Professor Colvin has spent much of his research career working on insects, plants and viruses. In his early career, he was particularly struck by the ingenuity inherent in the pest management technologies created to address the agricultural problems that arise when human interests conflict with those of insect species and the plant viruses they transmit. Due to the enormity of the human suffering caused by some of these problems, especially in the developing world, he has been particularly interested in agricultural research that generates practical technologies, or knowledge-based solutions, that can be adopted easily by resource-poor farmers.

Professor Colvin has a wide variety of research interests, but the two most important are the whitefly species complex, Bemisia tabaci, and the main group of plant-viruses that they transmit called begomoviruses. Whitefly are responsible for spreading a larger number of plant-virus pandemics and research is helping find novel methods for controlling then and preventing future pandemics.

Cassava-whitefly control for sustainable food security in Sub-Saharan Africa (ACWP2)

Since the 1990s, an unprecedented increase in African cassava-whitefly (ACW), Bemisia tabaci, abundance has occurred in the cassava growing regions of East and Central Africa. ACW species are responsible for vectoring the plant viruses that have caused two on-going and devastating pandemics, Cassava Mosaic Disease (CMD) and Cassava Brown Streak Disease (CBSD). Estimates for resulting production losses in nine East and Central African countries are as high as 47% and the areas affected are continuing to expand, resulting in hunger, recurrent famines and annual losses of more than US$1.25 billion. The key driver for the spread of both pandemics is the significantly increased ACW pest-pressure (frequently called “superabundance”), but the factor(s) responsible for this phenomenon remained unknown. Working in Tanzania, Uganda and Malawi, the project works with a huge range of partners tosolve the African cassava whitefly problem in three East African countries and prevent further whitefly-borne, cassava-virus pandemics. The work is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

African cassava whitefly: outbreak causes and sustainable solutions (ACWP1)

This project created a system-wide change to benefit smallholder farmers on the African continent through improved cassava-whitefly control and reduced the spread of cassava-virus diseases that impact rural incomes and productivity-sustainability of smallholder farmers through increased in yields, and greater reliability of cassava production. The work was carried out in Uganda, Tanzania and Malawi and resulted in the creation, validation and dissemination of integrated, new solutions for cassava-whitefly control. The work was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Enabling research tools for cassava virologists and breeders

This project aims to develop specific research tools for African cassava virologists and breeders, which will assist their research and work to improve cassava productivity and sustainability in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The research tools to be developed are (i) more discriminatory whitefly diagnostics, and (ii) infectious clones (ICs) of cassava brown streak viruses (CBSV, UCBSV) and standard operating procedures (SOPs) for their use in SSA. This project links directly with the Disease diagnostics for sustainable cassava productivity in Africa project at the Mikocheni Agricultural Research Institute (MARI) Tanzania, which aims to minimise both the occurrence as well as impact of cassava virus diseases and their associated insect (whitefly) vectors.

Brassicas: Integrated management of whitefly, Aleyrodes proletella

The project aim was to carry out proof-of-concept experimental research for improved and sustainable whitefly control on Brassica crops. The research team mass reared the whitefly, Aleyrodes proletella and one of its parasitoids, Encarsia tricolor in order to conduct a proof-of-concept field trial on curly kale, to assess the integration of beneficial-insect augmentation, meshes and a systemic insecticide, to achieve improved whitefly control. The research showed for the first time that augmenting parasitoids in the field provided equivalent whitefly control to some of the insecticide treatments.

Management, monitoring and biology of chard and spinach leaf-miners

Leaf-miners cause damage to chard and spinach crops in the UK by creating unsightly mines that reduce crop quality and value. A much worse scenario occurs, however, when the leaf or stem mines go unnoticed and the larvae are able to feed for about two weeks. Prior to pupation, they become 6mm long white maggots whose presence in speciality salad crops is completely unacceptable to growers, retailers and consumers. This project's aims were to (i) develop improved insecticide-based management method(s) for this serious problem; (ii) generate new information on the biology of the key pest species; and (iii) develop ways of monitoring their populations to improve the timing of insecticide applications. The project results and recommendations were disseminated through a grower magazine article and conference presentation.

Management and biology of flea beetle species and other key pests of leafy Brassica crops

UK Brassica growers identified the brassica flea beetle complex as a priority area for research and the increasing problem was thought to be related to reduced insecticide use on oil seed rape crops, which allows high populations to build up, followed subsequently by emigration from them. Phyllotreta undulate, P. atra and P. diademata are the main species in the pest complex. Adult feeding causes 'shot holes' in the crop, which reduces significantly its quality and thus marketability. A range of control technologies were tested including mesh nets, systemic insecticides and coded developmental products. A combination of mesh nets and insecticide sprays provided excellent control and the project results and recommendations were disseminated through a grower magazine article and conference presentation.

