Subventions et des contributions :

Subvention ou bourse octroyée s'appliquant à plus d'un exercice financier. (2017-2018 à 2018-2019)

Spruce budworm is the most damaging forest pest in eastern North America, and is currently undergoing anx000D
outbreak, with severe defoliation in Quebec spreading into New Brunswick. Current efforts to control sprucex000D
budworm involve spraying with novel biological insecticides, which (compared with chemical agents usedx000D
against past outbreaks) have enormously reduced non-target toxicity. However, we are still learning how to usex000D
these agents effectively and efficiently. We will work to understand the relative effectiveness of one biologicalx000D
insecticide, Btk, on the two major host trees of spruce budworm in northern NB and Quebec: balsam fir andx000D
black spruce. Btk spray settles on tree foliage, where it is ingested by feeding budworm larvae. Because thex000D
two trees differ in branch and needle architecture, and also in quality as food for developing larvae, Btk may bex000D
ingested, and may work, differently on budworm feeding on each tree. We will measure budworm mortality onx000D
the two tree species, and in forest stands differing in species composition, comparing stands treated with Btk tox000D
untreated stands. This will let us design Btk application strategies to control budworm effectively, in a forestx000D
mosaic of variable species composition, while using a minimum of insecticide.