Currently I am coordinating elderberry, Juneberry, and Haskap variety trials to evaluate cultivar performance under NY conditions.
Other research projects I am participating in and/or collaborating on include:
Bird management in fruit crops SCRI project led Dr. Catherine Lindell of by Michigan State University
State-wide blueberry virus survey with Drs. Kerik Cox, Marc Fuchs, Marvin Pritts and Juliet Carroll, Cornell University
Blackberry high tunnel and strawberry low tunnel production projects with Dr. Marvin Pritts, Cornell University
Spotted Wing Drosophila monitoring and management efforts with Dr. Greg Loeb, Cornell University and Dr. Juliet Carroll from the NYS IPM Program.
As part of my previous extension research position, I worked collaboratively with an eastern NY counterpart Laura McDermott on a 2007-2009 NYFVI berry project led by Dr. Marvin Pritts, Cornell University. The project involved assisting berry growers throughout the state to improve their production efficiency.
Previous research projects included a strawberry soil compaction survey with Dr. Marvin Pritts, and a strawberry powdery mildew biology and epidemiology study with Drs. Bob Seem and David Gadoury of Geneva, and Dr. Arne Stensvand of Norway.
Additional areas of research included small fruit diseases, (including strawberries, brambles, blueberries, and ribes), tree fruit diseases, and fungicide testing with Drs Wolfram Koeller, Willam Turechek and Thomas Burr of Cornell NYSAES Geneva.
In my extension position I serve as a key resource person for berry crop production information in New York State. My responsibilities include collaborating on and providing leadership for certain statewide outreach activities involving faculty, regional specialists, extension educators, consultants, and grower organizations, assuming leadership for Cornell Pest Management Guidelines for berry crops and content management for Cornell Fruit Resources web site berry pages. I also identify and develop appropriate resources to support outreach efforts to NYS commercial berry growers (e.g. newsletter articles, production guides). I respond to requests for information from commercial growers, make farm visits, serve as liaison with appropriate grower organizations, and give presentations at meetings, workshops, and field days, as well as participate in applied research and demonstration activities.
