University of Nebraska–Lincoln entomologist wins $1.5 million award for sorghum pest research

In Nebraska, a tiny invader’s gooey march through U.S. sorghum fields continues to devastate crop yields, forcing some farmers out of the sorghum business despite the crop’s increasing importance.

A University of Nebraska–Lincoln entomologist is investigating ways to help sorghum naturally resist sugarcane aphids, the crop’s most damaging pest in the United States. Louis earned a five-year, $1.5 million Faculty Early Career Development Program award from the National Science Foundation to continue his research.

Sorghum, an important global food source, is growing in popularity because of its ability to withstand drought and heat, which are worsening under climate change. In the United States, the world’s largest producer of grain sorghum, the crop is grown primarily for animal feed and as a biofuel.