BROOKINGS, S.D. - Adam Varenhorst has been named South Dakota State University Extension’s entomology specialist. Varenhorst will inform South Dakota crop producers of impending pest issues they need to watch for in their fields, provide growers with the research-based best management practices for pest management in South Dakota and conduct research. Growing up on a farm in northwest Iowa, Varenhorst spent time scouting his family’s fields for pests and understands the impact pest issues can have on a grower’s bottom-line. An entomology class as an undergraduate at Briar Cliff University helped him decide to focus his career on helping growers protect their crops and livelihoods from pests. Varenhorst received a master’s and doctorate degree in entomology from Iowa State University in Ames. He focused his research on the management of soybean aphids by using selective insecticides and host plant resistance.
