Graduate Programs in the Life Sciences

Research Focus

I plan to continue to focus on identifying weed management strategies that rely less on herbicides (this is after all, a work in progress) or are more finely tuned to the biology of weeds. New research areas that may be explored include weed biology as related to particularly difficult-to-control broadleaf weeds, using buckwheat as a nurse crop to smother weeds, and natural products as herbicides (vinegar, clove oil). With the enactment of the Food Quality Protection Act (1997), there will be increased numbers of herbicides lost for minor crops. It will be essential to find alternatives (chemical and non-chemical) if vegetable growers in New York are to remain competitive in the global marketplace, if economic sustainability is to be maintained, and if the rural nature of upstate New York is to continue. In addition to continued work in vegetable crops, I will be undertaking herbicide research in strawberries, apples and grapes.