About

Arash Rashed is the Southern Piedmont AREC Director, Professor of Entomology, and VAES Associate Director. His role involves leading research and extension activities at the Southern Piedmont Agricultural Research and Extension Center, focusing on entomology. His work supports agricultural research and extension programs, contributing to the development and dissemination of knowledge related to entomology and pest management in the region.

Research topics

• Ecology
• Biology
• Botany
• Zoology
• Genetics
• Evolutionary biology
• Agroforestry
• Agronomy

Selected publications

• Effects of soil biofumigation on non-target springtails (Collembola) and earthworms (Opisthopora)

  Scientific Reports · 2026-01-06

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Soil health is supported by diverse communities of organisms, including springtails and earthworms, facilitating essential processes such as nutrient cycling, organic matter decomposition, and soil structure maintenance. Cultural control methods promoted through Integrated Pest Management (IPM) are often assumed to be environmentally friendly, and their potential effects on soil health have received limited attention. Biofumigation, a cultural tactic, utilizes cruciferous plants like Brassica juncea (Brassicales: Brassicaceae), or their byproducts, to control soil-borne pests, yet their impacts on non-target organisms remain understudied. In this greenhouse study, we evaluated the impact of soil biofumigation with brown mustard seed meal (BMSM) on the springtail Folsomia candida (Entomobryomorpha: Isotomidae) and the earthworm Eisenia fetida (Opisthopora: Lumbricidae). An 85% reduction in springtail populations was recorded within 1 h of BMSM application. However, the springtail population recovered and surpassed the number of springtails in untreated media after 26 days. Earthworms preferred untreated media over BMSM-treated media immediately after incorporation. However, earthworms reared in the biofumigated media had higher body weight and produced more viable cocoons compared to those reared in untreated media. The negative effects of biofumigation on springtails and the deterrence of earthworms appeared to be short-lived and may later contribute to their reproductive fitness.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• CerealPestAID: Deep Learning Models for Cereal Pest Identification

  Open MIND · 2026-02-27

  datasetOpen access

  CerealPestAID Deep learning models for classifying 26 cereal crop pest species from images. Three architectures are provided: EfficientNet-B6, MobileNetV3-Large, and InceptionV3, each available in PyTorch, ONNX, and TFLite formats. Model Description These models were trained to identify 26 species of cereal crop pests from field images. The goal is to support automated pest monitoring and integrated pest management (IPM) in cereal crop agriculture.

  OA PDFDOI

• Cold survival of Bactericera cockerelli haplotypes on solanaceous plants: Exploring the impact of Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum

  Entomologia Generalis · 2025-07-14

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• Abiotic Factors Affecting Vector-Borne Plant Pathogen Complexes: Elevated CO2 and the Barley Yellow Dwarf Pathosystem

  Insects · 2025-11-22

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Changes in atmospheric CO2 are known to influence plant physiology, subsequently affecting the nature of their interactions with their biotic environment. Barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), one of the most widespread and damaging viruses of small grains, is transmitted by cereal aphids and has a broad range of cultivated and uncultivated hosts from the Poaceae family. Here, we examined the effects of elevated CO2 on plant physiology, Rhopalosiphum padi L. performance, and the accumulation of BYDV (strain BYDV-PAV) in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), foxtail barley (Hordeum jubatum L.), and green foxtail (Setaria viridis (L.) Beauv.). A growth chamber experiment was conducted under ambient (420 ppm) and elevated CO2 (700 ppm) with aphid-infested and uninfested plants. Elevated CO2 significantly increased total plant biomass in all species but did not affect aphid survival or reproduction. The root biomass of winter wheat and foxtail barley, but not green foxtail, increased under elevated CO2. However, no significant effect of aphids/BYDV was detected on total plant biomass. Transpiration rates varied with host plant and aphid presence but were not affected by CO2 level. Total water-soluble carbohydrate concentration was unaffected by CO2 or aphids. BYDV-PAV accumulation varied by host plant species, with winter wheat having the highest virus titer, followed by foxtail barley and green foxtail. Virus titers were increased under elevated CO2 in all host plant species. We demonstrated that uncultivated grasses are important reservoirs for both BYDV-PAV and the R. padi vector and suggested that elevated CO2 may enhance virus accumulation across the evaluated host plants. This underscores the need to consider the role of non-crop hosts in developing management plans and/or predicting BYDV dynamics in small grains.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Exploring the role of tall fescue-endophyte association in shaping Rhopalosiphum padi host choice and reproduction and barley yellow dwarf virus transmission

