Knowledge networks and adoption of integrated pest management practices in Midwest vegetable farming
We are collaborating with Dr. Elizabeth Long, of Purdue University, to assess the importance of farmer practices and knowledge networks in the management of carrot weevil (Listronotus oregonensis) and other vegetable pests in the Great Lakes and mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S. Knowledge networks are social connections across various organizational and spatial boundaries that facilitate the creation and transfer of knowledge. Using vegetable farms as a model system, we hypothesize that growers with more complex and diversified knowledge networks will engage in more integrated pest management (IPM) practices than those with less developed, simplified networks. We disseminated a survey to over 700 vegetable growers in Ohio, Michigan, and New Jersey during the winters of 2021 and 2022 to gain a better understanding of IPM strategy adoption and sources of knowledge. We used social network analysis (SNA) to quantitatively and qualitatively analyze relationships between growers and other IPM knowledge-possessing actors that might influence vegetable pest management practices. |
Restoration of industrial lands using sustainable farm practices: Soil management and low-input lavender production
We initiated a research collaboration with Lavender Trails, a four acre U-pick lavender farm located in Orrville, Ohio. The owners of Lavender Trails faced several unique challenges in converting a former concrete dumping site into a lavender farm in 2018, including continuing issues in soil management. In the summers of 2021 and 2022, we co-designed a field experiment that would address two key areas of concern: 1) how to raise soil temperatures for optimal lavender growth and, 2) how to reduce populations of pestiferous insects such as meadow spittlebug (Philaenus spumarius) using low-cost, accessible, and ecologically sustainable methods. We tested the effectiveness of six different colors of recycled plastic mulch on soil temperatures and meadow spittlebug populations in lavender. We hypothesized that darker colored mulches will boost soil temperatures and lavender yield, while lighter colored mulches will reduce the incidence of meadow spittlebugs on lavender plants. While mulch effects varied by year, hemipteran populations were significantly lower using silver mulch in the first year and soil temperatures were significantly higher under blue mulch in both years. Lavender leaf area did not significantly differ among mulch treatments, and there was no evidence of indirect effects of soil temperature on plant growth. |
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Cultural perspectives and the innovation of pest management practices in urban farming systems
As new American farmers, immigrants and refugees often face unique challenges to pest management, including language barriers and limited access to technical support, training, and education, among others. We recently began a collaboration with Akron Cooperative Farms, a 4-acre community garden, to help address the pest management needs of immigrant and refugee communities in the Akron area. The goal of the proposed research is to understand how ethnicity, gender, education, and previous farming experience influence perceptions of pest pressures and pest management practices. In 2024, we will conduct needs assessments at Akron Cooperative Farms to help understand immigrant and refugee gardeners' agricultural knowledge, current practices, and management practices. |
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