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Cornell University Department of Entomology

Elson Shields


Elson J. Shields

Professor

University of Wisconsin, 1984. Integrated pest management; population ecology; computer applications in agriculture.

4144 Comstock Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-2601
Phone: 607.255.8428
Fax: 607.255.0939
Email: es28@cornell.edu

Table of Contents

Professional Overview and Objectives

The focus of my extension and research efforts is to reduce the environmental impact of insect management in field crops utilizing the guidelines of IPM (Integrated Pest Management). Major focus is placed on biological control of insect pests, host plant resistance, least dose pesticide usage when required and insect long-ranged migration. These foci are supported with active research projects with the biological control of alfalfa snout beetle, breeding for snout beetle resistant alfalfa (with Don Viands), least dose evaluations with corn rootworm and potato leafhopper and long-ranged movement of potato leafhopper and soybean aphid. Additional foci on aerobiology include joint projects with the movement of corn pollen (D. Aylor, CT Ag Exp. Stat.), movement of wheat head scab (G. Bergstrom) and dispersal of herbicide resistant weed seed ( D. Mortensen, Penn State). Research information is disseminated to the agribusiness audience using extension articles, extension presentations, and interviews with the popular press. With field crops grown in every county in NYS and the field crop commodity planted in over 90% on NYS agricultural land, the audience is large and diverse.

Education

Year Degree Institution
1984 Ph.D. University of Wisconsin - Madison
1979 M.S. University of Arizona
1974 B.A./B.S. University of Arizona
 

Academic Ranks

Professor: Jan 2000
Associate Professor: Nov 1992
Assistant Professor: Sept 1986
Senior Extension Associate: 1979-1986

Areas of Expertise

Biological Control, Aerobiology, Management of Soil Insects, Management of Field Crop Insects, IPM

Publications

Research

Neumann, G. & E. J. Shields. 2009. Long term field persistence and coexistence in three entomopathogenic nematodes, Steinernema carpocapsae Weiser, S. feltiae Filipjev, and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Poinar. Environ. Entomol. (in press)

Shields, E. J., A. Testa, G. Neumann, K. L. Flanders and P. C. Schroeder. 2009. Biological Control of Alfalfa Snout Beetle with a multi-species application of locally-adapted persistent entomopathogenic nematodes: The first success. American Entomologist (in press).

Dauer, J. T., D. A. Mortensen, E. C. Luschei, S. A. Isard, E. J. Shields and M. VanGessel. 2009. Conyza canadensis seed ascent in the lower atmosphere. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 149: 526-534.

Cox, W. J., E. J. Shields and J. H. Cherney. 2008. Planting Date and Seed Treatment Effects on Soybean in the Northeastern United States. Agronomy J. 100: 1661-1665.

Cox, W. J., E. J. Shields and J. H. Cherney. 2008 Western Corn Rootworm Damage Subtly Affects Corn Growth under Moderate Environmental Stree. Crop Sci 48: 1164-1169. 

Neumann, G. & E. J. Shields. 2008. Multiple-species natural enemy approach for the biological control of the alfalfa snout beetle, Otiorhynchus ligustici L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae), using entomopathogenic nematodes. J. Econ Entomol 101: 1533-1539.

Shields, E. J., G. Neumann and A. Testa. 2007 (published in 2008). Alfalfa Snout Beetle, Otiorhynchus ligustici L. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae): Methods for egg collection and larval rearing. The Great Lakes Entomologist 40: 62-67.

Boehm, M. T., D. E. Aylor, and E. J. Shields. 2008. Maize pollen dispersal under convective conditions. J. Appl. Meteorol. Climatol. 47: 291-307.

Cox, W. J., E. J. Shields, and J. H. Cherney. 2007. The effect of seed treatments on corn growth following soybean. Crop Sci. 47: 2482-2485.

Cox, W.J., E. J. Shields, D. J. R. Cherney, and J. H. Cherney. 2007. Seed-applied insecticides inconsistently affect corn forage in continuous corn. Agron. J. 99: 1640-1644.

Cox, W. J. J. H. Cherney, and E. J. Shields . 2007. Clothianidin Seed treatments inconsistently affect corn forage yield when following soybean. Agron. J. 99: 543-548.

Cox, W.J., E. J. Shields, J. Cherney, D.J.R. Cherney. 2007. How does corn rootworm damage affect corn growth and development? Agronomy Abstracts, New Orleans, LA.

Cox, W.J., E. J. Shields, D.J.R. Cherney, and J.H. Cherney. 2007. Seed-applied insecticides inconsistently affect corn silage in continuous corn. p.134. In: (W. Alison, ed.) Proceedings of the 2007 Conf. of the American Forage & Grassland Council and Northeast Branch of the Crop, Soil and Agronomy Society of America, 24-26 June, 2007, State College, PA. AFGC, Elmhurst, IL.

Schmale, David G.III, John F. Leslie, Amgad A. Saleh, Elson J. Shields, and Gary C. Bergstrom. 2007. Temporal scales of genetic diversity within New York atmospheric populations of Gibberella zeae. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology (in press).

Boehm, M. T., D. E. Aylor, and E. J. Shields. 2007. Maize pollen dispersal under convective conditions. J. Appl. Meteorol. Climatol. 46: 1-17.

Shields, E. J., J. T. Dauer, M. J. VanGessel and G. Neumann. 2006. Horseweed (Conyza canadensis) seed collected in the planetary boundary layer. Weed Science 54: 1063-1067.

