USDA Pink Bollworm Project Photograph Collection

Collection

Identifier: MS0129

Staff Only

Scope and Content Note

The USDA Pink Bollworm Project Photograph Collection consists mainly of black-and-white and color photographs documenting the work of the Plant Quarantine and Control Administration on bollworm detection, prevention, and quarantine measures.

Photographs show scientists’ processes for cleansing the soil of bollworms, views of infested fields, and the effects of bollworms on cotton and other plants. A set of photographs mounted on boards was created as slides for a presentation titled, “Quarantine Control Measures Against the Pink Bollworm.” There are photographs of inspection sites in Texas and New Mexico, and field clean-up activities in Arizona. The collection also includes a personalized leather-bound album of colleagues’ portraits presented to the Chief of the division, Paul A. Hoidale, in 1941.

The bulk of the collection materials was originally arranged in albums or scrapbooks. The original order of each volume has been maintained, although several of the scrapbooks have been disassembled to preserve the pages from further damage caused by the bindings.

Dates

Creation: 1930-1998

Conditions Governing Access

The materials are in fair to poor condition. There are no restrictions on the use of these materials for research. However, some materials are fragile and may require staff assistance in order to view them. Contact Special Collections for access.

Organizational History

The Plant Quarantine and Control Administration (later named the Bureau of Plant Quarantine) was established in 1928 as a central agency to regulate activities related to research on insects and plants for the Bureaus of Entomology and Plant Industry. The agency assigned regulatory work to several divisions, including one for Pink Bollworm and Thurberia Control.

The pink bollworm, scientific name Pectinophora gossypiella, reduces seed cotton yield and oil content of cotton plants, prevents the normal opening of cotton bolls, and damages the locules of developing bolls. The pink bollworm is considered one of the most destructive cotton pests in the United States. Several control programs have been created to reduce its negative impact on the economy (Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, 2008).

In 1934, the Bureau of Plant Quarantine merged with the Bureau of Entomology to form the Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine. Currently, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) administers the Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) program. The PPQ’s Cotton Pest Programs conduct research and eradication efforts for the southwest pink bollworm using pesticides and sterile insect release.

Total Size of Collection

1 letter_document_box

3 flat_pamphlet_box

3.25 Linear Feet (4 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Content Description

The USDA Pink Bollworm Project Photograph Collection documents the work of the Plant Quarantine and Control Administration on bollworm detection, prevention, and quarantine measures. The materials consist primarily of black-and-white and color photographs of plant and insect specimens, scientific activities, facilities, and personnel. The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service’s (APHIS) Civil Rights (CR) and Plant Protection and Quarantine (PPQ) offices donated this collection to the National Agricultural Library in March 1999.

Related Collections at the National Agricultural Library

Alfred H. Baumhover Papers: Screwworm Eradication Program Records, 1949-1997. Manuscript Collection 266.

Gypsy Moth Research Collection, 1971-1984. Manuscript Collection 401.

Bibliography

Baker, Gladys L., Wayne D. Rasmussen, Vivian Wiser, and Jane M. Porter. Century of Service: The First 100 Years of the United States Department of Agriculture. Washington, DC: United States Department of Agriculture, 1962.
Parmar, Vaishali R., and C. C. Patel. Pink Bollworm: A Notorious Pest of Cotton: A Review. AGRES – An International e-Journal. Volume 5, number 2: 88-97. January 2016.
Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Marketing and Regulatory Programs, United States Department of Agriculture. Southwest Pink Bollworm Eradication Program. April 2008. https://www.aphis.usda.gov/plant_health/ea/downloads/SWPnkBwrm.pdf. Accessed 27 April 2018.

Genres

photographs

Processing Information

The collection was partially arranged and described by Sara Lee, Special Collections archivist. Valerie Linsinbigler, Special Collections intern, finished inventorying, arranging, and describing the collection in 2018.