Kicking off our first Pulse Pest Profile, we interviewed Dr. Julie S. Pasche, Associate Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology at North Dakota State University (NDSU). Each Pest Profile will highlight a specific researcher and their insights on current topics surrounding pest management, resources and more.
Dr. Pasche has been the pulse crops and dry beans pathologist at NDSU for 7 years. “I’m responsible for research pertaining to diseases of economic importance of dry beans, dry peas, lentils and chickpeas,” she explains. While her program focuses on root rot across dry beans, peas and lentils, she also works with foliar diseases. “[Diseases] like rust and bacterial blight of dry beans and ascochyta blight of field peas.”
Sustainable & Profitable Crops with IPM
Dr. Pasche is part of the IPM Pulse Crops Working Group, which is funded by the North Central Integrated Pest Management Center. Researchers from across the United States and Canada work in this group, to advance sustainability and profitability through collaborative research and outreach. According to the NCIPM website, this “group works to foster collaborative relationships among researchers and extension professionals through face-to-face meetings and virtual interaction to address growing IPM priorities in pulse crops.”
“This takes many forms, including collaborative research projects and publications. Publication types vary from extension bulletins to research in peer reviewed journals,” Pasche says.
On the IPMC website, guides are available to answer pest questions. There are numerous guides to pick from, but Pasche believes these are the most pertinent:
- Pea Disease Diagnostic Series
- Pulse Crop Insect Diagnostic Series: Field Pea, Lentil and Chickpea
- Lentil Disease Diagnostic Series
- Dry Edible Bean Disease Diagnostic Series
The Big Challenge
Right now, Dr. Pasche believes Aphanomyces root rot of peas and lentils is the biggest pest management challenge, which “occurs when environmental conditions are favorable in all pea and lentil growing regions worldwide.” Unfortunately, there are no effective management practices available for this pest right now, but when it comes to pests, it’s best to stay vigilant and seek resources when you’re unsure.
See Something, Say Something
When in doubt about a pest management problem, the most important thing to do is get a correct diagnosis. “Start by consulting an extension professional – or research scientists – or diagnostic lab,” Dr. Pasche advises. “My advice is to start with a proper diagnosis.”
If you’re looking to gather resources to manage your pest problem, Pasche recommends starting with a university, a USDA professional or any application published research documents by either. “We can [be] easily overcome with information, stick to resources you know you can trust.” And while pests may be regional, she believes it’s crucial to use management resources that are effective for region.
Stay tuned for more Pulse Pest Profiles on our blog and follow us on social media at Facebook and Twitter, and by joining our community of pulse industry members through our private Facebook Group, PulsED. Want to suggest a researcher or pest for us to cover? Have more pest management questions? Tweet us or message us on Facebook!