Putting bugs ONTO plants—all in the name of science!

We’re keeping an eye on Abigail Lister, a student at Bloom Carroll Middle School, and her soy-related science project! After contacting GrowNextGen for ideas, Lister decided to do some research on aphid resistance. Andy Michel, Associate Professor of Entomology at OSU, sent seeds to her and reviewed her experimental design.

Lister got her seeds planted and then contacted Michel for aphid support. He provided her with aphids and gave instructions on how to artificially infest the plants.

Michel explained, “You can try to either cut pieces of leaf tissue and paperclip the leaves to a stem or leaf—the aphids should then walk off and move to the new plant— or use a paint brush to transfer them. Whichever the method, try to get as equal numbers as possible for each treatment. Another tip is to infest early morning or later in the day when it is cooler, so that the aphids have a better chance of surviving.”

Lister said the artificial infestation went well. She is using a magnifying lens to check the organisms living on the plants.