Neumann, G. & E. J. Shields. 2006. Interspecific interactions among three entomopathogenic nematodes, Steinernema carpocapsae, S. feltiae, and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora, with different foraging strategies for hosts in multi-piece sand columns. Environ. Entomol. 35: 1578-1583.

Schmale, David G. III , John F. Leslie , Robert L. Bowden , Kurt A. Zeller, Amgad A.Saleh , Elson J. Shields, and Gary C. Bergstrom. 2006. Genetic structure of atmospheric populations of Gibberella zeae. Phytopathology 96: 1021-1026.

Aylor, D. E., M. T. Boehm, and E. J. Shields, 2006: Quantifying aerial concentrations of maize pollen in the atmospheric surface layer using remote-piloted airplanes and lagrangian stochastic simulation modeling. J. Appl. Meteorol. 45: 1003-1015

Schmale, D. G., E. J. Shields & G. C. Bergstrom. 2006. Night-time spore deposition of the Fusarium head blight pathogen, Gibberella zea, in rotational wheat fields. Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology 28: 100-108.

Sidumo, A. J., E. J. Shields, & A. Lembo Jr. 2005. Estimating the Potato Leafhopper Empoasca fabae (Harris) (Homoptera: Cicadelidae) Overwintering Range and Spring Pre-Migrant Development Using Geographic Information Systems. J. Econ Entomol. 98: 757-764.

Schmale, D. G., S. L. Maldonado-Ramirez, E. J. Shields & G. C. Bergstrom. 2005. The relative abundance of viable spores of Gibberella zeae in the planetary boundary layer suggests the role of long-distance transport in the epidemiology of Fusarium head blight. Agric. For. Meteorol. 132: 20-27.

Neumann, G. & E. J. Shields. 2004. Survey for Entomopathogenic Nematodes and Entomopathogenic Fungi in Alfalfa Snout Beetle, Otiorhynchus ligustici (L.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Hungary and New York. Great Lakes Entomologist 37: 152-158.

Aylor, D. E., M. T. Boehm, and E. J. Shields, 2004: Quantifying aerial dispersal of pollen in relation to outcrossing in maize. Preprints, 26th Conf. Agric. For. Meteorology, Vancouver, BC, Amer. Meteor. Soc., CD-ROM, P8.2.

Aylor, D. E, N. P. Schultes, & E. J. Shields. 2003. An aerobiological framework for assessing cross-pollination in maize. Agric. For. Meteorol. 119: 111-129.

Shields, E. J & A. Testa. 1999. Fall migratory flight initiation of the potato leafhopper, Empoasca fabae (Harris)(Homoptera: Cicadellidae): Observations in the lower atmosphere using remote piloted vehicles. Agric. For. Meterorol. 97: 317-330.

Shields, E. J., V. Y. Jocobs-Lorena, M. Blegen & A. M Testa. 1999. Economic impact of Carpenter ants in utility poles in the Northeast U.S. American Entomologist 46: 50-55.

Cox, W. J., J. S. Singer, E. J. Shields, J. K. Waldron & G. C. Bergstrom. 1999. Agronomics and economics of different weed management systems in corn and soybeans. Agronomy Journal.

Maldonado-Ramirez, S. L., G. C. Bergstrom & E. J. Shields. 1999. Use of remote piloted vehicles in aerobiological studies of Gibberella zeae. Proceedings of the 1999 National Fusarium Head Blight Forum, Michigan State University. Pages 93-95.

Extension

Shields, E. J. 2008. Certified Crop Advisor Basic Course Training Materials (& test questions). 25 pp.

Shields, E. J. 2008. Corn Rootworm Choices: Which one is best for you? What’s Cropping Up? Vol 18: (1).

Shields, E. J. 2007. 2008 Cornell Guide for Integrated Field Crop Management: Insect Management section.

Shields, E. J. 2006. Poncho-Cruiser seed treatments for corn rootworm. What’s Cropping Up? Vol 16 (6): 3.

Shields, E. J. 2006. Corn rootworm management in 2007: Where does all the new
technology fit. Abstract. Extension Series No. E06-4. page 27.

Shields, E. J. 2006. Radio controlled airplanes: Serious research tool or just plane fun? Abstract. Extension Series No. E06-4. page 17.

Shields, E. J. 2006. Field crop insect update. What’s Cropping Up?. Vol. 16 (3): 1.

Shields, E. J. 2006. 2007 Cornell Guide for Integrated Field Crop Management: Insect Management section.

Shields, E. J. 2005. 2006 Cornell Guide for Integrated Field Crop Management: Insect Management section.

Shields, E. J. Management of Corn Rootworm in 2005.  Vol 14 No. 6  Nov-Dec 2004.

Shields, E. J.  Potato Leafhopper Resistant Alfalfa and Section 18 Granted for Mixed Grass Seedings  Vol 14, No 2  March-April 2004.
 
Shields, E. J.  EPA Required Insect Refuges:  Necessary Evil or Needless EPA Meddling?
Vol. 13, No. 6, Nov-Dec, 2003, pp 4-5.
 
Shields, E. J.  Corn Rootworm Technology for the 2004 Growing Season:  How do they compare.  Vol. 13, No. 5, Sept-Oct, 2003, pp 1-2.
 
Shields, E. J.  Section 18 Emergency Exemption Granted for Warrior on Alfalfa--Grass Mixed Seedings,  Vol. 13, No. 3, May-June, 2003, pp. 4-5.