1984 - Bachelor of Science (Agronomy), Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
1987 -Master of Science (Entomology), Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
1990 -Ph.D. (Entomology); Minor (Agronomy), Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
1) Evaluating pest economic injury levels and action thresholds2) Developing environmentally sound and data-based insecticide use strategies3) Monitoring insecticide susceptibility in insect pests4) Surveying insect pests and refining IPM strategies in conservation tillage systems5) Evaluating cultural practices, cotton HPR and transgenic technologies in cotton IPM 6) Developing precision agricultural technologies for use in Louisiana crop production
Faculty member, LSU Department of Entomology; Full member, LSU Graduate School facultyPh.D. advisory committee member (27 students)M.S. advisory committee member (27 students)
1982 - 1986: Leonard Agricultural Consulting Service, St. Joseph, Louisiana. Independent private consultant responsible for management decisions associated with agronomic, weed and insect problems in cotton, soybean, milo and rice.
1984-March 1990: Department of Entomology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Graduate Research Assistant. Responsibilities - conducted laboratory bioassays to determine insecticide susceptibility in cotton and soybean insect pests. Examined the seasonal occurrence of Heliothis spp. adults in pheromone baited traps and established the relationship between adult trap captures and oviposition in cotton fields. Evaluated the interactions of cotton HPR and selected insecticides for managing Heliothis spp. in cotton.
April 1990 - Present: Northeast Research Station (Macon Ridge Location), Winnsboro, Louisiana (80 percent); Department of Entomology, Baton Rouge, La. (20 percent). Assistant Professor, April 1990-June 1994. Promoted to Associate Professor in July 1994. Promoted to Professor in July 1999. Awarded the Jack Hamilton Regents Chair in Cotton Production in September 2006. Responsibilities - To conduct entomology research at the Macon Ridge and St. Joseph branches of the Northeast Research Station. Appointed interim cotton extension IPM specialist, February 2009. The primary research, extension, and outreach projects are associated with the development and implementation of insect pest management strategies in field corn, cotton, grain sorghum and soybean.
Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Fame Award, LACA, 2009. National Conservation Systems Cotton and Rice Conference, Cotton Researcher, 2007. LSU Agricultural Center, Jack Hamilton Regents Chair in Cotton Production, 2006.LSU Agricultural Center, Ken Tipton Team Research Award, 2006.LSU Entomology Club Outstanding Professor, 2000.LSU Agricultural Center, First Mississippi Corporation Award, 1998.LSU Agricultural Center, Ken Tipton Team Research Award, 1998.
GRANTS AND CONTRACTS FUNDED (Career)
Industry Funding and Equipment ($3.17mil )USDA-ARS Program ($1.01mil)Louisiana Board of Regents/Louisiana Public Programs ($694,855)NASA/USDA-IFAFS/AG2020 ($619,509)Commodity (Cotton, Soybean, Corn, Wheat, Feed Grains) Support Programs ($1.94mil)
Book Chapters, Refereed Journal Articles, and BulletinsBlanco, C. A., D. A. Andow, F. Gould, C. A. Abel, D. V. Sumerford, G. Hernandez, J. D. Lopez, L. Adams, I. Ali, A. Groot, R. Leonard, R. Luttrell, R. Parker, G. Payne, O. P. Perera, and A. P.Terán-Vargas. 2009. Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ac resistance frequency in tobacco budworm (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). J. Econ. Entomol. 102: 381-387.
Huang, F., and B. R. Leonard. 2009. Detection and monitoring of Bacillus thuringiensis resistance alleles in the sugarcane borer, Diatraea saccharalis (F.), pp. 1-17. In F. Columbus (ed.) Genetically Modified Plants: New Research Trends. Nova Science Publishers, Hauppauge, NY.
Temple, J. H. , P.L. Bommireddy, D.R. Cook, P. Marcon, and B. R. Leonard. 2009. Establishing the susceptibility of selected cotton Lepidopteran pests to Rynaxypyr™ (Coragen™, Altacor™) a novel insecticide compound. J. Cotton Sci. 13:1-9.
Bommireddy, P. L. and B. R. Leonard. 2008. Survivorship of Helicoverpa zea and Heliothis virescens on cotton plant structures expressing a Bacillus thuringiensis vegetative insecticidal protein J. Econ. Entomol. 101:1244-1252.
Bommireddy, P. L., and B. R. Leonard. 2008. Age-specific mortality of Helicoverpa zea and Heliothis virescens larvae on flower buds of transgenic cotton expressing Vip3A and VipCOT™ insecticidal proteins. J. Entomol. Sci. 43:349-361.