  Entomologia Generalis · 2025-05-15 · 1 citations

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

• An ecofriendly approach to broad mite ( <scp> <i>Polyphagotarsonemus latus</i> </scp> ) management: integrating pepper resistance and predatory mite ( <scp> <i>Neoseiulus californicus</i> </scp> ) in a tritrophic system

  Pest Management Science · 2025-08-26

  article

  Abstract BACKGROUND Biological control and host plant resistance are frequently integrated in many reliable integrated pest management (IPM) strategies. However, the integration of these strategies can influence the interactions among plants, herbivores, and their natural enemies. Differences in the quality of a host plant may positively or negatively influence the strength of the top‐down forces. In this study, the effects of seven glasshouse pepper cultivars, including the susceptible cultivars (Lumos and AD90), semi‐resistant cultivar (Clavesol), and resistant cultivars (Chidem, Sympathy, Sunset, and AG50) on the biological performance and predation capacity of the predatory mite Neoseiulus californicus (McGregor) when feeding on different stages of the broad mite Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Banks) were investigated under controlled conditions. RESULTS Significant differences were observed in the biological performance and predation capacity of the predator on different cultivars. The intrinsic rate of increase ( r ) varied from 0.079 d −1 in Sunset (resistant) to 0.134 d −1 in Lumos (susceptible). Significant differences were also observed among the resistant cultivars, which Sunset had a higher negative impact on the population growth parameters ( r , gross reproductive rate (GRR), and net reproductive rate ( R 0 )) of the predator compared with the other cultivars. In addition, the semi‐resistant cultivar of Clavesol performed similar to the susceptible cultivars. The R 0 of the predator varied from 3.20 eggs/individual in Sunset to 6.94 eggs/individual in Lumos. The highest value of the net predation rate ( C 0 ) (1168 prey/predator), finite predation rate ( ω ) (30.09 prey/predator), and stable predation rate ( ψ ) (27.81 prey/predator) were observed on Sympathy (resistant), Sunset (resistant), and Sunset (resistant), respectively. CONCLUSION Although population growth potential of N. californicus was higher on the susceptible cultivars compared with the resistant and the semi‐resistant ones, the predator's predation capacity was notably higher on the resistant and semi‐resistant cultivars compared with the susceptible ones. The resistant cultivars also showed varying degrees of resistance, where the highest negative impact on the life table parameters of the predatory mite was observed when N. californicus fed on Polyphagotarsonemus latus reared on the Sunset cultivar. However, the resistant cultivars and N. californicus can improve the broad mite management program on glasshouse peppers despite some negative impacts on the predator. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.

  PublisherDOI

• Wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) Use Root Volatiles and CO2 to Discriminate Among Host Plants

  Scientific Reports · 2025-03-25 · 3 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  In the absence of visual signals, subterranean arthropods rely on olfactory and tactile cues to navigate toward resources. Here, in a series of pairwise dual-choice bioassays, we investigated the Limonius californicus (Col., Elateridae) larva response to wheat, pea, and bean seedlings in sand-filled olfactometers. We then quantified volatile organic compounds (VOC) emitted from roots. Wireworm preference for beans compared to wheat was attributed to the higher CO2 emission. Wireworm preference for peas compared to wheat was attributed to the higher amounts (µg/hr) of hexanal emitted from pea roots. Wireworms preferred synthetic hexanal over clean air control and the higher amount of hexanal (200 µg) over the lower amount of 20 µg. In the presence of CO2 at both ends of the olfactometer, wireworms did not respond preferentially toward hexanal. 2-Hexenal was also attractive to wireworms relative to the control, but wireworms did not discriminate between hexanal and 2-hexenal. While our results confirmed wireworms’ positive response to the presence of CO2 and some VOCs in isolation, their host choice appears to be driven by the combination and the concentrations of the present cues, allowing the insect to distinguish among host plants.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Valorization of agricultural byproducts – The use of mustard seed meal for pest control

