About

Emily Bick is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Entomology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She holds a Ph.D. and M.S. in Entomology & Nematology from UC Davis, earned in 2019 and 2017 respectively, and a B.S. in Entomology from Cornell University obtained in 2013. Her research focuses on applied agroecology, digital entomology through modeling and technology, and spatial population biology. The goal of her work is to develop tools and strategies that support data-driven precision management practices in entomology. She is engaged in advancing understanding and management of insect populations with an emphasis on practical applications in agriculture.

Research topics

• Ecology
• Artificial Intelligence
• Biology
• Computer Science
• Agronomy
• Environmental science
• Remote sensing
• Horticulture
• Geography
• Real-time computing

Selected publications

• Automating insect monitoring using unsupervised near-infrared sensors

  Scientific Reports · 2022 · 77 citations

  • Computer Science
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Computer Science

  Insect monitoring is critical to improve our understanding and ability to preserve and restore biodiversity, sustainably produce crops, and reduce vectors of human and livestock disease. Conventional monitoring methods of trapping and identification are time consuming and thus expensive. Automation would significantly improve the state of the art. Here, we present a network of distributed wireless sensors that moves the field towards automation by recording backscattered near-infrared modulation signatures from insects. The instrument is a compact sensor based on dual-wavelength infrared light emitting diodes and is capable of unsupervised, autonomous long-term insect monitoring over weather and seasons. The sensor records the backscattered light at kHz pace from each insect transiting the measurement volume. Insect observations are automatically extracted and transmitted with environmental metadata over cellular connection to a cloud-based database. The recorded features include wing beat harmonics, melanisation and flight direction. To validate the sensor's capabilities, we tested the correlation between daily insect counts from an oil seed rape field measured with six yellow water traps and six sensors during a 4-week period. A comparison of the methods found a Spearman's rank correlation coefficient of 0.61 and a p-value = 0.0065, with the sensors recording approximately 19 times more insect observations and demonstrating a larger temporal dynamic than conventional yellow water trap monitoring.

  DOI

• Effects of salinity and nutrients on water hyacinth and its biological control agent, Neochetina bruchi

  Hydrobiologia · 2020 · 19 citations

  1st authorCorresponding
  • Biology
  • Agronomy
  • Ecology
  DOI

• Timing the Implementation of Cultural Practices for Spissistilus festinus (Hemiptera: Membracidae) in California Vineyards Using a Stage-Structured Degree-Day Model

  Journal of Economic Entomology · 2020 · 10 citations

  1st authorCorresponding
  • Biology
  • Agronomy
  • Horticulture

  The three-cornered alfalfa hopper, Spissistilus festinus (Say), was shown to transmit Grapevine red blotch virus (GRBV), the causative agent for Grapevine red blotch disease, in a greenhouse study on grapes. GRBV is a major concern of wine grape growers due to its economic impact on wine quality. Plants in the family Fabaceae are preferred hosts of S. festinus and are commonly planted as cover crops or present in a vineyard's native vegetation. In late winter, during grapevine dormancy, S. festinus migrate into vineyards to feed and reproduce on these cover crop and weed hosts. Tilling vineyard floor vegetation provides growers an opportunity to disrupt the life cycle of early instars that are relatively immobile, reducing the S. festinus first-generation population. Nymphal presence is difficult to detect. First through third instars were not detected in sweep net samples in a 2-yr weekly sampling study, whereas fourth and fifth instars were first found on the same sample date as emerging adults. A degree-day model was developed and successfully predicted when early S. festinus instars are present in the vineyard to aid in exploiting the time period when S. festinus is most susceptible to cultural control measures.

  DOI

Frequent coauthors

• Laurence Still

  15 shared

• Thomas Nikolajsen

  14 shared

• Jesper Lemmich

  14 shared

• James O. Eckberg

  Agriculture and Food

  14 shared

• S. Rosenzweig

  General Mills (United States)

  14 shared

• Klas Rydhmer

  13 shared

• Jonathan G. Lundgren

  ASIS Foundation

  11 shared

• Michael M. Bredeson

  11 shared

Education

• Ph.D., Entomology

  University of Wisconsin-Madison

  2009

• M.S., Entomology

  University of Wisconsin-Madison

  2004

• B.S., Entomology

  University of Wisconsin-Madison

  2002

Similar researchers at University of Wisconsin-Madison

• John Ralphh-178
• Brad Astorh-119
• Weibo Caih-113
• Matt Turnerh-113
• Paul Ahlquisth-110