VERMONT AGRICULTURAL
EXPERIMENT STATION AND UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT EXTENSION
Annual Report 2016
Program Goal Area: Global Food Security and Hunger
Emergency Planning and Exercising for Resilient Mobile Home Communities
Baker, Daniel
Mobile home parks offer important affordable housing but are vulnerable to natural disasters, aging dwellings and infrastructure, and challenges siting issues.
Adjusting to Vermont:Stress Among Latino Farmworkers & State Policy Development
Baker, Daniel
Dairy is Vermont’s largest agricultural sector and relies heavily on Latino labor. The well-being of these workers is critical from both economic and social-justice perspectives
Determination of Duration of Immunity Conferred by Ad5FMDV Vaccination in Cattle
Barlow, John
Determine the duration of protection for a new Foot and Mouth Disease Virus vaccine.
Integrated bedded pack management and fly control reduce mastitis risk by promoting a beneficial teat skin microbiome
Barlow, John
Explore how the insect and microbial ecology of bedded pack housing and pasture may influence ectoparasite prevalence, the dairy cow mammary gland microbiome and mastitis risk on a pasture-based dairy farm.
Measuring food insecurity among Vermont refugees
Berlin, Linda
Getting accurate measures of food insecurity in Vermont resettled refugee households enables the targeting of programs and policies to address the problem.
Apple Market Optimization and Expansion through Value-Added Cider Production
Bradshaw, Terrence
Identify horticulturally and economically feasible market expansion opportunities for Vermont orchards to grow apples for high-value processing by hard cider producers in Vermont.
The Multidisciplinary Vermont Extension Implementation Program Addressing Stakeholder Priorities and Needs for 2014-2017
Bradshaw, Terrence
Timely and scientifically accurate outreach programming is delivered to Vermont apple and grape producers to improve Integrated Pest Management implementation and other components of farm sustainability.
Developing a Sustainable Pest Management Program for the Invasive Swede Midge in Brassica Crops
Chen, Yolanda
Swede midge is an invasive pest that is now causing up to 100% losses in Brassica crops in VT. We are looking for ways to manage this pest in organic and conventional systems.
Exploiting the Reproductive Biology of the Invasive Swede Midge to Improve IPM in Brassica Crops
Chen, Yolanda
Swede midge is an invasive pest that is now causing up to 100% losses in Brassica crops in VT. We are looking for ways to manage this pest in organic and conventional systems.
Establishing a Swede Midge Damage Threshold for Brassica Crops
Chen, Yolanda
Swede midge is an invasive pest that is now causing up to 100% losses in Brassica crops in VT. We are looking for ways to manage this pest in organic and conventional systems.
Do Hyper-Diverse Genomes Run the Pesticide Treadmill: Resequencing Colorado Potato Beetle Genomes to Understand Rapid Pest Evolution and Improve Sustainable Pest Management
Chen, Yolanda
Leptinotarsa decemlineata, or Colorado potato beetle (CPB) has repeatedly developed resistance to insecticides, undermining the key strategies for managing them. We are trying to understand the evolutionary basis for the beetle's success in evolving resistance.
Genetic factors associated with insecticide resistance in Colorado potato beetle
Chen, Yolanda
Colorado potato beetle has repeatedly developed resistance to insecticides, undermining the key strategies for managing them. We are trying to understand the evolutionary basis for the beetle's success in evolving resistance.
Optimizing Protected Culture Environments for Berry Crops
Conner, David
This project will inform technology adoption by current and prospective berry growers
Renewing an Agriculture of the Middle: Value Chain Design, Policy Approaches, Environmental and Social Impacts
Conner, David
This project investigates the economic contribution of local food and local food actors (i.e., food hubs, institutions) to Vermont's economy.
Enhancing The Sustainability Of Food Systems Through Service Learning-Based Entrepreneurship Education and Outreach
Conner, David
We developed best practices for entrepreneurship education for food businesses
Comparison of Three Organic Apple Management Systems on Disease and Arthropod Pests
Hazelrigg, Ann
Managing apple pests and diseases is challenging in organic orchards. This research compared standard organic pest and disease management controls with new and innovative strategies.
