Jocelyn Smith

Dr. Jocelyn Smith is an Assistant Professor in Field Crop Entomology at the University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus. She leads a globally recognized research program on field crop entomology and insect resistance management. Dr. Smith’s research spans pest biology, ecology, and management, addressing the needs of the agricultural industry in Canada, with the aim of improving productivity and sustainability. A major focus of Dr. Smith’s research is the incidence, influences, and prevention of insect resistance to transgenic crops.

Academic History

• Ph.D. Department of Plant Agriculture - University of Guelph, 2017
• M.Sc. Department of Plant Agriculture - University of Guelph, 2006
• B.Sc. Biological Science Honours - University of Guelph, 2001

Affiliations and Partnerships

Affiliations

• Canadian Corn Pest Coalition
• Adjunct Professor, Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph
• Entomological Societies of Ontario, Canada, and America

Partnerships

• Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO)
• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
• Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)
• Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Agribusiness (OMAFA)
• Mitacs
• United States Department of Agriculture

Awards and Honours

• UGFA Unit 2 Award for Excellence in Teaching (2023)
• NC-246: Ecology and Management of Arthropods in Corn. Lone Wildebeest Award. (2020)
• Mitacs Elevate Post-Doctoral Fellowship (2019)
• Canadian Society of Agronomy Pest Management Award (2017)

Research Impact

Integrated pest management of field crop insect pests

My research focuses on evaluating novel and established pest management tools for key pests affecting corn, soybean, and cereals. This work spans field, laboratory, and greenhouse settings and includes assessments of transgenic crops, foliar and seed treatment insecticides, as well as biological and cultural controls. I also investigate the species composition, phenology, and distribution of both emerging and established field crop pests in Ontario.

Resistance management of corn insect pests

In 2018, we identified the first case of field-evolved resistance to Bt corn in European corn borer (ECB) globally. This discovery has spurred extensive research projects and international collaborations focused on determining optimal resistance mitigation strategies, understanding the heritability and fitness costs associated with Bt resistance in ECB, identifying the genetic basis for Bt resistance, and enhancing susceptibility monitoring efforts. As a key collaborator in Canadian Insect Resistance Monitoring (IRM), my work includes overseeing annual field collections of corn pests, managing an insect rearing facility dedicated to key corn insect pests, and testing their susceptibility to Bt toxins and insecticides.

Current Research Projects

• Advancing Insect Resistance Management for Ontario’s Riskiest Corn Pests: Corn Rootworm and Western Bean Cutworm
• Biological Control of Corn Rootworm in Canada using Entomopathogenic Nematodes
• Remembering a Forgotten Pest: Bt Resistance and Monitoring in European Corn Borer
• Insect Resistance Management: Evaluating the Impact of Blended Refuges and the Vip3A Bacillus thuringiensis Toxin on Western Bean Cutworm
• Mitigation and Management of Bt-Resistant Corn Rootworm in Ontario
• Modernizing Management of True Armyworm in Ontario
• Mitigation and Management of Cry1F-Resistance in European Corn Borer in Canada

Graduate Student Information

Dr. Smith is seeking motivated graduate students with a keen interest in entomology, pest management, and agriculture. Ideal candidates will have experience in entomology, toxicology, ecology, molecular biology, population genetics, or agronomy. Successful graduate students are self-driven, collaborative, and eager to develop their skills in experimental design, data analysis, scientific writing, and dissemination of research findings. Students will have the opportunity to share their work with diverse audiences, including the scientific community, growers, and industry partners.

Featured Publications

For a full list of publications, refer to Dr. Smith' Google Scholar Profile.

• Smith, J.L., van Herk, W.G., Schwinghamer, T., Baute, T., Limay-Rios, V., Frewin, A., Sevcik, M., and Vernon, B. (2024) Wireworm species associated with corn and soybean agroecosystems in Ontario, Canada. Environmental Entomology. doi.org/10.1093/ee/nvae063.
• Smith, J., and Y. Farhan. Monitoring resistance of Ostrinia nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in Canada to Cry toxins produced by Bt corn. (2023) Journal of Economic Entomology. 116 (3): 916-926. doi.org/10.1093/jee/toad046
• Smith, J.L., T. Baute, and A.W. Schaafsma. (2020) Quantifying early season pest injury and yield protection of insecticide seed treatments in corn and soybean production in Ontario, Canada. Journal of Economic Entomology. 113 (5): 2187-2196. doi.org/10.1093/jee/toaa132.
• Smith, J.L., Y. Farhan, and A.W. Schaafsma. (2019) Practical resistance of Ostrinia nubilalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) to Cry1F Bacillus thuringiensis maize discovered in Nova Scotia, Canada. Scientific Reports 9 (1): 18247. doi:10.1038/s41598-019-54263-2.
• Smith, J.L., Limay-Rios, V., Hooker, D.C., and Schaafsma, A.W. (2018) Fusarium graminearum mycotoxins in maize associated with Striacosta albicosta (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) injury. Journal of Economic Entomology 111(3): 1227-1242. doi.org/10.1093/jee/toy005.