  Sustainable Chemistry for the Environment · 2024-06-05

  articleOpen access

  Mustard seed ( Brassica juncea ) meals from biodiesel production can be utilized as a feedstock for sourcing pesticidal compounds that can control ubiquitous soil pests such as wireworms. In the present study, we evaluated the pesticidal activity of B. juncea seed meal on wireworms ( Limonius infuscatus ) to promote the valorization of B. juncea seed meal with the end goal of increasing the overall sustainability of crop production. In the laboratory soil column study, B. juncea seed meal were applied to typical agricultural soil infested with wireworms. After application, the release of the primary biopesticidal compound was monitored and correlated with the motility, mortality, and metabolomic changes of wireworms. The pesticidal effect of B. juncea seed meal on wireworms was evident by the mass change and metabolomic response consistent with the stress response. Mortality of up to 100 % of wireworms was observed when soils was treated with B. juncea seed meal and tarped. Based on the statistical analysis, the release of the primary biopesticidal compound from B. juncea seed meal correlated well with soil electrical conductivity making it a potential proxy method for field monitoring. • By-products from biofuel production can act as a feedstock of biologically active compounds. • Mustard seed meal can be used for control of wireworms in soil. • Mustard seed meal affects wireworm metabolomic composition consistent with animal stress.

  PublisherDOI

• Unraveling the impact of greenhouse pepper resistance on biological performance of the broad mite Polyphagotarsonemus latus (Acari: Tarsonemidae)

  Crop Protection · 2024-08-13 · 2 citations

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Reduced survivorship, host preference, and feeding damage by <i>Helicoverpa zea</i> (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) on cotton plants colonized by the endophyte <i>Beauveria bassiana</i> (Ascomycota: Hypocreales)

  Journal of Economic Entomology · 2024-12-09 · 4 citations

  articleSenior author

  The GHA strain of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) is known to establish symbiotic relationships with some plant species. The present study was developed to determine whether the foliar application of B. bassiana-GHA and B. bassiana ANT-03, another commercial B. bassiana, results in the successful colonization of cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L., and examine whether the endophyte can influence the survivorship and feeding damage by the corn earworm, Helicoverpa zea Boddie (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Using polymerase chain reaction, colonization success by B. bassiana-GHA, 3, 7, 14, and 21 days after inoculation was estimated at 83.3%, 100%, 91.7%, and 83.3%, respectively. The colonization success based on the mycelial outgrowth method was 41.7%, 66.7%, 58.3%, and 50%, 3, 7, 14, and 21 days after inoculation, respectively. Beauveria bassiana ANT-03 did not colonize cotton. Corn earworms preferred untreated plants over the neonicotinoid and B. bassiana-GHA treatments. The B. bassiana ANT-03-treated plants and controls were not distinguished from one another by the corn earworms. The corn earworm survivorship was higher on the control plants, compared to plants treated with B. bassiana ANT-03, B. bassiana-GHA, and the neonicotinoid insecticide. The neonicotinoid insecticide, B. bassiana-GHA, and B. bassiana ANT-03 reduced corn earworm damage compared to the untreated controls. Our results demonstrated the potential for B. bassiana-GHA to be used as a biological control agent against H. zea in cotton.

  PublisherDOI

Frequent coauthors

• F. Workneh

  Amarillo College

  71 shared

• C. M. Rush

  Texas A&M University

  71 shared

• Li Paetzold

  71 shared

• Christopher M. Wallis

  Agricultural Research Service

  68 shared

• J. Chen

  San Joaquin Valley Agricultural Sciences Center

  25 shared

• Mahnaz Rashidi

  International Law Institute

  15 shared

• Erik J. Wenninger

  University of Idaho

  13 shared

• Atoosa Nikoukar

  Blackstone (United States)

  11 shared

Labs

• Southern Piedmont ARECPI

Education

• PhD, Biology

  Carleton University

  2006