Unearthing insect ecology in Northwest Iowa

What’s there to learn about the insects of Northwest Iowa? Plenty – and that’s exactly what Professor of Agriculture Dr. Jeremy Hummel and his two undergraduate research students have found.

Hummel as well as students Beatrice Shackelford and Levi Landman have spent the summer considering insect ecology in Sioux County. Their research is divided into two parts, both of which have taken place at the same time.

First, they are studying host plants of the soybean gall midge, a recently discovered soybean pest. “It is known to attack and damage soybeans, but it can attack other legumes,” explains Hummel. “We have given the soybean gall midge a whole suite of legumes to see what it will attack. That way, we can provide the crop production industry with a head’s up on what other crops might be attacked, which could cause economic problems.”

In previous years, Hummel found that soybean gall midges attack white lupin, which “is a very minor crop that isn’t going to cause massive economic losses,” says Hummel. “But since it can attack soybean and lupin, and those two aren’t closely related within the family of legumes, that leaves a large scope of other legumes that could be attacked.”

The grandson of Northwest Iowa farmers, Landman has found it interesting to research soybean gall midges in part because “not much has been done in this area,” he says. “Dr. Hummel’s research is important for our region, as we are identifying the pathway of infestation and getting a better understanding of how it could affect the local economy.”

Second, they are doing a survey of ground-dwelling beetles at Oak Grove Park in Sioux County, which involves setting pitfall traps and gathering samples. Ultimately, they want to develop insect outreach materials for use at Prairie Woods Nature Center at Oak Grove.

“We are looking at several sites at Oak Grove where we’ve added pitfall traps—glorified cups sunk in at ground level where beetles walking along will fall into the cup,” says Hummel. “Ground beetles are very diverse and responsive to habitat types and changes. Our sampling locations are in different habitats across the park to create as comprehensive a list of ground beetles as we possibly can.”

Visitors may not realize that there are thousands of different species of insects at Oak Grove. “We see the mosquitoes, horseflies, and stable flies that bite us. We might see odd creatures skittering across the trail. We see butterflies and bees zipping by. But we don’t think about how many different creatures are in the habitats in such a small park—how each has a function and a role within that habitat. As we learn more about what is in Oak Grove, we can see the potential for those kinds of habitats to be replicated throughout the Big Sioux River Valley.”

More farmers and landowners are focusing on increasing the variety of plants and organisms in their corn and soybean fields by putting in strips of prairie. Increasing types of insects in agricultural landscapes can help improve the lives of pollinators like bees, but other insects can be positively impacted as well—including ground beetles.

“Ground beetles are incredibly diverse, beautiful creatures,” says Shackelford. “Because of this project, I will never be able to unsee this part of God’s beautiful creation.”

Hummel teaches in the Agriculture Department at Dordt, but his area of expertise spans plant science, agronomy, and ecology as well. “A lot of my ag courses have an ecological bent to them. We do good agriculture when we’re working with creation, and it’s equally important to me that I learn about agronomy—what we do in agriculture and how that fits within how creation was designed.”

Often, agriculture and conservation clash – unnecessarily so, says Hummel. “I think we’ve created a false dichotomy between conservation and agriculture. There really isn’t a need for that. Some of the best farmers care deeply about the land, soil, and the animals who also call that space home.”

About Dordt University

As an institution of higher education committed to the Reformed Christian perspective, Dordt University equips students, faculty, alumni, and the broader community to work toward Christ-centered renewal in all aspects of contemporary life. Located in Sioux Center, Iowa, Dordt is a comprehensive university named to the best college lists by the Wall Street Journal, Times Higher Education, Forbes.com, Washington Monthly, and Princeton Review.