University of Georgia
UGA College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences Department of Entomology
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Glen C. Rains Professor Entomology
Portrait of Glen C. Rains
Contact Information grains@uga.edu 229-386-3520
Mailing Address Tifton, CAES Campus 2360 Rainwater Road, Tifton, GA 31793-5766

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Portrait of Glen C. Rains

Website: www.gcrains.weebly.com

Education

Ph.D., Agricultural Engineering — Virginia Tech, May 1992
MS, Agricultural Engineering — Virginia Tech, April 1989
BSAE, Agricultural Engineering — University of Georgia, 1987
Professional Engineer, Ohio Registration #62280

Lab Personnel:

DeWayne Dales, Research Professional
Email: ddales@uga.edu

Research Activities:

Dr. Rains’ primary area of research is the application of engineering science to develop sensor technologies and strategies for applications in precision agriculture and insect ecology.

Detection and Identification of Plant Pathogens and Pests:

Dr. Rains has developed a testing apparatus and methodology to collect volatile compounds from plants. Emissions from plant and other materials are analyzed to determine what type of volatiles they emit in response to fungal viral, and bacterial infections as well as pest infestations. Dr. Rains is also investigating with Dr. Ramasamy in the School of Engineering, development of a nano-biosensor for detecting plant pathogens before the appearance of visible symptoms.

Chemical and Insect Ecology:

Dr. Rains has conducted studies to extract the volatile signatures of plants under various biotic and abiotic stresses. He has also developed a sensor to monitor and measure changes in foraging behavior of parasitic insects and is working to develop additional sensors for monitoring the behavior of other invertebrates.

Precision Agriculture:

Precision agriculture is a management strategy that utilizes within field, herd, forest and greenhouse information to optimize management for improved profit and environmental quality. Dr. Rains has focused his research in precision agriculture to evaluate, improve, and develop sensors that would aid in sustainable precision management decisions. Primary emphasis areas are the development of sensors for improving management of plant pests and development of an autonomous vehicle for sensing crop conditions and performing farming operations.

Remote Control Electric Field Rover for Mobile Sensing

Public Service and Extension Activities:

Dr. Rains has primary responsibilities in extension/outreach activities for farm safety. He provides in-service training, educational materials, and workshops to county agents, farmers and other professionals, as well as farm safety outreach programs to K-12 and college students.

Dr. Rains is also Co-Director of the Agrability in Georgia project. The Agrability in Georgia project is a USDA/NIFA funded state project that assists farmers with disabilities. This program contributes to training and education, networking, and technical assistance. As part of this program, Dr. Rains has helped start a one-of-a-kind initiative to develop the Agrability Farm. This farm will be a training and demonstration area for farmers to see assistive technologies demonstrated and for professionals in the disability field to learn about farming with a disability. 

Instruction Activities:

Dr. Rains developed and teaches CRSS 4010, Principles of Sustainable Management Spring semester in Tifton. He has also mentored several young scholars during the summer and has mentored students both locally and internationally. Dr. Rains has been heavily involved in K-12 outreach programs through participation in local school projects, as well as through programs such as G.I.F.T., Young Scholars and Student Shadowing.

Research Articles (Since 2000):

