The Northeast IPM Center has awarded support to Dr. Terence Bradshaw from the University of Vermont Fruit Program, in collaboration with colleagues from Universities of Massachusetts and New Hampshire and Cornell University, for their project, “Next Generation Support for Northeast Tree Fruit IPM Working Group.” IPM is short for Integrated Pest Management, a crop management and protection system that integrates economic, biologic, physical, and chemical practices to minimize pesticide use by farmers. In this project, Dr. Bradshaw will work with Dr. Anna Wallingford, Dr. Jaime Piñero, and Janet van Zoeren to support early-career IPM specialists in Universities, government agencies, and private consulting firms to transfer the deep well of knowledge from veteran specialists as they retire from their long careers. Key outputs will include assuming management of NETFIPMWG from retiring chair Dr. Arthur Agnello (Cornell University); maintaining the regional IPM priorities and annual state/project reports from cooperating states and provinces; supporting Dr. Wallingford’s “Stupid Question Sessions” podcast, in which younger faculty interview veteran specialists on IPM topics; and continuing to host an annual gathering of IPM specialists in Vermont each year to facilitate knowledge exchange and network-building.

More information on the UVM Fruit Program can be found at: https://www.uvm.edu/extension/horticulture/tree-fruit and https://blog.uvm.edu/fruit/.

More information on Northeast IPM Center may be found at: https://www.northeastipm.org/