Michigan State
University
Mark Whalon, Department of Entomology
George Bird, Department of Entomology
Dave Epstein, Integrated Pest Management Program
Jim Flore, Department of Horticulture
Larry Gut, Department of Entomology
Amy Iezzoni, Department of Horticulture
Jim Nugent, MAES, MSUE
George Sundin, Department of Plant Pathology
Suzanne Thornsbury, Agricultural Economics
University
of Wisconsin
Patty McManus, Department of Plant Pathology
Utah
State University
Diane Alston, Department of Biology
Cornell
University
Alan Lakso, Department of Horticultural Sciences
Haley
Consulting, LLC
Jean Haley, Evaluation Specialist
Principle
Investigator, Mark Whalon
(whalon@msu.edu), Department
of Entomology.
Dr. Whalon has been extensively involved in developing alternatives to
conventional pesticides, designing and implementing IPM systems in fruit
and vegetables for over 21 years. Over the past six years, Dr. Whalon
has been actively involved in researching and implementing ecosystems
management approaches to cherry production. As a research entomologist,
he is internationally recognized as a world authority on pest resistance
to control measures and pesticide policy. Dr. Whalon initiated many of
the baseline concepts for this project, contributed to the design protocol,
and will be responsible for overseeing and evaluating the entomological
component of this project. Dr. Whalon is the Project Director and responsible
for implementation research on plum curculio and cherry fruit fly and
assessing functional ecology, and will serve on the management team. More
information about Mark Whalon. Back to top.
George
Bird (birdg@msu.edu), Department
of Entomology
Dr. Bird is a research nematologist, nationally recognized as a pioneer
in the development of IPM and a leader in the field of sustainable agriculture.
His research program is focused on an ecosystem approach to Michigan agriculture
and soil biology. Dr. Bird has recently focused his research on the effects
of orchard management practices on soil microbial life, and on how diversity
of microbes can be used as a measure of soil quality and tree health.
Dr. Bird contributed to the project design and proposal. He will be responsible
for overseeing and evaluating the soil microbial component of this project,
and for overall project evaluation. More
information about George Bird. Back to top.
Dave
Epstein (epstei10@msu.edu),
Integrated Pest Management Program
Mr. Epstein coordinates activities related to IPM extension and demonstration,
and participates in applied research projects. He also serves as a liaison
for commodity, university, and other stakeholders interested in advancing
IPM for Michigan's tree fruit growers. His research has focused on the
effects of organophosphorous insecticides on beneficial organisms in orchard
systems, mating disruption of lepidopteran pests, implementation of reduced
risk pesticides, and biological control of orchard insect pests. As coordinator
of the Michigan Apple IPM Implementation Project, Mr. Epstein has valuable
experience working with growers and industry in the implementation of
IPM practices, and in IPM education and training. Mr. Epstein contributed
to the project design and proposal. He will act as the RAMP Project Manager.
He will supervise the project coordinator, serve on the Project Management
Team, contribute to the development of the IOMG, and participate in extension/outreach
activities. More information
about Dave Epstein. Back to top.
Jim
Flore (flore@msu.edu), Department
of Horticulture
Dr. Jim Flore is a horticulturist specializing in research of whole plant
physiology, primarily on fruit crops. He has investigated the physiological
bases of yield and quality of fruit crops (especially vegetative in response
to biotic and environmental stresses) and has used carbon assimilation
and carbon partitioning as the basis for many of his studies. The ultimate
goal is to solve whole plant problems that will optimize crop productivity
and product quality in the field. Dr. Flore will be responsible for design
and evaluation of carbon assimilation as a measure of biotic and abiotic
stresses. More
information about Jim Flore. Back to top.
Larry
Gut (gut@msu.edu), Department
of Entomology
Dr. Larry Gut is an internationally renowned tree fruit entomologist specialized
in reduced risk insect management. His research efforts have focused on
developing and implementing novel lepidopteran control with mating disruption
and sprayable pheromone. Dr. Gut will be responsible for cherry fruit
fly research in Michigan and through his Extension activities will facilitate
grower cooperation. More
information about Larry Gut. Back to top.
Amy
Iezzoni
(iezzoni@msu.edu), Department
of Horticulture
Dr. Iezzoni is a plant breeder/geneticist, internationally recognized
as a leader in tart cherry breeding and cherry genetics. Her research
program focuses on the development of superior disease resistant tart
cherry varieties and dwarfing precocious rootstocks for sweet cherry.
The breeding and genetics program is supported by one of the worlds leading
cherry germplasm collections developed by Dr. Iezzoni through continual
collection and collaboration visits with colleagues in Europe and Russia.
Current research areas include the genetic mechanisms controlling cherry
leaf spot resistance, self-incompatibility, fruit quality traits and rootstock-induced
scion dwarfing. Dr. Iezzoni contributed to the project design and proposal.
She will be responsible for the disease resistance-breeding component
of the proposal. More
information about Amy Iezzoni. Back to top.
Jim
Nugent (nugent@msue.msu.edu),
Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station
and MSU Extension
Mr. Nugent is the coordinator of the Northwest Michigan Horticultural
Research Station and is also a District Horticultural Agent dedicated
to working with fruit growers, industry-related personnel and MSU research
and Extension agents to develop and coordinate educational programs that
will contribute to the biological sustainability and economic strength
of the Michigan fruit industry. His primary emphasis is cherry production.