Linking Health Care Reform and Economic Development in the Agriculture Sector
Inwood, Shoshanah
The goal of the project is to understand how health insurance impacts economic development, workforce vitality, risk management, quality of life and family health in the agriculture sector.
Linking the Cost of Health Insurance and Child Care to Future US Agricultural Production
Inwood, Shoshanah
The purpose of this research is to understand how household level factors, specifically the cost of health insurance and childcare influence farm entry, persistence and growth by accounting for policy context across Vermont and states in the Northeast.
LTREB: Impacts of Polyandry Over the Lifetime of a Social Mammal
Keller, Stephen
This project asks how mating behaviors in social mammals affect the viability of offspring, providing insight into conservation of threatened mammals.
Genetic and Epigenetic Contribution to Variation between Animals in Strength of Response to Vaccination
Kerr, David
determine genetic and epigenetic basis for differences between cows in their susceptability to infectious diseases.
Facilitating the Generation of a Bovine Methylation Array
McKay, Stephanie
DNA methylation affects phenotypic variation of complex traits. Identifying similarities and differences in DNA methylation between tissues and breeds of cattle is being explored.
National Animal Genome Research Program
McKay, Stephanie
We are mapping methylation in the bovine brain. This will enhance our knowledge of the extent to which environment influences economically important traits.
Plant-Parasitic Nematode Management as a Component of Sustainable Soil Health Programs in Horticultural and Field Crop Production Systems
Neher, Deb
gain an understanding of the biological diversity associated with improved soil quality and function
The Working Group on Improving Microbial Control of Arthropod Pests
Parker, Bruce
The potential of entophytic Beauveria bassiana to manage western flower thrips in greenhouse ornamentals and methods for establishing endophytes in plants will be assessed.
Is Tapping Below the Lateral Line an Effective Tool to Increase the Size of the Tapping Band
Perkins, Tim
Vermont maple producers can use the information generated by this project to better manage tapping sustainability and to increase yields from their operations.
Long-Term Effects of Sap Extraction on Sugar Maple Growth and Health
Perkins, Tim
This project seeks to determine the impact of sap extraction on maple tree growth and health.
Plant-mediated IPM Systems for Pest Aphids of High Tunnel Vegetable Production
Skinner, Margaret
This project develops IPM tactics for aphids in Northeast high tunnel vegetable production and encourages adoption through a collaborative, multidisciplinary, regional research and outreach initiative.
Novel Fungal Formulations for Western Flower Thrips in Soil
Skinner, Margaret
Western flower thrips is a serious pest of greenhouse ornamentals. We will test the potential of combining millet with a commercial B. bassiana WP formulation to enhance fungal persistence in potting soil for use in marigold guardian plants.
A Human Behavioral Approach to Reducing the Impact of Livestock Pest or Disease Incursions of Socio-Economic Importance
Smith, Julie
Changing attitudes and implementing practices intended to protect food animal health from new or foreign pests and diseases of socio-economic importance
Standard Practices for a New System of Maple Syrup Production
Van den Berg, Abby
We investigated practices to integrate sap collection from small trees with thinning in regenerating maple stands to provide additional revenue for VT maple operations.
Standard Practices for Producing Pure Birch Syrup with Optimal Flavor and Quality
Van den Berg, Abby
Develop practices for producers to make birch syrup with optimal flavor, quality, and value, increasing their revenues and profitability.
Flavor of Syrup Produced with 40-Brix RO Systems+A46:O46
Van den Berg, Abby
Determine if producers can implement new sap processing technology to increase the efficiency and profitability of their operations without affecting syrup flavor or quality.
Investigation of a new paradigm in maple syrup production
Vogelmann, Thomas
Investigate a maple crop management system which optimizes productivity and enables maple producers in Vermont to increase the profitability of their operations.
Regulation of glucose production and utilization in dairy cattle
Zhao, Feng-Qi
Our study will provide mechanistic insights into metabolic adaptation to lactation in dairy cows, which will lead to improvement in milk production efficiency while maintaining whole body glucose homeostasis.
Planning Research Using Novel Plant and Habitat Systems for Sustainable Pest Control in Vegetable Production
Parker, Bruce
UVM researchers will collaborate with Egyptian scientists to develop a cooperative research program to study plant systems for biocontrol in greenhouse vegetable production in Egypt.