Dr. Paul G. Fields

Image Paul Fields
Retired - Research Scientist

I study the ecology and physiology of insects that infest stored products.

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Biosystems Engineering, University of Manitoba

Current research and/or projects

Pests of Peas: This project focuses on the bean weevil, Acanthoscelides obtectus, which is a quarantine pest in India.

Invasive Alien Species: This project is to model insects that are quarantine insects in Canada. We are working at modeling the growth and development of the khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium) which is a quarantine in Canada.

Research and/or project statements

There are five main areas to his research program: methyl bromide alternatives in flour mills, extreme temperatures, natural products, insect behaviour and biological control. He has examined: heat, cold, diatomaceous earth, sulfuryl fluoride and the combination of heat, phosphine and carbon dioxide to control insects in flour mills. He has done extensive work on the use of low temperature to control stored product insects. Studies on farms in storage facilities during the winter have demonstrated the ability of insects to become acclimatised to low temperatures. He has examined the use of natural products such as neem, pea extracts and diatomaceous earth to control stored-product insects in bulk grain and in food processing facilities. His work on insect behaviour has focussed on trap design and insect repellants. His work on biological control has focussed on the effects of natural products on stored-grain insect parasitoids and the use of Trichogramma to control Indian meal moth in warehouses and retail stores.

 

Professional activities / interests

Stored Product Entomology Research

Alternatives to the fumigant, methyl bromide

Education and awards

PhD, Biology, Université Laval, 1987

BSc, Biology, McMaster University, 1980

Fellow of Entomological Society of Canada

International experience and/or work

Collaborations with labs in China, Thailand, India, USA and Germany

Additional links

https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=DG5TTEYAAAAJ

http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/engineering/departments/biosystems/

Key publications

  1. Shivananjappa, S., Fields, P., Laird, R.A., Floate, K.D. (2020). Contributions of diet quality and diapause duration to the termination of larval diapause in khapra beetle, Trogoderma granarium (Coleoptera: Dermestidae). Journal of Stored Products Research, [online] 85 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jspr.2019.101535

    2020 - View publication details

  2. Shivananjappa, S., D.M. Wilches, K.D. Floate, R. Laird, P. Fields and V. Hervet*. 2019. Diapause, desiccation and cold tolerance in khapra beetle, Trogoderma granarium. 12th Conference of the IOBC-WPRS Working Group Integrated Protection of Stored Products (IPSP), Pisa, Italy, September 4-6.

    2019 - View publication details

  3. Wilches, D.M., Laird, R.A., Floate, K.D., Fields, P.G. (2019). Control of Trogoderma granarium (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) Using High Temperatures. Journal of Economic Entomology, [online] 112(2), 963-968. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/jee/toy379

    2019 - View publication details

  4. Narendran, R.B., Jian, F., Jayas, D.S., Fields, P.G., White, N.D.G. (2019). Segregation of canola, kidney bean, and soybean in wheat bulks during bin loading. Powder Technology, [online] 344 307-313. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.powtec.2018.12.042

    2019 - View publication details

  5. Wilches, D.M., R.A. Laird, P. Fields, K.D. Floate and P. Coghlin. 2018. The microbiome of Trogoderma granarium: First report on the presence of Spiroplasma bacteria. Joint Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of Canada / Entomological Society of America / Entomological Society of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, November 11-14 [oral presentation]

    2018 - View publication details

  6. Shivananjappa, S., R.A. Laird, K.D. Floate and P. Fields. 2018. Induction and termination of diapause in the quarantine insect Trogoderma granarium (khapra beetle). Joint Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of Canada / Entomological Society of America / Entomological Society of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, November 11-14 [oral presentation]

    2018 - View publication details

  7. Wilches, D.M., Laird, R.A., Fields, P.G., Coghlin, P., Floate, K.D. (2018). Spiroplasma dominates the microbiome of khapra beetle: comparison with a congener, effects of life stage and temperature. Symbiosis, [online] 76(3), 277-291. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s13199-018-0560-5

    2018 - View publication details

  8. Shivananjappa, S., R. Laird, K.D. Floate and P. Fields. 2018. Induction and termination of diapause in the quarantine insect Trogoderma granarium. 66th Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, 27-29 September [oral presentation]