  1. Thai, CN, ST Jones, and GC Rains. 2013. Software Design for Dynamic Stitching of Multi-spectral Images of Field Crops. in “Emerging Trends in Computing, Informatics, Systems Sciences, and Engineering”, Lecture Notes in Electrical Engineering 151, T. Sobh & K. Elleithy (eds.), Springer Publishers, pp. 39-57
  2. Umasankar, Y, GC Rains, Ramasamy, R., 2012. Electroanalytical studies on green leaf volatiles for potential sensor development, Analyst, 137, 3138-3145.
  3. Zhou, Z., GC Rains, D. Kulasiri, 2012. Development of a Behavior Parameter in Classically Conditioned Parasitic Wasps that Detect Changes in Odor Intensity, Biological Engineering,(2): 19-31.
  4. Wang, WL, CY Li, EW Tollner, RD Gaitiis, GC Rains, 2012. Shortwave infrared hyperspectral imaging for detecting sour skin (Burkholderia cepacia)-infected onions, Journal of Food Engineering, 109(1): 38-48.
  5. Wang, WL, CY Li, EW Tollner, GC Rains, RD Gitaitis. 2012. A liquid crystal tunable filter based shortwave infrared spectral imaging system: Design and integration, Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 80: 126-134.
  6. Wang, WL, CY Li, EW Tollner, GC Rains, RD Gitaitis. 2012. A liquid crystal tunable filter based shortwave infrared spectral imaging system: Calibration and characterization, Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 80: 135-144.
  7. Yu, P., CY Li, , GC Rains. 2011. Development of the berry impact recording device sensing system: Hardware design and calibration, Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 79(2): 103-111.
  8. Yu, P., CY Li, GC Rains. 2011. Development of the berry impact recording device sensing system: software, Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 77(2): 195-203.
  9. Rains, GC, DM Olson, WJ Lewis. 2011. Redirecting Technology to support sustainable management practices, Agricultural Systems, 104(4): 365-370.
  10. Wäckers, Felix, Dawn Olson, Glen Rains, Frank Bundby, John-Erik Haugen. 2011. Boar taint detection using parasitoid biosensors, Journal of Food Science, 76: S41-S47.
  11. Rains, GC, D. Kulasiri, Z. Zhou, S. Samarasinghe2, J.K. Tomberlin, D.M. Olson. 2010 Synthesizing Neurophysiology, Genetics, Behaviour and Learning to Produce Whole-Insect Programmable Sensors to Detect Volatile Chemicals. Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering Reviews. Vol. 26: 191-216.
  12. Sosnoskie, LM, TM Webster, D Dales, GC Rains, TL Grey and AS Culpepper. 2009. Pollen grain size, density and settling velocity for Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri), Weed Science 57(4):404-409.
  13. Olson, DM, AM Cortesero, GC Rains, T. Potter, W. Joe Lewis. 2009, Nitrogen and water affect direct and indirect plant systemic induced defense in cotton, Biological Control, 49(3):239-244.
  14. Jurjevic, Z., GC Rains, DM Wilson, WJ Lewis. 2008. Volatile Metabolites Associated with Aflatoxigenic and Nontoxigenic Strains of Aspergillus flavus Grown on Three Different Substrates, Phytopathologia Mediterranea, 47(3):266-271.
  15. Tomberlin, JK, Rains, GC, MR Sanford, 2008, Development of Microplitis croceipes as a biological sensor, Entomologia Experimentalis, 128: 249-257.
  16. Rains, GC, Tomberlin, JK, Kulasiri, D. 2008. Using insect sniffing devices for detection, Trends in Biotechnology, 26(6), 288-294.
  17. Olson, DM, Davis, RF, Wackers, FL, Rains, GC, Potter, T. 2008. Plant-herbivore-carnivore interactions in cotton, gossypium hirsutum: linking belowground and aboveground, Journal of Chemical Ecology, 34:1341-1348.
  18. Takasu, K, GC Rains, WJ Lewis. 2007. Comparison of odor detection ability between males and females in the larval parasitoid Microplitis croceipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Entomologia experimentalis et applicata, 122(3), 247-251.
  19. Utley, SL, GC Rains, WJ Lewis. 2007. Behavioral Monitoring of Microplitis croceipes, A Parasitoid Wasp, for Detecting Target Odorants Using a Computer Vision System, Trans. of ASABE, 50 (5): 1843-1849.
  20. Tomberlin, JK, GC Rains, SA Allan, MR Sanford, WJ Lewis. 2006. Associative Learning of Odor with Food or Blood-Meal by Culex quinquefasciatus Say (Diptera: Culicidae),  Naturwissenschaften, (93):551-556.
  21. Rains, GC, SL, Utley, WJ Lewis. 2006. Behavioral monitoring of trained insects for chemical detection. Biotechnol. Prog. 22, 2-8.
  22. Tomberlin, JK, GC Rains, M Tertuliano, WJ Lewis. 2005. Conditioned Microplitis croceipes Cresson (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) Detect and Respond to 2,4-DNT:  Development of a Biological Sensor,  Journal of Forensic Sciences 50 (5), 1187-1190.
  23. Rains, GC, CD Perry, G Vellidis. 2005. Adaptation and Testing of the Agleader Cotton Yield Sensor on a Peanut Combine, Applied Engineering in Agriculture, (21)6: 979-983.
  24. Tertuliano, M, JK Tomberlin, Z Jurjevic, D Wilson, GC Rains, WJ Lewis. 2005. Fungal age and media type affect the ability of conditioned Microplitis croceipes (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) to distinguish between aflatoxigenic and non-aflatoxigenic fungal strains, Chemoecology, 15:89-95.
  25. Jurjevic, Z, DM Wilson, JP Wilson, DM Geiser, JH Juba, W Mubatanhema, NW Widstrom, GC Rains. 2005. Fusarium species of the Gibberella fujikuroi complex and fumonisin contamination of pearl millet and corn in Georgia, USA, Mycopathologia, 159:401-406.
  26. Rains, GC, JK Tomberlin, M D’Alessandro, WJ Lewis. 2004. Limits of Volatile Chemical Detection of a Parasitoid Wasp, Microplitis croceipes, and an Electronic Nose: A Comparative Study, Transactions of the ASAE, Vol. 47(6): 2145-2152.
  27. Tertuliano, M, DM Olson, GC Rains, WJ Lewis. 2004.”Influence of handling and training protocol on learning and memory of Microplitis croceipes (Cresson) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), Entomologica Experimentalis et Applicata, 110: 165-172. 
  28. Sui, R, JA Thomasson, R Mehrle, M Dale, C Perry, G Rains. 2004. Mississippi cotton yield monitor: beta test for commercialization, Computer and Electronics in Agriculture, Vol(42)No. 3: 149-160. 
  29. Olson, DM, GC Rains, T. Meiners, K. Takasu, M. Tertuliano, JH Tumlinson, FL Wäckers, WJ Lewis, 2003, “Parasitic wasps learn and report diverse chemicals with unique conditionable behaviors,” Chem. Senses, 28:545-549.
  30. Vellidis, G, CD Perry, G Rains, DL Thomas, N Wells, CK Kvien, RW Hill, and D Dales. 2003. Simultaneous assessment of cotton yield monitors. Applied Engineering in Agriculture, Vol. 19(3): 259-272.  
  31. Pocknee, S, C Kvien, G Rains, T Fiez, J Durfey, P Mask. 2002. Web-based education programs in precision agriculture, Precision Agriculture, 3(4): 327-340. 
  32. Rains, GC, DL Thomas, CD Perry. 2002. Pecan mechanical harvesting parameters for yield monitoring. Transactions of the ASAE, Vol. 45(2):281-285.
  33. Rains, GC, DL Thomas, G Vellidis. 2001. Soil-sampling issues for precision management of crop production, Applied Engineering in Agriculture 17(6): 769-775.
  34. Vellidis, G, CD Perry, JS Durrence, DL Thomas, CK Kvien, TK Hamarita, G Rains. 2001. The peanut yield monitoring system. Transactions of the ASAE, 44(4): 775-885.
  35. Rains, GC. 2000. Initial rollover effectiveness evaluation of an alternative seat belt design for agricultural tractors. Journal of Agricultural Safety and Health, 6(1):13-27.
  36. Sumner, HR, GC Rains, and PE Sumner. 2000. String collectors to determine lag time of injection sprayers, Applied Engineering in Agriculture, Vol. 16(5):471-476.

Patents:

  1. Patent #7,607,338. 2009. Rains, GC, Utley, SL, Lewis, WJ., Handheld Instrument for Monitoring and/or Identification of Chemicals
  2. Patent #6,919,202. 2005. Rains, GC, WJ Lewis, DM Olson, et al. Utilization of invertebrate learning for flexible and sensitive monitoring and identification of chemicals.

Bulletins and Circulars:

  1. Bosques-Mendez, Jonael H., and GC Rains. 2010. Seguridad Agrícola: Como Prevenir Accidentes en la Finca, Georgia Extension Bulletin No. B1255-SP.
  2. Rains, GC. 2010. Chain Saw Safety Tips, Georgia Extension Bulletin No. 1364.
  3. Rains, GC, and Paul E. Sumner. 2007. Corn Production Safety and Health for Farmers, University of Georgia, Georgia Extension Bulletin No. 1333.
  4. Perry, CD, and GC Rains. 2005. GPS – Selection and Applications. University of Georgia, Georgia Extension Bulletin No. 1269.
  5. Rains, GC. 2004. Agricultural Safety – Preventing Injuries. University of Georgia, Georgia Extension Bulletin No. 1255.
  6. Rains, GC, and BL Tyson, 2003, Accident Extrication Procedures for Farm Families and Employees, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, Georgia Circular No. 860.
  7. Rains, GC, and DL Thomas 2002. Soil-Sampling Issues for Precision Management of Crop Production, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia Extension Bulletin No. 1208.
  8. Rains, GC and Dan Thomas. 2000. Precision Farming - An Introduction, University of Georgia, Georgia Extension Bulletin No. 1186.