Dennis Calvin
Professor and Associate Director of Cooperative Extension

The Pennsylvania State University
229C Ag Agministration Bldg.
University Park, PA 16802

Phone: 814-865-5410
FAX: 814-865-3048
Email: dcalvin@psu.edu

Current Graduate Students:

Katie Ellis
Trish Hunt

Link to:

Agroecology Program Information

Education:

B.S., Iowa State University, 1978 
M.S., Kansas State University, 1981 
Ph.D., Kansas State University, 1985

Department Focus Areas:

Ecological Applications

Research Interests:

Population dynamics, insect-plant interactions, and sampling technology related to insect pest management; modeling of biological systems; effects of climatic uncertainty on insect population dynamics and management.

Extension:

Pest management of field and forage crops and stored products; development of expert systems and decision support systems; economic and social aspects of integrated pest management.

Research Activities & Interests:

By studying the relationship between climatic uncertainty and seasonal developmental characteristics of the European corn borer in Pennsylvania, I hope to develop a population dynamics model that will predict timing and coexistence of corn borer races at any location in North America. The model will help to improve management of the European corn borer and will be a prototype for other insect systems. Studying the effects of insect feeding on corn plant physiology should increase our understanding of insect-plant interaction, enabling us to predict the impacts of insect feeding over variable environmental conditions. Other research includes evaluating Trichogramma spp. and Bacillus thuringiensis as biological control agents of the European corn borer and the effects of agronomic practices on plant susceptibility to corn rootworm feeding. 

Extension Activities & Interests:

I am developing expert systems for insect pest management in corn and alfalfa and educational programs and materials for extension agents, private consultants, farmers, and agribusiness personnel on the use of expert systems for field and forage crop management and stored-product pest management.

Relevant Publications:

Calvin, D. D., J. E. Losey, M. C. Knapp, and F. L. Poston. 1997. Oviposition and development of Trichogramma pretiosum (Hymenoptera: Trichogrammatidae) in three age classes of southwestern corn borer eggs. Environ. Entomol. 26(2):385-390.

Calvin, D.D. 1995. Economic Benefits of Transgenic Corn Hybrids for European Corn Borer Management in the United States. A Report to the Monsanto Company. pp. 69. (link to complete report - Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7)

Losey, J. E., S. J. Fleischer, D. D. Calvin, W. L. Harkness and T. Leahy. 1995. Evaluation of Trichogramma nubilale and Bacillus thuringiensis in management of Ostrinia nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) in sweet corn. Environ. Entomol. 24(2):436-445.

Calvin, D. D. and P. Z. Song. 1994. Variability in postdiapause development periods of geographically separate Ostrinia nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) populations in Pennsylvania. Environ. Entomol. 23(2):431-436.

Calvin, D. D., R. A. Higgins, M. C. Knapp, F. L. Poston, S. M. Welch, W. B. Showers, J. F. Witkowski, C. E. Mason, H. C. Chiang, and A. J. Keaster. 1991. Similarities in developmental rates of geographically separate European corn borer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) populations. Environ. Entomol. 20(2):441-449.

Mason, C. E., M. E. Rice, D. D. Calvin, J. W. Van Duyn, W. B. Showers, W. D. Hutchison, J. F. Witkowski, R. A. Higgins, D. W. Onstad, and G. P. Dively. 1996. European corn borer ecology and management. North Central Regional Extension Publication No. 327. Ames, Iowa.

Spangler, S. M. and D. D. Calvin. 2000. Influence of sweet corn growth stages on European corn borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) Oviposition. Environ. Entomol. 29(6): 1226 1235.

Losey, J. E., D. D. Calvin, M. E. Carter, and C. E. Mason. 2001. Evaluation of noncorn host plants as a refuge in a resistance management program for European corn borer (Lepidoptera: crambidae) on Bt-corn. Environ. Entomol.: 30: 728-735.

