One of the largest industries in Pennsylvania and New York, the grape industry, is in danger of losing an important resource from Penn State. This is entomologist Jody Timer, research technologist, who monitors insects and reports to grape farmers when to spray for what pests.

 

Timer is planning to retire soon and Penn State has not yet decided if they will replace her position. She works at The Lake Erie Regional Grape Research and Extension Center (A Penn State University and Cornell University Cooperative). One of Timer’s main responsibilities at the research center in North East is to monitor pests throughout the entire Lake Erie Concord Grape Belt, which extends from Harborcreek in northwestern Pennsylvania to Silver Creek in western New York. This is 50 miles and 300,000 acres of grapes. At present, Timer is the only person who is informing famers in the grape belt when insects are starting to appear. Without her position being filled, grape farmers are in danger losing grapes to pests, and consequently losing jobs and revenue.
 

Insects that harm grapes are considerably hard to regulate. For instance, the Grape Berry Moth lays its eggs on grapes and within 4 days that egg hatches and the larva bores itself into the grape, making it immune to any pesticides sprayed on the plant. If the eggs are not sprayed within 4 days then the grapes will be ruined. To complicate matters, the Berry Moth has a somewhat unpredictable egg laying cycle so it would be costly for the farmer to spray often as a preemptive measure against the pest. Luckily, Timer traps for bugs across the entire grape belt on a daily basis. As soon as the bug is spotted she can start warning famers to spray for the pest, saving the farmer time and money.
 

If Timer’s position is not filled by Penn State when she retires, there will likely be a decline in grape yield due to pests. In an experiment, the research center compared two vineyards. The first five acre vineyard had extensive damage and was run by farmers without guidance from the center. The second five acre vineyard was sprayed with a top of the line program developed by the research center. During the harvest the famer gathered 5 tons of grapes from his vineyard and the research center gathered 25 to 30 tons. This goes to show the difference in yield a farmer might experience without the help of people like Timer.
 

Administrators from Penn State University Park will come visit the research center in North East this November. Timer and other faculty hope to hear a decision on if her position will be replaced.

 

When asked what she expects to be decided at the meeting, Timer responded, “I think they’re going to replace it in some form.” However, she also voiced her concern that the vineyard was already understaffed and her job might not be replaced to the same measure that it is currently.  Both Timer and Michael Campbell, Ph.D., director of the research center and Behrend biology professor, say the main issue is probably funding. Grape farmers through the belt hope to see the position filled and wait in anticipation for the board’s decision that may come this November.