Field season is finally here!

An assortment of equipment for constructing traps, which will be used for catching soybean aphids.

It is that time of year when some of us (especially me) are thankful that the iron grip of winter seems to be weakening. It is also that time of year when colorful floral blooms of nature are everywhere one looks.

For use here at ALE lab, this time of year comes with a lot of excitement...the lab is abuzz with preparation for the field season. One can hear the "clanking" of tools as field structures are built, the searing sound of tape being freed from the tape dispenser, and the occasional clattering sounds of used petri-dishes being cleaned in the sink. In short, the field season is finally here!

It is open season and I can't wait to go buckthorn hunting. We also plan on setting up traps for the tiny green "winter residents" (a.k.a. soybean aphids) of buckthorn plants that love the taste of fresh and tender soybean plants.