Archives: Speakers

Dr. Kent M. Daane is Professor of Cooperative Extension Specialist in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA. He has laboratories on the Berkeley Campus and at the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, where his lab works on the development of integrated pest management (IPM) and sustainable agriculture programs for insect and mite pests of perennial crops. Research to improve and Extension to implement insect pest management are his primary objectives and, to this goal, he has delivered hundreds of presentations and co-authored numerous publications. Biological control, insect ecology, natural enemy biology, and applied use of pheromone chemistry are his primary contributions to IPM and sustainable agriculture.

Gina Colfer went to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and earned a bachelor’s degree in crop science. She went to work after graduation as a Pest Control Advisor on the Central Coast of California and has stayed in that geographical location her whole career — as a PCA for 34 years and CCA for 20 years. She has worked for agricultural input companies and in-house for a large organic grower. Her career has evolved over the years to focus on organics and sustainability in the farming of vegetables on the Central Coast. Since starting at Wilbur Ellis, she has helped move the company more toward organic pest control options, soil health, and organic fertility management programs.

Lori Berger is an entomologist with a diverse background in IPM, environmental stewardship, sustainability, public policy, international trade, and product development. She has worked with growers, farming organizations, Fortune 500 companies, and the University of California Statewide IPM Program. Lori recently joined AgBiome Innovations, an RTP-based biotechnology company that discovers and develops biological and trait products for organic and conventional agriculture.

AgBiome partners with the microbial world to improve our planet. AgBiome’s core business discovers and develops innovative biological and trait products for crop protection. Our proprietary Genesis™ platform allows us to efficiently capture and screen the most diverse and unique microbial collection for agriculturally relevant applications, coupled to industry-best screens for insect, disease and nematode control. Through its commercial subsidiary, AgBiome Innovations, Inc., the company develops and sells proprietary crop protection solutions. The first of these, Howler^Ⓡ is a revolutionary biological fungicide for disease control in a broad variety of specialty crops.

Michael has over 30 years of industry experience in production systems, biological control and integrated pest management – with an extensive research history. He previously held positions at Vineland Research and Innovation Centre (Canada), AgResearch Ltd. (New Zealand), and the University of Vermont among others. Michael joined BioWorks in December 2019, as the Biological Program Manager – Disease Control. In this position, he is responsible for accelerating the adoption of current and new biological products while providing expert advice and guidance to customers and partners.

BioWorks provides the expertise for managing plant and soil health using reliable, environmentally responsible products, when and how you need them. For over 25 years, BioWorks has been helping customers in the horticulture and specialty agriculture markets successfully deliver crops to market with biologically based solutions and support. BioWorks is committed to working with its customers to develop effective and efficient programs using products that are safe and proven. For more information, please visit www.bioworksinc.com.

Tye Kyllo grew up on a 100-acre family farm just outside Canby, OR, raising trees and propagating hardwood cuttings. In 2003 he began a career in construction, but after a decade, he realized he wanted to get back to something more farming based. He applied for a spray tech position with Terra Nova Nurseries and spent the next two years working with the company’s R&D operations, eventually becoming head grower for the operation’s indoor facility when Cannabis was legalized. In 2017, he moved into a role heading up Terra Nova’s IPM program. Since then, Tye has used education from the Internet, mentors, trade shows, books, and the knowledge he has gained gained from many years of experience in the field to make a more sustainable IPM program for Terra Nova Nurseries.

Recognized for breeding some the most garden worthy perennials and annuals in the industry, Terra Nova Nurseries gained a toehold in the industry by innovative thinking in all aspects of the business. Beginning with Heuchera and the Echinacea, Terra Nova popularized both these genera and is credited with introducing complex hybrids that are built from selected native species and selecting the best. Terra Nova’s innovations continue, even in their IPM program, relying upon a balance of reliable beneficials and when appropriate, soft chemistries to pick up what were missed by beneficials. Leading by example is what makes Terra Nova noteworthy.

