Goolsby. “There were multiple reasons to reduce the amount of this invasive giant reed. The Spanish name, el ladrón de Agua, actually means ‘the water thief,” so reducing it had the benefits of not only reducing water use in the desert southwest, but also improving visibility for border
In Photo Above: Dr. John Goolsby talks to “future scientists.” Image: USDA via Flickr. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/ In Season | Winter 2019 | 5
