Lenneisha Gilbert recently won a first-place award in the ecology, environmental and earth sciences category of graduate oral presentations at the 10th annual Emerging Researchers National Conference in STEM in Washington, D.C. The event is sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the National Science Foundation. Her presentation was titled, “The Effect of Trap Crops on the Growth and Development of Watermelon.”
Gilbert is a second-year candidate for a master’s degree in food and agricultural sciences at UMES and credits her success to her mentor over the past three years, Dr. Simon Zebelo, a recently tenured professor of entomology in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Resource Sciences, and fellow master’s student Brandon Jackson.
“I am beyond grateful to have a team of such intelligent scientists to motivate me and I certainly would not have come this far or won the Emerging Research National award in ecology without the assistance of my mentor and colleague,” Gilbert said. “Dr. Zebelo exemplifies the strength, passion, determination, discipline and dedication it takes to be an excellent leader and professional in the academic field. Due to his extraordinary teaching capability, my colleague and I can become emerging scientists within our research field. Brandon took on as much responsibility within this research project as I and deserves the same recognition.”
Establishing Integrated Pest Management practices to increase yield levels among fruit and vegetable crops is the focus of their research along with developing alternative methods to hinder the usage of chemical sprays among small farmers.
“The objective of the research project is to determine effective trap crops that could be used in small farms to protect watermelon crops,” Gilbert said. “Squash plants were used as trap crops which were planted around the perimeters of the watermelon fields. Cucumber beetles, a common pest of watermelon, were attracted to the squash plants in the border and left the main crop, the watermelon, alone.
Gilbert analyzed the chemical pheromones that are released from trap crops using a Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry machine to determine the chemical pheromones that are attracting the pests to develop artificial pheromone traps.
“Once the research project is completed farmers will have the ability to decrease the usage of harmful insecticides by using effective alternative methods for controlling pests and diseases within their fields,” she said.
At left, Brandon Jackson (right), Gilbert’s fellow researcher and master’s candidate, is pictured with Dr. Joe Pitula, associate professor, Department of Natural Sciences, Marine, Estuarine and Environmental Sciences program director and Bridge to the Doctorate Fellowship program co-PI. Both Jackson and Gilbert are enrolled in UMES’ Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation Bridge to the Doctorate Program.
