Research interests

• Integrated pest management on agricultural crops particularly cotton 
• Habitat diversification and Conservational biological control
• Biopesticides, Semiochemicals and spray oils in pest management

Background

Dr Robert Mensah is a Principal Research Scientist and Director of the Australian Cotton Research Institute in Narrabri in NSW  providing leadership to research to ensure that scientific excellence, industry relevance of research and departmental goals are advanced.

Dr Mensah joined NSW DPI in 1992 and has undertaken and managed research in cotton and other field crops. He was voted the Australian Cotton Researcher of the Year by the Australian Cotton Growers and Researchers Association in 1997. He is currently a sub-program leader of the Australian Cotton Catchments Communities CRC co-ordinating activities of the CRC’s Innovative Research sub program. 

Dr Mensah was the Technical Specialist for the World Bank’s IPM project in China from 2001 to 2004 and a recipient of University of Tasmania 2005 Foundation Graduate Award, Winston Churchill Fellowship, Churchill Medallion, Australian Academy of Sciences and Bede Morris Fellowships. He holds an international (Worldwide) patent on methods of using food sprays, in managing pests on field crops. Dr Mensah is currently developing a new semiochemical and an entomopathogenic fungal isolate for control of sucking pests on agricultural crops.

Dr Mensah has over 25 year’s professional experience in plant protection, 19 in the Australian Cotton Industry with extensive knowledge of the operation of the Australian Agricultural Industries, universities, state and federal government research agencies. His research expertise in NSWDPI is in the area of integrated pest management (IPM), habitat manipulation, conservational biological control, biopesticides, spray oils and semiochemicals. 

Qualifications

• Bsc (Hons) Agriculture (UST, Ghana)
• Cert. Pest Mgt  (ICIPE, Kenya)
• Ph.D (Univ. of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia)

Current projects

• Development of New tools and strategies for cotton Integrated Pest Management (IPM): a Farming systems approach
• Development and use of Biopesticides in cotton IPM
• Managing cotton pests with semio (signalling) chemicals
• Habitat diversification and utilization of predatory insects for cotton IPM
• Development and use of Petroleum spray oils in cotton IPM

Recent Publications

Mensah RK and Macpherson I (2010) Lure-and-kill as reduced-risk strategy for managing Helicoverpa spp. on conventional cotton crops within transgenic cotton fields. Journal of Biocontrol 24 92); 91-103.

Najar-Rodriguez, AJ, McGraw AE, Hull CD, Mensah RK and Walters GH (2009).The ecological differentiation of asexual lineages of cotton aphids: alate behaviour, sensory physiology, and differentiatial host associations. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 1235-1252.

Moazzem K, Gregg P. and Mensah RK (2009). Effect of temperature on the biology of Creontiades dilutus (Stål) (Heteroptera: Miridae). Australian Journal of Entomology 48 (3), 204 -210.

Aldabel F, Mensah RK and Frerot B. (2008). Effects of nC24 and nC27 petroleum spray oils on oviposition and egg survival of Ostrinia nubilalis Hubner (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) and Trichogramma brassicae Bezdenko (Hymenoptera, Trichogrammatidae) adults on maize plants. International Journal of Pest Management 54 (1), 5-11

Najar-Rodriguez, AJ, McGraw AE, Hull CD, Mensah RK, Pittman GW and Walters GH (2008). The microbial flora of Aphis gossypii: Patterns across host plants and geographical space. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology 100, 123 – 126.

Najar-Rodriguez AJ, Lavidis AN, Mensah RK, Choy PT and Walter GH (2008). The toxicological effects of petroleum spray oils on insects – Evidence for an alternative mode of action and possible new control options. Food and Chemical Toxicology 46, 3003 – 3014.

Mensah RK, Vodouhe DS and Sanfillipo D. (2008). Food sprays: A new tool for Africa’s Organic cotton growers. Pesticide News 79, 5-7

Mensah RK and Pyke BA (2007) Beneficial insects in cotton in Australia In: Insects of Australian Field Crops and Pastures; (Editor) P. T. Bailey, CSIRO Publications, Canberra, Australia, pages 102-119.

Najar RAJ, Walter GH and Mensah RK (2007) “The efficacy of a petroleum spray oil against Aphis gossypii Glover on cotton: (Part 2) Indirect effects of oil deposits”. Pest Management Science 63; 596-607.