    2018 - View publication details

  9. Jian, F., Divagar, D., Mhaiki, J., Jayas, D.S., Fields, P.G., White, N.D.G. (2018). Static and dynamic methods to determine adsorption isotherms of hemp seed (Cannabis sativa L.) with different percentages of dockage. Food Science and Nutrition, [online] 6(6), 1629-1640. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.744

    2018 - View publication details

  10. Shivananjappa, S., K.D. Floate, R. Laird and P. Fields. 2019. Cross tolerance to desiccation and cold in khapra beetle, Trogoderma granarium. Joint Meeting Acadian Entomological Society, the Entomological Society of Canada, and the Canadian Society for Ecology and Evolution. Fredericton, NB, August 18 – 21, 2019

    2018 - View publication details

  11. Zhao, X., Wang, D., Fields, P.G., Li, H. (2018). Effect of aflatoxin B1 on development, survival and fecundity of Ahasverus advena (Waltl). Journal of Stored Products Research, [online] 77 225-230. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jspr.2018.04.005

    2018 - View publication details

  12. Jian, F., Jayas, D.S., Fields, P.G., White, N.D.G., Zhang, H., Tang, P. (2018). Demography of rusty grain beetle in stored bulk wheat: Part I, population dynamics at different temperatures and grain bulk sizes, 47(2), 244-255. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvy019

    2018 - View publication details

  13. Jian, F., Jayas, D.S., Fields, P.G., White, N.D.G. (2018). Demography of rusty grain beetle in stored bulk wheat: Part II. Mathematical modeling to characterize and predict population dynamics, 47(2), 256-263. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvy002

    2018 - View publication details

  14. Jian, F., Jayas, D.S., Fields, P.G., White, N.D.G. (2017). Water sorption and cooking time of red kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.): part II – mathematical models of water sorption. International Journal of Food Science and Technology, [online] 52(11), 2412-2421. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ijfs.13525

    2017 - View publication details

  15. Wilches, D., R.A. Laird, K.D. Floate and P. Fields. 2017. Effects of extreme temperatures on the survival of the quarantine stored-product pest, Trogoderma granarium (khapra beetle) and on its associated bacteria. Joint Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of Canada / Entomological Society of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, October 22-25 [oral presentation]

    2017 - View publication details

  16. Jian, F., Jayas, D.S., Fields, P.G., White, N.D.G. (2017). Water sorption and cooking time of red kidney beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.): part I – Effect of freezing and drying conditions on water sorption and cooking time. International Journal of Food Science and Technology, [online] 52(9), 2031-2039. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ijfs.13481

    2017 - View publication details

  17. Senthilkumar, T., Jayas, D.S., White, N.D.G., Fields, P.G., Gräfenhan, T. (2017). Detection of ochratoxin A contamination in stored wheat using near-infrared hyperspectral imaging. Infrared Physics and Technology, [online] 81 228-235. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.infrared.2017.01.015

    2017 - View publication details

  18. Wilches, D., R.A. Laird, K.D. Floate and P. Fields. 2016. Low and high temperature treatments as alternatives to methyl bromide control of Trogoderma granarium (Coleoptera: Dermestidae). 10th International Conference on Controlled Atmosphere Storage and Fumigation. New Delhi, India, November 7-11. [oral presentation]

    2016 - View publication details

  19. Wilches, D., R.A. Laird, K.D. Floate and P. Fields. 2016. Controlling Trogoderma granarium with extreme temperatures. XXV International Congress of Entomology. Orlando, FL, September 25-30. doi: 10.1603/ICE.2016.91845 [oral presentation]

    2016 - View publication details

  20. Senthilkumar, T., Jayas, D.S., White, N.D.G., Fields, P.G., Gräfenhan, T. (2016). Detection of fungal infection and Ochratoxin A contamination in stored barley using near-infrared hyperspectral imaging. Biosystems Engineering, [online] 147 162-173. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2016.03.010

    2016 - View publication details

Contact

Research facility

Morden Research and Development Centre
Route 100, Unit 100-101
Morden, MB R6M 1Y5
Canada

Expertise

Agriculture›Agri-Food
Agriculture›Entomology›Stored product

Affiliations

Entomological Society of Canada, since 1981 (served on Executive Committee from 1991-1994, President 2008-09)

Entomological Society of Manitoba, since 1988 (served on Executive Committee from 1989-1994, President 2002)

Language

English
French