We can expect to see little or no evidence of gypsy moth caterpillars this year. According to Tawny Simisky, an extension entomologist, the decline in the gypsy moth population is mostly due to the recent surge in Entomophaga maimaiga, an airborne fungus that kills gypsy moth caterpillars. (Hampshire Gazette 4/5/20)
News from the Media
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Good News, Good Riddance to Gypsy Moth Caterpillars This Year
April 8, 2020 -
COVID-19: Staying Connected In This Time of Social Distancing
April 8, 2020Michael DiPasquale, landscape and archtiecture, discusses the importance of staying connected during this time of social distancing. (Mass Live, 4/06/20)
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UMass-Amherst Professor Researches Expanded Plant-based Food Choices
April 8, 2020David Julian McClements, food science, discusses his life as a vegan, going from meat, to veggie, retreating back to animal products and finally, settled on a vegetarian diet. He is working on research to expand the variety of tasty, nutritious plant-based products that provide protein and other ingredients necessary for a healthy diet. (Mass Live, 4/6/20)
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Trapping Fruit Pests
April 7, 2020Jaime Pinero, UMass Extension, is exploring the cost of low-cost trapping techniques for some impacts that can damage fruits. (Good Fruit Grower 3/24/20)
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Rebuilding Fly Fishing in Bahamas, Danylchuck Quoted
March 3, 2020Andy Danylchuk, environmental conservation, is quoted in an article about the return of fly-fishing to the Bahamas after the devastation of Hurricane Dorian. (Fly Fisherman, 2/27/20)
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Restoring the American Elm, Harper Reports
February 25, 2020Research to restore the American Elm tree to the landscape through monitoring of host plant resistance to Dutch elm disease is underway at UMass Amherst led by Rick Harper and Nicholas Brazee (Arborist News 02/20).
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Franklin County 4-H Launches Stand-up Comedy Club
February 24, 2020The Franklin County 4-H program is teaming up with the Bear Country radio station to start a Stand-Up Comedy 4-H Club, says Educator Tom Waskiewicz of UMass Amherst 4-H Extension (Recorder 2/21/20).
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Four Apps for Fruit Growers: Clements Reports
February 20, 2020Jon M. Clements, UMass Extension, writes about four cell phone apps that are useful to fruit growers. (Growing Produce, 2/19/20)
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Warmer Winters Could Impact Local Fruit Crops
February 11, 2020Jon Clements, UMass Extension, says apples need to have some chilling hours in order to thrive. (Western Mass News, 2/10/20)
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Industry-UMass Partnership to Optimize Plant-Based Foods
February 5, 2020Animal-free ingredients innovator (Boston-based Motif FoodWorks) and top UMass food scientists (Decker, McClements and Xiao), aim to help bring new proteins to the market. (Food & Drink International, Food Ingredients, 2/4/20; News Office release)
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Warming Weather May Cause Early Bloom, Harper Comments
February 4, 2020Richard W. Harper, UMass environmental conservation, is interviewed in two related television news stories: how warming weather may cause trees to bloom earlier than usual; and with a visit to a UMass Amherst class by 22 News meteorologist Kelly Reardon. (WWLP-TV 22 2/8/20; WWLP-TV 22, WWLP-TV 22, 2/3/20)
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Make It, Springfield: DiPasquale Reports
February 4, 2020Spearheaded by the University of Massachusetts Amherst, a collaborative workspace is breathing new life into a Massachusetts legacy city. (Planning Magazine 10/19)
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Full STEAM Ahead for Springfield's 4-H Program, Dubois Reports
January 9, 2020Springfields's 4-H program at Robinson Gardens is thriving under the leadership of Lauren Dubois, UMass extension 4-H youth development program (The Republican -go to page C3 1/9/20)
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Future Apple Markets, Clements Comments
January 9, 2020Jon M. Clements, UMass Extension, comments about what he expects to happen to the apple markets in the future. He says there will be continued struggles but local markets and U-pick will be strong if the fall weather cooperates. (Growing Produce, 1/8/20)
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Designing Healthier Foods — Particle by Particle: McClements Discusses Food Science
January 7, 2020David Julian McClements, Distinguished Professor in food science, is profiled in an article that describes his research into plant-based food, 3D food printing and nano-enabled nutraceuticals. (Daily Hampshire Gazette 1/8/10)
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UMass Research Team Traces Evolution of the Domesticated Tomato
January 7, 2020Biology faculty member Ana Caicedo and postdoctoral researcher Hamid Razifard report they have identified missing links in the evolution of the tomato from a wild blueberry-sized fruit in South America to the larger modern tomato. (Conversation1/30/20; Boston Globe, Albany Herald [GA], 1/14/20; Science Blog, Technology.org, 1/13/20; NSF.gov 1/9/20; Science Codex, Morning Ag Clips, Technology Networks, 1/8/20; Science Daily, 1/7/20; News Office release)
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California Cities Turn To Goats To Help Prevent Massive Wildfires, Bradley Quoted
January 6, 2020Bethany Bradley, environmental conservation, is quoted in an article about the city of Anaheim, California using goats to eat invasive grasses and dried brush in an attempt at preventing wildfires. ( Nature World News, 1/10/20; KUOW [NPR], 1/5/20; RFD TV [Nashville], 1/6/20 WGBH, 1/5/20)
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Massachusetts Bees Threatened by Parasites, UMass Extension Reports
January 2, 2020Varroa mites are the most significant problem facing bee colonies in Massachusetts, says Hannah Whitehead, honeybee extension educator at UMass Amherst. (MetroWest Daily News, 12/26/19; Worcester Telegram, 12/25/19)
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Falmouth American Elm Trees Removed and Replaced
December 23, 2019Nicholas Brazee, Extension plant pathologist, worked with the town of Falmouth to assess the health of an American elm tree. The tree was found to be 64 percent internally decayed and will be removed. (The Falmouth Enterprise, 12/20/19)
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Massachusetts A Top Market For Food And Beverage Products Using Scientific Innovations
December 12, 2019Eric Decker, food science, is quoted in an article about how Massachusetts is becoming one of the top markets for food and beverage products created using scientific innovations. (Boston Business Journal, 12/6/19)
