Elson J. Shields
Professor
es28@cornell.edu

Areas of Expertise

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

Research

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.

Publications (last 5 years)

• Neumann, G.& E. J. Shields.  2011.  Long term field persistence and coexistence in three entomopathogenic nematodes, Steinernema carpocapsae Weiser, S. feltiae Filipjev, and Heterorhabditis bacteriophora Poinar.  Great Lakes Entomologist 44: 42-52. 
• Shields, E. J., and A. A. Testa.  2011.  Effects of Low Temperature Storage on Fecundity Great Lakes Entomologist 44: 21-31.
• Aylor, D. E, D G.Schmale III, E. J. Shields, M. Newcomb and C. J. Nappo.  2011.  Tracking the potato late blight pathogen in the atmosphere using unmanned aerial vehicles and Lagrangian modeling.  Agric. For. Meteorol. 151: 251-260.
• Cox, W. J., J. Hanchar and E. J. Shields.  2009.  Stacked corn hybrids show inconsistent yield and economic responses in New York.  Agronomy J. 101:  1530-1537.  
• 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  55: 250-257.
• 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.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.
• Boehm, M. T., D. E. Aylor, and E. J. Shields. 2007. Maize pollen dispersal under convective conditions. J. Appl. Meteorol. Climatol. 46: 1-17.