Cereal Leaf Beetle on Organic Cereal E-Fields Report

Our 2023 summer student assistants, Rebecca DiScipio, Kylie Harbert and Stephanie Pflaum were given the opportunity to collaborate with Dr. Ryan Haden (OSU ATI) on a research trial in organic small grains. The objective of this research was to determine if there was a difference in the number of larvae and plant damage in 11 different varieties of organic small grains. Data was collected by counting the total number of larvae per 10 plants in each plot. In addition, damage was also assessed on a visual rating scale. Results indicated that there were significantly less cereal leaf beetle larvae on triticale compared to the oat and barley varieties evaluated.