Najar RAJ, Walter GH and Mensah RK (2007) The efficacy of petroleum spray oils against Aphis gossypii Glover on cotton: (Part I) Mortality rates and sources of variation” Pest Management Science 63; 586-595.

Al Dabel F,  Mensah RK and Frerot B (2007) Effects of nC24 and nC27 petroleum spray oils on oviposition and egg survival of Ostrinia nubilalis Hubner (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae) and Trichogramma brassicae Bezdenko, Trichogrammatidae) adults on maize plants. International Journal of Pest Management (In press).

Mensah RK, Liang W, Gibb D, Coates R and Johnson D (2005) Improving the efficacy of nuclear polyhedrosis virus and Bacillus thuringiensis against Helicoverpa spp. with ultra-violet light protected petroleum spray oils on cotton crops in Australia. International Journal of Pest Management 51 (2) 101-109.

Mensah RK, Frerot B and Al Dabel F (2005) Effects of Petroleum Spray oils on oviposition behaviour and larval survival of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) and Ostrinia nubilalis (Lepidoptera:Pyralidae). International Journal of Pest Management 51 (2) 111-119.

Mensah RK, Liang W, Gibb D, Coates R and Johsnon D (2005) Evaluation of nC27 Petroleum spray oil for activity against Helicoverpa spp. on commercial cotton fields in Australia. International Journal of Pest Management 51 (1) 63-70.

Mensah RK and Sequiera R (2004) Habitat manipulation for insect management in cotton systems in Australia. In: Pest Suppression: Habitat Manipulation Approaches (Editors) Steve Wratten and Geoff Gurr, CSIRO Publications, Canberra, Australia; pages 187-199

Wilson LJ, Mensah RK and Fitt G (2004) Implementing IPM in Australian cotton. In: Novel Approaches to insect Pest Management in Field and Protected Crops (Editors) Rami Horowitz and Isaac Ishaaya, Spinger Press, Netherlands; pages 87-106.

Mensah RK and Singleton A (2003) Optimum timing and placement of a supplementary food spray “Envirofeast” for the establishment of predatory insects of Helicoverpa spp. in cotton systems in Australia. International Journal of Pest Management 49, 163-168.

Mensah RK (2002) Development of an integrated pest management program for cotton: Part 1: Establishing and utilising natural enemies. International Journal of Pest Management 48, 87-94.

Mensah RK (2002) Development of an integrated pest management program for cotton: Part 2:Integration of lucerne/cotton interplant system, food supplement sprays with biological and synthetic insecticides. International Journal of Pest Management 48, 95-105.

Mensah RK and Singleton A (2002) Effects of a C24 petroleum spray oil on eggs and larvae of Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner)(Lepidoptera:Noctuidae) and field efficacy of a nuclear polyhedrosis virus. In: Beattie GAC, Watson, DM, Stevens, M, Rae, DJ and Spooner-Hart, R. (editors). Spray oils beyond 2000 - Sustainable Pests and Diseases Management, University of Western Sydney Press, pp 313-317.

Mensah RK (2001) Participatory Cotton IPM in Australia. In: Learning to cut the Chemicals in Cotton. Compiled and edited by CABI Bioscience and PAN-UK: pp 47-54.

Mensah RK (2000) Conservation and Utilisation of Beneficial insects for Pest Management Programs in Cotton Systems in Australia. The ICAC Recorder 28 No. 2, 8-14.

Professional associations and activities

• Member Primary Industries Steering Committee – RDE Cotton Sector Framework
• Member Australian Cotton Industry Transgenic and Insecticide Management Strategy Committee
• Co-ordinator of the Cotton CRC Semiochemical Working Group (SWG)
• Co-ordinator of the Cotton Industry’s IPM Co-ordinating committee and Member Cotton Sector Research & Extension Framework committee
• Member Cotton Biosecurity Committee
• Advisory member of African Organic Cotton Select Committee
  
• Member Management Committee representing NSWDPI in the Cotton Catchment Community CRC
  
• Member of New York Academy of Sciences, New York
• Member of the International Organisation for Biological Control (IOBC)
• Member American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
• Member Who’s Who Historical Society
• Member of the Australian Entomological Society
• Member African Organic Cotton Association

Fields of Research

• 070308 - Crop and Pasture Protection (Pests, Diseases and Weeds)

Australian Bureau of Statistics classifications

Keyword/phrase list of research interests

• Applied Entomology 
• Integrated Pest Management
• Zoology