Welcome Rudra!

 Hello! My name is Rudra Patel, and I am a co-op student working with the Insect Pest Management (IPM) program at the Beaverlodge Research Farm. I am in the fourth year of my Bachelor of Science majoring in chemistry and minoring in agriculture at the University of Alberta. 

In my third year, I took an insects in cropping systems course where I learned different cultural, biological, physical, and chemical management techniques, as well as monitoring initiatives for several insect pests common in the Canadian prairies, including diamondback moths, flea beetles, and wheat stem sawflies. I am incredibly excited to apply what I learned in the classroom to the field! 

Figure 1. Rudra successfully capturing her first wireworm!

I am eager to learn more about the monitoring of insect pests for producers in the Peace River region, as well as hopefully getting to do some stem dissections! Outside of school, I love to watch movies, read, and hand sew! I am extremely grateful for this opportunity and can’t wait to gain more experience in the field this summer! 

Welcome Jodh!

Hello - my name is Jodh and I am originally from Calgary. I am in the fourth year of my Bachelor of Science studying Plant Biology at the University of Calgary. This is my first time working with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and I am incredibly excited to be with the Insect Pest Management (IPM) team at the Beaverlodge Research Station. 

My background is primarily in plants so I am enthusiastic to delve deeper into plant-insect interactions I’ve learned about in class with hands-on field research. I am most excited by the 2026 Tillage Field Plot Experiment that looks at how tillage and pesticide affect arthropod biodiversity in wheat (cv. Brandon) in the Peace River region. Throughout the season we will assess agronomic indicators (via germination, growth, and yield assessments), root health (via arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi root sampling) and soil health (via soil-core sampling). So far I have been involved with every step of the study which has included labeling, placing and flagging the plots and traps, taking and measuring initial soil samples and recording wheat growth every week. I look forward to continuing this project and seeing the results generated by hard work of the whole IPM team! It is such a privilege to have this amazing opportunity to learn so much this summer. I could not be more thankful to my supervisors and the federal government for supporting my journey here.

Figure 1: Jodh proudly holding a bag of freshly pulled weeds while standing in front of a plot in the 2026 Tillage Field Plot Experiment growing near Beaverlodge AB.

Welcome Ethaniel!

 Hi - my name is Ethaniel, and I’m a third-year biology honours student at the University of British Columbia with a strong interest in ecology, biodiversity, and field-based research. I worked for the Beaty Biodiversity Museum as a herbarium curatorial volunteer for the last term where I was responsible for cataloguing and organizing hundreds of preserved bryophyte and lichen samples. The samples are kept as part of the museum’s long-term archive and serve as a valuable resource for research, as well as monitoring and conservation efforts. Beyond my coursework, I grew up spending many hours on my grandparents’ hobby farm working with crops including tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and cucumbers. 

Figure 1. Ethaniel with bighorn sheep in Jasper National Park.

Both of these experiences helped develop an interest in agriculture and the relationship between organisms and their environments. I’m excited to contribute to the ongoing research with the Insect Pest Management (IPM) lab, and I’m particularly looking forward to hands-on fieldwork in the prairies! 

Figure 2. Ethaniel busy weeding in a field plot experiment growing near Beaverlodge AB in 2026.