My research and extension program can be broadly characterized by three complimentary goals. The first goal is to understand the biology and ecology of insects that attack and/or spread viruses to vegetable crops as well as insects that are beneficial to these crops, such as pollinators. Because both pests and pollinators utilize habitats outside of vegetable fields and may disperse among crops, the surrounding habitat and crops likely affect the location, intensity and dynamics of an insect`s population within the vegetable crop. Consequently, I have taken a landscape-level perspective for studying insect ecology and pest management. Major projects have included describing spatial and temporal patterns of insect pest dispersal and the epidemiology of viruses they transmit in various vegetable cropping systems. These studies have used traditional as well as molecular techniques for monitoring insect movement and virus spread. Information generated from this research has advanced our knowledge about predicting pest outbreaks, developing insecticide resistance management strategies and mitigating the spread of insect-transmitted viruses. My second goal is to develop or refine management practices for vegetable insect pests by examining the efficacy of cultural and biological controls, resistant plants and novel insecticides. In particular, I am interested in the role of administering bio-based insecticides through novel pesticide delivery systems such as seed treatments to control pests of onion, snap bean, dry bean, sweet corn and other vegetable crops. Seed treatments are often safer to the user and environment than standard products and require much less active ingredient to control pests compared with more traditional delivery systems. My third goal is to address the vegetable industry’s needs by delivering current pest management information generated from my research program at meetings and through publications.