Ortman, E. E., B. D. Barry, L. L. Bushman, D. D. Calvin, J. Carpenter, G. P. Dively, J. E. Foster, Hellmich, R. L., R. A. Higgins, T. E. Hunt, G. P. Munnkvold, K. R. Ostlie, R. T. Roush, M. K. Sears, A. M. Shelton, B. D. Siegfried, P. E. Sloderbeck, K. L. Steffey, F. T. Turpin, and J. L. Wedberg. 2001. Transgenic insecticide corn: The agronomic and ecological rationale for its use. Bioscience 51(11): 900-902.

Spangler, S. M. and Calvin D. D. 2001. Vertical distribution of European corn borer egg masses on sweet corn. Environ. Entomol. 30(2): 274 279.

Clinton D. Pilcher, Marlin E. Rice, Randall A. Higgins, Kevin L. Steffey, Richard L. Hellmich, John Witkowski, Dennis Calvin, Kenneth R. Ostlie, and Michael Gray. 2002. Biotechnology and the European corn borer: Measuring historical farmer perceptions and the adoption of transgenic Bt corn as a pest management strategy. J. of Econ. Entomol. 95(5): 878-892.

Nowatzki, T. M., J. J. Tollefson, and D. D. Calvin, 2002. Development and validation of models for predicting the seasonal emergence of corn rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) beetles in Iowa. Environ. Entomol.: 31(5): 864-873.

Spangler, S. M., D. D. Calvin, and M. A. Nemeth. 2003. Infestation of European corn borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in sweet corn as predicted by time of oviposition. J. Econ. Entomol. 96(2); 413 - 419.

Sked, S. L. and D. D. Calvin. 2004. Phenological synchrony between Macrocentrus cingulum Brischke (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) with its preferred host, Ostrinia nubilalis Hubner (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), using models. Environ. Entomol. (Accepted for Publication, October 2003).

Xingquan, K., D. D. Calvin, M. C. Knapp, and F. L. Poston. 2004. Female European corn borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) ovarian development stages: Their association with oviposition and use in a classification system. J. of Econ. Entomol. (Accepted for Publication, October 2003).

Dillehay, B., G. W. Roth. D. D. Calvin, R. J. Kratochvil, G. A. Kuldau, and J. A. Hyde. 2004 Performance of Bt-corn Hybrids, their near-isolines and Leading corn hybrids in Pennsylvania and Maryland. Agron. J. 96: 818-824.

Myers, M. W., W. S. Curran, M. J. VanGessel, B. A. Majeck, B. A. Scott, D. A. Mortensen, D. D. Calvin, H. D. Karsten, and G. W. Roth. 2004. Predicting emergence of eight annual weed species in the northeastern United States. Accepted for publication in Weed Techn.

Myers, M. W., W. S. Curran, M. J. VanGessel, B. A. Majeck, B. A. Scott, D. A. Mortensen, D. D. Calvin, H. D. Karsten, and G. W. Roth. The Effect of Weed Density and Application Timing on Weed Control and Corn (Zea mays) Grain Yield. Accepted for publication in Weed Techn.

Myers, M. W., W. S. Curran, M. J. VanGessel, B. A. Majek, D. D. Calvin, D. A. Mortensen, H. D. Karsten, and G. W. Roth. Effect of Spring Tillage on Annual Weed Species Emergence in the Northeastern United States. Accepted for publication in Weed Techn.

Dively, G. P., R. Rose, M. K. Sears, R. L. Hellmich, D. E. Stanley-Horn, D. D. Calvin, And J. M Russo. Effects on monarch butterfly larvae after continuous exposure to Cry 1Ab-expressing corn pollen during anthesis. Environ. Entomol. 33(4): 1116 - 1125.

Dillehay, B. L. , D. D. Calvin, G. W. Roth, J. A. Hyde, G. A. Kuldau, R. J. Kratochvil, J. M. Russo, and D. G. Voight. Verification of a European corn borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) loss equation in the major corn production region of the northeastern United States. Accepted for publication in J. of Econ. Entomol.