Madison Lane, former vice president of ABAC’s Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Related Sciences (MANRRS) chapter, had the opportunity to present her research at the American Peanut Research and Education Society (APRES) conference in Oklahoma City.
Lane’s presentation, “Developing a Pheromone Trap Based Economic Threshold for Lesser Cornstalk Borer in Peanuts,” stemmed from an idea she had when she interned with FMC Corp. in Sparks, Georgia.
FMC needed an intern to place smart traps in peanut fields across Georgia, and, to her surprise, the smart traps worked to monitor lesser cornstalk borers, she said.
“The entire point of my research project is to give growers a more effective and efficient way to scout for lesser cornstalk borers in peanuts due to the fact that they are very difficult to scout and manage. If a grower doesn’t manage lesser cornstalk borers in peanuts it could lead to economic loss,” Lane said.
At the APRES conference, attendees engaged in committee meetings, workshops and training sessions; formed connections within the industry; and of course, both witnessed and presented research projects.
Blaire Colvin, a Technical Service Manager and Lane’s coworker, is the person who impacts her the most and for the better, Lane said.
“My experience presenting at APRES was humbling and such a proud moment…knowing that one day my research may be used to enhance the way growers scout for cornstalk borers is so surreal,” Lane said.
Currently, Lane works as a Chemical Sales Representative for FMC Corp. and is pursuing her master’s in entomology from the University of Georgia. In her role as a chemical sales representative, she tests out herbicides, fungicides, and insecticides to gather data for FMC Corporation.