Biological control of whitefly

Whitefly (Bemisia tabaci) are a major pest of greenhouse crops. They're largely resistant to many chemical pesticides and can damage the plants on which they feed, significantly downgrading the quality of high-value greenhouse crops. They also transmit plant viruses.

Whitefly have been known to be affected by disease epidemics caused by entomopathogenic (insect-killing) fungi such as Metarhizium and Isaria. This project will investigate the effectiveness of these fungi to reduce the fitness of whitefly. It will build on research initiated by Dr Diana Leemon (DAF Queensland), who'll be involved in the work.

Location: Gatton

Expected outcomes: research and discovery skills, problem solving and idea creation for a challenging problem

Supervisor: Associate Professor Vic Galea

Before you apply: contact the primary supervisor for more details