IPM Vegetable Specialist

E-mail: jbrust@umd.edu
Phone: 410-742-1178
Fax: 410-742-1922
Mail: LESREC 27664 Nanticoke Rd, Salisbury, MD 21801
 
 
Extension and Research Interests
Responsible for providing leadership in the development, implementation, and evaluation of a comprehensive agriculture and natural resources extension education (70%) and applied research program (30%) in vegetable crops. This includes developing sustainable production systems for Maryland’s commercial vegetable industry. The objective being to support the commercial vegetable industry, examine and develop new alternative management programs for growers, and work with the industry through education and research to promote sustainable production practices that minimize environmental impacts. This will be accomplished by working with large and small-farm operations, county-based extension educators, governmental and non-governmental organizations to develop economically viable and environmentally responsible commercial vegetable operations.

Develop biologically-based proactive pest management programs for use by growers in vegetable systems. IPM systems are novel, readily adaptable, economical, and sustainable for growers. Research includes developing thresholds for the major pests of melons, tomato, pumpkin, and potato in organic and commercial systems. Investigate the use of cultural and biological controls, resistant varieties and their integration into sustainable programs that reduce or eliminate chemical inputs while maintaining good, grower accepted, insect control. Work with other related disciplines (i.e., Plant Pathology, Horticulture, Agronomy, etc.) and county educators to develop integrated management programs in vegetables. IPM programs progress from small research plots to 5-10 acre fields to entire grower operations in a technology transfer program using various methods of information dissemination to reach area growers. Research based on an entirely new approach to managing cucumber beetles, which vector Erwinia tracheiphila the causal agent of bacterial wilt, resulted in new IPM programs for cucurbits that growers utilize to reduce pesticide use by 50%. Developed management guidelines for processing and fresh-market tomatoes.

While in South Florida I conducted an integrated bioIPM program for the management of pepper weevil in pepper. The program consisted of releasing parasitoids (Catolaccus hunteri Crawford) during the crop fallow period (summer in south Florida), cultural changes-destroying the only known alternate host (Solanum spp., black nightshades) of pepper weevil in the southern United States and the application of reduced risk pesticides. Investigated a new program for Meloidogyne spp monitoring in growers’ vegetable fields. Georeferencing was used to show the movement of pests and predators among crops, weed hosts and natural areas resulting in new spatial and temporal crop management programs. Information for several of these pests was used in an area-wide pest management program to better able growers and consultants to manage major pests such as thrips, whitefly, pepper weevil and plant diseases.

 
 
Education
Ph.D.: Entomology, NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY - April 1989
Minor: Soil Ecology
Thesis: Abiotic and Biotic Effects on Southern Corn Rootworm, Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardii, Oviposition Preference, Survival, and Interactions with Predators in Different Corn and Peanut Agroecosystems

M.S.: Entomology, OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY - May 1985
Minor: Ecology
Thesis: Endemic Predator Activity and Predation in Corn Agroecosystems

B.S.: Plant Protection/Agriculture, OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY – June 1980
 
 

Teaching

1992-2000 Alternate Fall Semesters. Instructor - Fundamentals of Entomology (2 credit hrs), Vincennes University. A general Entomology course for Biology and Agriculture majors. Insects and other arthropods, their functional anatomy, relationship to the environment and their importance to man. Classification to order, family and most important species.

Instructor - Fundamentals of Entomology laboratory (2 credit hr). Classification of insects and related arthropods to order and family. Basic understanding of insect morphology and physiology. Credit from these classes could be transferred to Purdue University as Entomology 312.

1991-2000 Purdue Outreach Program - Responsible for diagnosing problems in growers' agronomic and vegetable fields and taking calls from growers and extension personnel and advising them on management strategies for insect and disease problems. Speaker for grower, industry, extension, Master Gardener and community meetings on various agricultural topics. Each summer coordinated SWPAC field day, which consisted of SWPAC and Purdue personnel and county educators presenting their research and extension programs to the agricultural community.

Each Winter (1993-1998) Extension Schools - various counties throughout Indiana. Conducted specific training and education sessions (1/2 or full day) on various commodities, i.e., corn, soybean, alfalfa, melons, peppers, tomatoes, etc., to area growers, commercial applicators and county agents. Each session was an intensive school in pest management, which included general Entomology and Plant Pathology, identification of pest organisms and their damage and the use of cultural, biological and chemical controls.

Fall 1992 Instructor - Horticultural Science, Vincennes University. Responsible for developing and teaching beginning horticultural science class so that credit could transfer to Purdue University. Two 2-hr lectures per week, advise students as to possible transfer credits to Purdue Agriculture programs.

1985-1986 Biology 100, NCSU. Laboratory instructor for freshmen science majors. Taught basic introductory labs dealing with respiration, ecology, cellular biology etc. Designed several labs to illustrate the ecological concepts of diversity, nutrient cycling, and the food web.

 

this page: