Archives: Speakers

IPM Specialist, Beneficial Insectary

Kelly joined the sales consulting team of Beneficial Insectary in 2016 after working as IPM Manager for Fessler Nursery in Woodburn, OR. At Fessler, he developed large-scale, customized bio control protocols that still operate and expand under the current growing team. Kelly now works directly with growers, helping establish, maintain and develop bio control programs for key plant pests in all types of crops.

Based in Redding, CA, Beneficial Insectary has been offering domestically-produced BCAs for growers of all types of crops for over 30 years. With many organisms available for next-day shipping, Beneficial Insectary proudly offers unbeatable quality and freshness of live organisms delivered to growers within 48 hours of ordering.

Integrated Pest Management Advisor, University of California Statewide IPM Program and Cooperative Extension

Dr. Emily J. Symmes is an Integrated Pest Management Advisor with the University of California Statewide IPM Program and Cooperative Extension. Based in the Sacramento Valley region of California, she conducts applied research and extension programs targeting key arthropod and disease pests in a number of agricultural commodities in the state. Primary focus in recent years has been on insects and mites impacting orchard production, particularly almonds and walnuts. She works collaboratively with fellow University of California Faculty, Specialists, and Advisors, in addition to a multitude of external partners (state and federal agencies, commodity boards, and private industry). Her work centers around a broad IPM systems approach to problem-solving, with the goal of providing agricultural producers profitable, sustainable, and ecologically-sound pest management solutions. This approach focuses on robust understanding of plant-pest interactions, paired with information-driven decision support and the incorporation of all effective management tactics (e.g., biological controls, cultural management practices, and behavior modification techniques, among others).

Associate Professor, Clemson University

Jim Faust has spent the last 18 years at Clemson University in South Carolina teaching floriculture courses and conducting research on production problems associated with the greenhouse production of flowering crops. His recent work has focused on managing Botrytis on crops such as petunia and cut flower roses.

Cooperative Extension IPM Advisor, University of California Cooperative Extension & Statewide IPM Program

Dr. Jhalendra Rijal is a Cooperative Extension IPM Advisor with the University of California Cooperative Extension. His responsibilities include conducting applied pest management research and educating pest control consultants, growers, and other stakeholders about improved pest management practices in crops. The overall theme of his program is to develop a practical solution for several pest management problems in major crops (peaches, cherries, almonds, walnuts, pistachio) in upper San Joaquin Valley region, California. Major research projects include understanding the spread and potential infestation of a new invasive insect-brown marmorated stink bug, exploring new mite sampling methods, testing various mating disruption products for controlling navel orangeworm in nut crops, exploring better management options for spotted wing drosophila in cherries and more. He has organized and spoken in more than 100 symposia, guest lectures, workshops, presentations, roundtable discussions, IPM field meetings, commodity board meetings, professional society meetings, etc. He has authored more than 15 scientific journal articles, and more than 50 extension articles, and contributed to several newsletters, and other news media including KCRA3.

The UC Cooperative Extension is best described as a vast network of UC researchers and educators who work together to develop and provide science-based information to solve locally-relevant economic, agricultural, natural resource, youth development and nutrition issues. Nestled within the Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Cooperative Extension Advisors live and work in every California county, applying research from the University of California to help local businesses and entire communities thrive. In turn, our experts partner with local innovators to develop and disseminate best practices through UC’s expansive local and global networks.

Professor and Extension Vegetable Specialist, The Ohio State University

Dr. Kleinhenz is a Professor and Extension Vegetable Specialist in the Dept. of Horticulture and Crop Science at The Ohio State University. He is based at the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center in Wooster, OH.

Matt applies research and education toward improving stakeholder success. Matt’s familiarity with crops, cropping systems, and off-farm factors is important as he and his collaborators develop, evaluate, and bring better tools and methods to wider use.

The Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC) at The Ohio State University is committed to safe, healthy and affordable food and agricultural products, sustainable food and agricultural systems, and more. Long-recognized for discovering new knowledge and solving problems, in part through interdisciplinary research, OARDC currently focuses its work on three signature areas: 1) advanced bioenergy and biobased products, 2) environmental quality and sustainability, and 3) food security, production and human health. The OARDC is active on two campuses, at eight research stations and the Agricultural Technical Institute, and in ten research centers and nine academic departments.

Argonomist, Entomologist, Grimmway Farms

Kim Horton began farming insects in 1998 as a part-time job in college.  It was an immediate perfect fit and blossomed into her choice of pursuing a B.S. degree in Entomology and Nematology at the University of Florida, Gainesville.  She continued rearing insects and mites for the biological control industry for the next 15 years.  In 2015, Kim decided to change gears and become part of the Grimmway Farms organic farming team sharing her entomology expertise and agronomy advice.

Family-owned Grimmway Farms began in 1969 when brothers Rod and Bob Grimm opened a produce stand in Southern California. Today, Grimmway is a global produce leader and the world’s largest carrot producer. Headquartered in Bakersfield, California, Grimmway supplies more than 135 products to our valued customers.  A division of Grimmway Farms, Cal-Organic has grown to operate across 40,000 acres of fully-owned, certified organic farmland in California, providing more than 65 premium quality crops year-round.  Grimmway is deeply committed to caring for customers and employees, honoring sustainable practices, and preserving natural resources for future generations.

Owner/Operator, Holden Research and Consulting

David Holden has over 40 years of experience working as a Pest Control Advisor and Agricultural Production Consultant who has worked with many crops and has specialty experience working with California avocados, berries, citrus, vegetables, and wine grapes. David is an experienced public speaker, has served on several ag related boards, worked with numerous commissions, and has traveled throughout the country and abroad to present his research.

Holden Research and Consulting (HRC) is owned and operated by David Holden operating in Ventura county, California. HRC conducts many field research projects every year for a variety of agricultural manufacturers in the areas of pest and nutrient management  both in the traditional and organic farming areas., and has completed over 1500 of these projects to date.  In the past ten years HRC has specialized in research working with biopesticides, biofertilizers, and biostimulants.  HRC has also worked with the California Avocado Commission, California Celery Commission, California Pepper Commission and the University of California.

Extension Advisor, University of California Cooperative Extension

Surendra Dara is a University of California Cooperative Extension Advisor responsible for strawberry and vegetable crops in a Central Coast region.  He is an entomologist with more than 20 years of experience in IPM and microbial control.  He has worked on nearly 20 species of pests and diseases and several endemic species throughout his career.  He has published more than 300 scientific and extension publications that include 3 co-edited books, 1 co-edited special issue of a journal, 11 book chapters, and 50 peer-reviewed journal articles.  He has a strong research and extension program that develops innovative solutions and reaches out to the agricultural community throughout the region.  He is currently serving on various committees at the University of California and professional societies.  He is also an Associate Editor for the International Journal of Tropical Insect Science and the Subject Editor (Microbial Control) for the Journal of Economic Entomology.

UC Agriculture and Natural Resources offers programs and activities all over the state that connect Californians to the University of California – even if there’s not a campus nearby. UC Cooperative Extension, UC Statewide Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program, 4-H, UC Master Gardeners, UC Master Food Preservers, California Naturalist, the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP), UC CalFresh and nine Research and Extension Centers are part of UC ANR. Learn more at http://ucanr.edu/weareucanr

Cooperative Extension Specialist, Univ. California Berkeley

Dr. Kent M. Daane is a Cooperative Extension Specialist in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA. Dr. Daane has laboratories on the Berkeley Campus and at the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, where his lab groups work on the development of IPM and sustainable agriculture programs for insect and mite pests in vineyards and orchards (pistachio, almond, stone fruit, and olive), lettuce, and urban (eucalyptus) systems. Research and extension of programs to improve insect pest management are his primary objective and, to this goal, he has delivered >700 presentations at farmer and research symposia and co-authored >200 peer-reviewed publications. Biological control, insect ecology, natural enemy biology, applied use of pheromone chemistry are his primary contributions to integrated pest management. In pistachios and almonds, Kent has worked on navel orangeworm, Lygus, San Jose scale, stink bugs, leaffooted bugs, and the obliquebanded leafroller with many excellent entomologists and plant pathologists, including Jocelyn Millar, Rodrigo Krugner, Walter Bentley, Bob Beede, Paul DaSilva, Themis Michailides, Frank Zalom Joel Siegel, Dick Rice, Glenn Yokota, Chuck Burks, David Haviland, Pete Goodell, Brad Higbee, Gary Weinberger, Houston Wilson, Bas Kuenen, John Edstrom, Shawn Steffan, Karen Sime, and Kris Tollerup.

Vineland Research and Innovation Centre

Dr. Rose Buitenhuis is Research Scientist Biological Control at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre since 2010. She is responsible for the development and implementation of biological control technologies for management of arthropod pests, supporting sustainable crop management practices for ornamental and production horticulture.

Rose received her MSc in Biology at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands in 1997, and her PhD in Entomology at Laval University, Québec in 2003. She worked as a post-doctoral fellow at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Harrow (2004-2007) and at the University of Guelph (2007-2009) on biological and cultural control of western flower thrips in greenhouse flower crops.

Current projects in greenhouse ornamentals and vegetables address the whole spectrum of IPM – from plant resistance, environmental factors and biological control strategies – and how to integrate pest management strategies in the production system.

About Vineland Research and Innovation Centre
With a highly-skilled research team, oversight from an independent Board of Directors, engagement from an international Science Advisory Council and collaboration with more than 160 global partners including a Stakeholder Advisory Council, Vineland’s goal is to enhance Canadian growers’ commercial success through results-oriented innovation. For the latest on our research and innovation, visit www.vinelandresearch.com

We are an independent, not-for-profit organization funded in part by Growing Forward 2, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative.