Arnold A. Route, an agriculture extension agent, is now running the NMC-CREES laboratory to continue the pesticide safety and crop safety program.
Before he retired, Tenorio with help of his assistant, Barnaby Lizama, was monitoring the effectiveness of the clearwing moth which was released on Saipan to control the invasive scarlet gourd that has inundated the island since 1990s.
Many trees, particularly flame trees, were blanketed by these vines and eventually died, prompting NMC-CREES to come up with biological means to manage the scarlet gourd.
Tenorio worked for NMC-CREES for four years and focused on federally funded research programs in finding solutions to some of the environmental problems on Saipan.
NMC’s human resource office has already announced the vacancy for the entomologist’s position which has an annual salary that ranges from $28,803 to $51,331.
Agriculturist Isidoro T. Cabrera said there are federally funded programs that need to continue, so in the absence of an entomologist, he will be assisting Route.
Tenorio, Variety learned, is currently studying in Hawaii.
