Integrated Pest Management
The IPM program works with the agricultural industry in the research and implementation of alternative pest control methods, in order to decrease the use of pesticides. The current emphasis in the North Coast is on pest management systems for wine grapes, olives, walnuts and pears.
For information refer to the Integrated Pest Management list at the left and click on a specific pest.
IPM Advisor
Twitter: @NorthCoastIPM
Cindy is a graduate of UC Davis, where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Viticulture and Enology, minoring in Agricultural Pest Management, then went on to earn her Doctorate in Entomology.
Dr Kron was recently a Research Entomologist for USDA in their Crop Disease, Pests, and Genetics research unit where she continued her post-doc study of the three-cornered alfalfa hopper.
“My experiences have motivated me to help growers, stakeholders, and the industry solve agricultural pest management problems through applied research by identifying IPM strategies and tactics that are economically feasible and implementable while having the lowest environmental impact.”
Dr Varela retired after an impactful career as the IPM Advisor for the North Coast. A list of her peer reviewed publications are available here.
As part of the UC IPM European Grapevine Moth Team that helped eradicate the pest in Sonoma County, the team was awarded an International IPM Award for Recognition at the 2018 International IPM Symposium. This team also received the UCANR Distinguished Service Team Award.