• Vyskočilová S, Seal S & Colvin J (2019) Relative polyphagy of "Mediterranean" cryptic Bemisia tabaci whitefly species and global-pest status implications. Journal of Pest Science, in press.
• Fennell J, Veys C, Dingle J, Nwezeobi J, Van Brunschot S, Colvin J & Grieve B. (2018) A method for real-time classification of insect vectors of mosaic and brown streak disease in cassava plants for future implementation within a low-cost, handheld, in-field multispectral imaging sensor. Plant Methods, 14, 82-82.
• Kalyebi A, Macfadyen S, Parry H, Tay WT, De Barro P & Colvin J (2018) African cassava whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, cassava colonization preferences and control implications. PLoS ONE 13(10): e0204862. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0204862
• MacFadyen S, Paull C, Boykin LM, De Barro P, Maruthi MN, Otim M, Kalyebi A, Vassão DG, Sseruwagi P, Tay WT, Delatte H, Seguni Z, Colvin J & Omongo CA (2018) Bulletin of Entomological Research, 108, Issue 5, 565-582.
• Malka O, Feldmesser E, Santos-Garcia D, Sharon E, Krause Sakate R, Delatte H, Van Brunschot S, Patel MV, Mugerwa H, Seal S, Colvin J & Morin S. (2018) Species-complex evolution and host-plant associations in Bemisia tabaci: a plant-defense, detoxification perspective revealed by RNAseq analyses. Molecular Ecology, 27, Issue 21, 4241-4256.
• Mugerwa H, Seal S, Wang H-L, Patel MV, Kabaalu R, Omongo CA, Alicai T, Tairo F, Ndunguru J,  Sseruwagi P & Colvin J (2018) African ancestry of New World, Bemisia tabaci-whitefly species. (Nature) Scientific Reports, 8, Article number: 2734. 
• Omongo C, Namuddu A, Okao-Okuja G, Alicai T, Van Brunschot S & Colvin J (2018) Occurrence of Bondar’s Nesting Whitefly, Paraleyrodes bondari (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) on cassava in Uganda. Revista Brasileira de Entomologia, Volume 62, Issue 4, 257-259.
• Vyskočilová S, Tay WT, Van Brunschot S, Seal S & Colvin J (2018) An integrative approach to discovering cryptic species within the Bemisia tabaci whitefly species complex. (Nature) Scientific Reports, 8, Article number: 10886.
• Mollel, H.G., Ndunguru, J., Sseruwagi, P., Alicai, T., Colvin, J., Navas-Castillo, J. & Fiallo-Olive, E. (2017) A novel East African monopartite begomovirus-betasatellite complex that infects Vernonia amygdalina. Arch Virol, 162:1079–1082.
• Mollel, H.G., Sseruwagi, P., Ndunguru, J., Alicai, T., Colvin, J., Navas-Castillo, J. & Fiallo-Olive, E. (2017) Desmodium mottle virus, the first legumovirus (genus Begomovirus) from East Africa. Arch Virol, 162:1799–1803.
• Wang, H.L., Xiao, N., Yang, J., Wang, X.W., Colvin, J. & Liu, S.S. (2016).  The complete mitochondrial genome of Bemisia afer (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae).  Mitochondrial DNA, 27, 98-99.
• Collins, C., Patel, M.V., Colvin, J., Bailey, d. & Seal, S. (2014)  Identification and evaluation of suitable reference genes for gene expression studies in the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Asia I) by reverse transcription quantitative real-time PCR.  J. Insect Science, 14, 1-25.
• Jing, X, Wong, A.C-N., Chaston, J.M., Colvin, J., McKenzie, C.L. & Douglas, A.E. (2014) The bacterial communities in plant phloem-sap-feeding insects. Special Issue of Molecular Ecology, Nature’s Microbiome, 23,1433–1444. Doi:1111/mec.12637
• Luan, J-B, Wang, X.-W., Colvin, J. & Liu, S.-S (2014) Plant-mediated whitefly-begomovirus interactions: research progress and future prospects.  Bulletin of Entomological Research. 104, 267-276. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S000748531400011X
• Colvin, John, Nagaraju, N., Moreno Leguizamon, Carlos, Govindappa, R.M., Manjunatha Reddy, T.B., Padmaja, S.A., Joshi, Neena, Hanson, Peter M., Seal, Susan E. and Muniyappa, V. (2012) Socio-economic and scientific impact created by whitefly-transmitted, plant- virus disease resistant tomato varieties in Southern India. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 11 (2). pp. 337-345. ISSN 2095-3119
• Chowda-Reddy, R.V., Kirankumar, M., Seal, Susan E., Muniyappa, V., Valand, Girish B., Govindappa, M.R. and Colvin, John (2012) Bemisia tabaci phylogenetic groups in India and the relative transmission efficacy of Tomato leaf curl Bangalore virus by an indigenous and an exotic population. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 11 (2). pp. 235-248. ISSN 2095-3119 (doi:10.1016/S2095-3119(12)60008-2)
• Liu, S.S., Colvin, J. & De Barro, P. (2011) Species Concepts as Applied to the Whitefly Bemisia tabaci Systematics: How Many Species Are There? Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 11(2): 176-186.
• Omongo, Christopher A., Kawuki, Robert, Bellotti, Antony C., Alicai, Titus, Baguma, Yona, Maruthi, M.N., Bua, Anton and Colvin, John (2012) African cassava whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, resistance in African and South American cassava genotypes. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 11 (2). pp. 327-336. ISSN 2095-3119 (doi:10.1016/S2095-3119(12)60017-3)
• Seal, Susan, Patel, Mitulkumar V., Collins, Carl, Colvin, John and Bailey, David (2012) Next generation transcriptome sequencing and quantitative real-time PCR technologies for characterisation of the Bemisia tabaci Asia 1 mtCOI phylogenetic clade. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, 11 (2). pp. 281-292. ISSN 2095-3119 (doi:10.1016/S2095-3119(12)60012-4)
• Springate, Simon and Colvin, John (2012) Pyrethroid insecticide resistance in British populations of the cabbage whitefly, Aleyrodes proletella. Pest Management Science, 68 (2). pp. 260-267. ISSN 1526-498X (Print), 1526-4998 (Online) (doi:10.1002/ps.2255)

Head of the Agricultural Bio-Security Research Group Responsible for the DEFRA-licenced insectary and non-quarantine glasshouses.

• Fellow, Royal Entomological Society
• Member, National Horticultural Forum: R&D providers group
• Active member of the International Whitefly Studies Network (previously called the European Whitefly Studies Network)
• Long-term research and development work on whitefly contributed to the University of Greenwich winning The Royal Anniversary Trust awards for the Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education on 25th February 2016. 

ORCID

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6413-580X