Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture

Current Competitive Grant

Improving soil quality by conserving insect pathogens

Project ID: E2010-18

This 2-year grant for $53,460 was awarded in 2010.

Location: Statewide

Naturally occurring fungi that act as insect pathogens live in the soil, but they might be reduced or compromised by conventional farming practices, specifically by different kinds of fungicides. This project compares the abundance of these below-ground fungi in conventional and organic cropping systems. The project results will be used to better understand the role such insect-pathogenic fungi can play as part of a suite of integrated pest management practices.

Aaron J. Gassmann

Aaron J. Gassmann Aaron J. Gassmann is an assistant professor in entomology at Iowa State University.

Erin Hodgson is an assistant professor in entomology and an extension entomologist at Iowa State University. She focuses on IPM for field crops by promoting proactive management tactics like sampling and thresholds. Most of her research and extension is within Iowa, but some of it extends to the North Central Region as well. [Contact lead investigator]

Co-Investigator(s):

Erin Hodgson, ISU Entomology


This competitive grant project is part of the Leopold Center's Ecology Initiative.

Topics: Soils and agronomy