Program research goals
The goal of my research program is to provide regional, national and international leadership on biological and ecological studies of insects that impact vegetable crops and to utilize this scholarly information for developing or refining innovative pest management and crop production strategies that will benefit the user, environment and the consumer.
Insect ecology
I have two programmatic foci. The first is to produce scholarly contributions in insect ecology as it pertains to: a) pests that attack and transmit viruses to vegetable crops and b) beneficial insects that provide ecological services that improve crop production.
Vegetable crop production
The second focus is to make significant advancements in vegetable crop production by developing: a) IPM strategies for vegetable insect pests and the viruses they transmit to vegetable crops and b) practices that enhance ecological services provided by beneficial insects, especially bees.
Both foci are based on the principles of landscape ecology, especially as it pertains to the diverse agricultural ecosystems typical of the Northeast.
