Benjamin Aigner

BEN AIGNER

Benjamin Aigner, a native of Locustville, VA, is a Ph.D. student in the Entomology Department at the University of Georgia (UGA) in Tifton. Aigner began his college career at the Eastern Shore Community College in Melfa, VA. While pursuing his associate’s degree, he also worked at the Virginia Tech Eastern Shore Agricultural Research Extension Center (ESAREC) where his interest in entomology was sparked. He later transferred to Virginia Tech where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in Geography with a focus in Geospatial and Environmental Analysis.

While working post-graduation at the Center for Geospatial Information Technology (CGIT), Aigner learned of an opening for a master’s degree program at Virginia Tech where he researched sampling techniques and migration patterns of brown marmorated stink bug in mid-Atlantic soybeans. The work resulted in the recommendation and adoption of targeted border sprays in commercial soybean systems, which allowed for a large reduction in pesticide usage. 

Aigner met Dr. Mark Abney at the International Congress of Entomology in 2016, where they discussed a potential Ph.D. project at UGA in Tifton. Aigner quickly realized that he possessed the skills and experience needed for the project, and soon after, he joined the Peanut Entomology Lab at UGA Tifton, under Dr. Abney.

Currently, Aigner and others on the UGA Peanut Team are working with a pest called the peanut burrower bug, Pangaeus bilineatus. Serious infestations of this pest are sporadic geographically and temporally; nevertheless, the insect can cause devastating losses to peanut growers when it is present. In 2010, this native pest caused severe damage to GA’s peanut crop, and it has continued to plague growers since. Very little was known about the biology or potential management of the peanut burrower bug, and the need for research became urgent. With few management options, affected growers are experiencing significant economic reductions in their operations, annually. Aigner’s focus is to fill the knowledge gaps that exist about the pest’s biology and ecology and develop effective and sustainable management options for the future of Georgia’s peanut industry. When he began the project, his first task was to travel and interview peanut farmers across South Georgia. Having just moved to Georgia, this was a great opportunity for Aigner who was able to obtain a better understanding of the area.

Aigner chose to pursue his Ph.D. at UGA in part because of the reputation of the entomology program. He felt confident that education here would place him where he needed to be and provide him with the resources needed to succeed. Upon graduation, Aigner plans to continue doing research for the chemical industry or government. He is very drawn to fieldwork and research and hopes to acquire a position with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), or similar government operation. Alternatively, he is open to working in biosecurity for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). However, he intends to keep his options open and is willing to look into new opportunities in industry, government, or academia.

by Caraline Coombs, student assistant, UGA Peanut Team Media