His district is northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula, with nearly
all of the fruit concentrated in the northwest area of the Lower Peninsula.
Mr. Nugent also serves as a statewide leader for cherry Extension programming.
He will play a key role in the extension and outreach objective. More
information about Jim Nugent. Back to top.
George
Sundin (sundin@msu.edu),
Department of Plant Pathology
Dr. Sundin maintains a research and extension program in plant pathology
focused on fruit tree diseases. Dr. Sundin directs basic and applied research
projects on disease epidemiology and control, plant-microbe interactions,
using molecular genetic approaches to increase host disease resistance,
and antibiotic resistance in plant pathogenic bacteria. Dr. Sundin contributed
to the project design and the proposal. Dr. Sundin, in conjunction with
Dr. Patricia McManus, will be responsible for overseeing and evaluating
the plant pathology section of this project, and for overall project evaluation.
More information
about George Sundin. Back to top.
Suzanne
Thornsbury
(thornsbu@msu.edu), Agricultural
Economics
Dr. Thornsbury is an agricultural economist whose focus is the impact
of policy changes (domestic and international) on the structure and competitiveness
of Michigan produce industries. Her appointment is primarily extension
and research. Dr. Thornsbury will be responsible for the design, administering,
and analysis of the economic assessment of the project. More
information about Suzanne Thornsbury. Back to top.
University
of Wisconsin
Patty
McManus (psm@plantpath.wisc.edu),
Department of Plant Pathology
Dr. McManus is responsible for research (25%) and extension (75%) on fruit
crops important to the economy of Wisconsin. Her programming has focused
on etiology and integrated management of fungal and bacterial diseases
of fruit crops, especially apple, cranberry and tart cherry. Dr. McManus
has also conducted research and extension on strategies to reduce the
risk and delay the onset of pesticide resistance. In the proposed work
on tart cherry she will oversee field trials in Wisconsin (Objective 2a);
advise an MS student at UW who will determine the physical modes of action
of fungicides (Objective 2b); and co-advise a post-doctoral researcher
at MSU who will study fungicide resistance (Objective 2c). Dr. McManus
will also serve as a member of the outreach management team. More
information about Patty McManus. Back to top.
Utah
State University
Diane Alston (dianea@biology.usu.edu),
Department of Biology
Dr. Alston is a research and extension tree fruit entomologist. Her research
and extension efforts are focused on developing, testing, and implementing
integrated pest management technologies for Utah's tree fruit industry.
Current research projects include learning more about the ecology and
behavior of plum curculio in northern Utah, understanding the association
between powdery mildew and mites in orchards, management of orchard ground
covers for enhancement of mite biological control, and survey for and
evaluation of native pollinators in Capitol Reef National Park orchards.
Dr. Alston also coordinates the state's Extension IPM outreach education
programs for tree fruit. Dr. Alston is contributing to the entomology
objectives of the project, including evaluation of OP-alternatives, arthropod
monitoring systems, and impacts of alternative strategies on ecological
balance of the tart cherry system. She will also gather data for economic
analyses and direct the outreach education efforts. Dr. Alston will serve
on the Management Team. More
information about Diane Alston. Back to top.
Cornell
University
Alan Lakso (anl2@cornell.edu),
Department of Horticultural
Sciences
A dynamic computer crop model of carbon supply/demand balance has been
developed by Dr. Lakso at Cornell - Geneva for apple trees and has been
used to integrate the effects of tree development, environment, cultural
practices and biotic stress. Since the model is relatively generic in
basic principles, it can be adapted to similar species such as cherries
if species-specific parameters are developed. The work is to cooperate
with Dr. J. Flore at MSU to adapt the model to cherry to allow the evaluation
of cherry leaf spot effects on tree performance and crop development.
Dr. Lakso will provide the lead in the model development Dr. Lakso will
provide the lead in the model development and adaptation based on the
prior and new data and knowledge generated by Dr. flore. Considerable
data is available from many years of research and will form the basis
of the initial work. As the model is developed, it will focus effort on
gaps in the knowledge and database that will direct future work on cherry
physiology and responses to leaf spot and other stresses. The modeling
will be done at Geneva, but each year there will be a multiple-day retreat
of Dr. Flore, Dr. Lakso and related researchers to review the model development
and plan future research. The modeling research will be done by Dr. Lakso
and staff due to the need for experience in both modeling and fruit crop
physiology. More
information about Alan Lakso. Back to top.
Haley
Consulting, LLC
Jean Haley (jean@usableknowledge.com),
Evaluation Specialist.
Jean Haley, MS, has over seven years of program evaluation experience
in agriculture and natural resources. Her experience includes conducting
client needs assessments and program analysis, developing evaluation frameworks
to conduct efficient and effective program evaluation on an on-going basis,
conducting survey research, interviews and focus groups, strategic planning
services for turning evaluation results into action, and providing conflict
resolution facilitation and training. Ms. Haley has worked with several
nationally recognized IPM projects, including the Lodi-Woodbridge
Winegrape Commission, Sun-Maid Raisin Growers, and the World Wildlife
Fund/Wisconsin Potato & Vegetable Growers Association/University of
Wisconsin Collaboration. Ms. Haley will be responsible for developing
and implementing and overall program evaluation strategy that will include
a metric for measuring IPM adoption among tart cherry growers. More
information about Jean Haley. Back to top.
Project Coordinator: David Epstein. Web Services: Joy N. Landis, MSU IPM Program. 03/07/07