Jackson, R. E., J. R. Bradley, J. Van Duyn, B. R. Leonard, K. C. Allen, R. Luttrell, J. Ruberson, J. Adamczyk, J. Gore, D. D. Hardee, R. Voth, S. Sivasupramaniam, J. W. Mullins, and G. Head. 2008. Regional assessment of Helicoverpa zea populations on cotton and non-cotton crop plants. Entomologica Experimentalis et Applicata 126: 89-106.
Willrich-Siebert, M., K.V. Tindall, B. R. Leonard, J. Van Duyn, and J. Babcock. 2008. Evaluation of corn hybrids expressing Cry 1F (Herculex I) against fall armyworm (Lepidopteran: Noctuidae) in the southern United States. J. Entomol. Sci. 43:41-51.
Willrich-Siebert, M., S. Nolting, L. B. Braxton, B. R. Leonard, J. N. All, J.W. Van Duyn, J.R. Bradley, J. Bacheler, and R. N. Huckaba. 2008. Efficacy of cotton expressing Cry1Ac and Cry1F insecticidal against heliothines (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). J. Econ. Entomol. 101: 1950-1959.
Wu, X., B. R. Leonard, Y. Zhu, C. A. Abel, G. P. Head, and F. Huang. 2008. Susceptibility of Cry1Ab-resistant and -susceptible sugarcane borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) to four Bacillus thuringiensis toxins. J. Invertebrate Pathol. 100:29-34.
Bommireddy, P. L., B. R. Leonard, and J. H. Temple. 2007. Influence of Nezara viridula (L.) feeding on cotton yield, fiber quality, and seed germination. J. Econ. Entomol. 100: 1560-1568.
Bommireddy, P. L., B. R. Leonard, and J. H. Temple. 2007. Heliothine larval behavior on transgenic cotton expressing a Bacillus thuringiensis insecticidal exotoxin, Vip3A. J. Cotton Sci. 11:177-185.
Harris, F. A., R. Luttrell, and B. R. Leonard. 2007. In defense of objectivity and independence - the land grant university system and its clientele relationships, a crop-production perspective. Amer. Entomol. 53 (3): 134-139.
Huang, F., B. R. Leonard, and X. Wu. 2007. Resistance of sugarcane borer to Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ab toxin. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 124:117-123.
Huang, F., B. R. Leonard, and D. Andow. 2007. F2 screen for resistance to a Bacillus thuringiensis-maize hybrid in the sugarcane borer (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). Bull. Entomol. Res. 97:437-444.
Louisiana Agriculture – Publication of the Louisiana Agricultural Experiment Station Bommireddy, P. L., and B. R. Leonard. 2008. A combination of novel insecticidal proteins for cotton IPM. La. Agric. 51 (3): 14-15.
Bommireddy, P. L., and B. R. Leonard. 2008. Southern green stink bug affects cotton fiber quality. La. Agric. 51(1): 22-23.
Cooperative Extension Service Publications Catchot, A., F. Musser, J. Gore, D. Cook, C. Daves, G. Lorenz, S. Akin, G. Studebaker, K. Tindall, S. Stewart, R. Bagwell, and B. R. Leonard. 2009. Mid-south multi-state evaluation of treatment thresholds for tarnished plant bug in flowering cotton. Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station Bull. Mississippi State University, MS. 4 pp. http://msucares.com/pubs/publications/e0022.pdf .
Stewart, S., G. Lorenz, G. Studebaker, S. Akin, F. Musser, A. Catchot, D. Cook, J. Gore, C. Daves, K. Tindall, R. Bagwell, and B. R. Leonard. 2009. Mid-South multi-state evaluation of treatment thresholds for tarnished plant bug in pre-flowering cotton. Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station Information Sheet No. W-221. University of Tennessee, Division of Agriculture, Jackson, TN. http://www.utextension.utk.edu/publications/wfiles/W221.pdf.
Ferguson , R., D. Lanclos, R. Vidrine, C. Hollier, B. R. Leonard, D. Boquet. 2008. Double-cropping soybean and wheat in Louisiana during 2008. La. Coop. Extension Service Publication 3053. Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, Baton Rouge, LA. 4 pp.
Liu, T.-X, F. Huang, and B.R. Leonard. 2008. Moodna bisinuella & pink cornworm could become destructive pests to the corn industry in southern United States. Corn Pest Alert. TX AgriLife newsletter for S. Texas corn producers.
ORAL PAPER PRESENTATIONS (career)
Professional Invited (90) Professional Submitted (71)Extension/Producer/Industry Personnel/Consultant Training Meetings (308)