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. Abdelghany, A.Y., Awadalla, S.S., Abdel-Baky, N.F., El-Syrafi, H.A., Fields, P.G. (2010). Effect of high and low temperatures on the drugstore beetle (Coleoptera: Anobiidae). Journal of Economic Entomology, [online] 103(5), 1909-1914. http://dx.doi.org/10.1603/EC10054

    2010 - View publication details

  2. Fields, P.G., Woods, S., Taylor, W.G. (2010). Triterpenoid saponins synergize insecticidal pea peptides: Effect on feeding and survival of Sitophilus oryzae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae). The Canadian Entomologist, [online] 142(5), 501-512. http://dx.doi.org/10.4039/n10-024

    2010 - View publication details

  3. Wijayaratne, L.K.W., Fields, P.G. (2010). Effect of methoprene on the heat tolerance and cold tolerance of Tribolium castaneum (Herbst) (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae). Journal of Stored Products Research, [online] 46(3), 166-173. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jspr.2010.04.001

    2010 - View publication details

  4. Abdelghany, A.Y., Awadalla, S.S., Abdel-Baky, N.F., El-Syrafi, H.A., Fields, P.G. (2010). Stored-product insects in botanical warehouses. Journal of Stored Products Research, [online] 46(2), 93-97. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jspr.2009.11.001

    2010 - View publication details

  5. Fenn, D., Lukow, O.M., Humphreys, G., Fields, P.G., Boye, J.I. (2010). Wheat-legume composite flour quality. International Journal of Food Properties, [online] 13(2), 381-393. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10942910802571729

    2010 - View publication details

  6. Wang, F., Jayas, D.S., White, N.D.G., Fields, P. (2009). Combined effect of carbon monoxide mixed with carbon dioxide in air on the mortality of stored-grain insects. Journal of Stored Products Research, [online] 45(4), 247-253. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jspr.2009.04.004

    2009 - View publication details

  7. Taylor, W.G., Fields, P.G., Sutherland, D.H. (2007). Fractionation of lentil seeds (Lens culinaris Medik.) for insecticidal and flavonol tetraglycoside components. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, [online] 55(14), 5491-5498. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/jf0705062

    2007 - View publication details

  8. Jian, F., Jayas, D.S., White, N.D.G., Fields, P.G. (2007). A distributed-delay model to predict ageing and survival rates of adults of Cryptolestes ferrugineus (Stephens) (Coleoptera: Laemophloeidae) in granaries filled with wheat. Ecological Modelling, [online] 200(3-4), 412-420. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2006.08.009

    2007 - View publication details

  9. Omar, S., Marcotte, M., Fields, P., Sanchez, P.E., Poveda, L., Mata, R., Jimenez, A., Durst, T., Zhang, J., MacKinnon, S., Leaman, D., Arnason, J.T., Philogène, B.J.R. (2007). Antifeedant activities of terpenoids isolated from tropical Rutales. Journal of Stored Products Research, [online] 43(1), 92-96. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jspr.2005.11.005

    2007 - 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