Dr. Christopher Adams is an Assistant Professor of Tree Fruit Entomology at Oregon State University stationed at the Mid-Columbia Agricultural Research & Extension Center in Hood River.  Christopher received his Ph.D. in entomology from Michigan State University under the guidance of the Distinguished Professor Dr. Jim Miller, Dr. Larry Gut, and Dr. Matt Grieshop. His dissertation research utilized both fundamental and applied methodologies, combining computer modeling with field experiments involving thousands of sterilized codling moths from Canada, to gain a deeper understanding of insect movement and trapping data. In addition to his peer reviewed publications, his research also contributed to a book entitled: Trapping of Small Organisms Moving Randomly: Principles and Applications to Pest Monitoring and Management. His work earned him an invitation to Vienna by the Canadian SIR facility to help develop an SIR program in the EU in collaboration with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Association).  He has organized an SIT working group comprised of public, private, and university researchers from across the country to help generate and advance release innovative ideas in SIT.

The Mid-Columbia Agricultural Research and Extension Center (MCAREC) is a branch station of the Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station administered by the OSU College of Agricultural Sciences. Our mission is conducting research and outreach supporting the tree fruit industry in the Mid-Columbia region, as well as the Pacific Northwest. Continuous discovery and outreach are keys to our on-going success.

Dr. John Sanderson is a professor of greenhouse entomology at Cornell University. For more than 30 years he has conducted research and extension programs to support arthropod pest management practices on greenhouse crops, with an emphasis on cost-effective biological control. He has extensive research and extension experience with nearly every greenhouse pest, as well as their predators, parasitoids, and pathogens.

Cornell is a world-class Ivy League university and the land-grant university for New York state. Cornell’s mission is to discover, preserve and disseminate knowledge, to educate the next generation of global citizens, and to promote a culture of broad inquiry throughout and beyond the Cornell community. Cornell also aims, through public service, to enhance the lives and livelihoods of students, the people of New York and others around the world.

Surendra Dara, an Extension entomologist since January 2009, serves San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara Counties. In his role as the Entomology and Biologicals Advisor, Dara primarily looks after pest management along with different aspects of research with biostimulants, biopesticides, and other biological materials. As an IPM expert, he contributes to the IPM solutions of various crops grown in California. With his expertise in entomopathology, he serves as a resource person for microbial control of various pests in different parts of the state. He is currently serving on various committees at the University of California, the Society for Invertebrate Pathology, the Entomological Society of America, and the Association of Applied IPM Ecologists. Dara earned both his bachelor’s degree in agricultural sciences and Master’s degree in entomology at the Andhra Pradesh Agricultural University, India. He earned a doctorate in entomology from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Va. in 1995. He also has a post-graduate diploma in Applied Information Technology from Canada.

University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources connects the power of UC research in agriculture, natural resources, nutrition and youth development with local communities to improve the lives of all Californians. For over 100 years, its advisors, specialists, faculty and staff have been committed to connecting Californians to their University, leading the way to science-based solutions, providing information that is trustworthy and not biased, sharing research that is practical to use, addressing local concerns as part of the community, inviting the participation of concerned stakeholders, and facilitating problem-solving and outreach to address the state’s toughest challenges.

Tad Hussey is the owner of KIS Organics (kisorganics.com) and a partner in Kaizen Consulting (growwithkaizen.com). He received his BA from the University of Washington in 2000 and his Masters from Macquarie University in Australia in 2005.  His company’s mission is to help growers in working towards more sustainable and environmentally friendly ways of growing cannabis using science-based horticulture. Tad also hosts the “Cannabis Cultivation and Science” Podcast where he interviews scientists, authors and farmers to help bridge the gap between agriculture, horticulture, and the cannabis industry.

KIS Organics vision is to help gardeners in working towards a more sustainable and environmentally-friendly way of growing all plants using science-based horticulture. We provide high-quality “living” soils, soil amendments, and education on organic growing practices.