People

Hilary Sandler Cranberry IPM Specialist

Hilary has been leading the IPM/Weeds laboratory since 1990. She received her PhD from UMass-Amherst in 2004. She is the President-elect for the Northeastern Weed Science Society and serves as an Assoicate Editor for for the peer-reviewed journal, Weed Science. She currently has two graduate students (see below).

Research interests include:

• investigation into the biology and management of dodder, an obligate plant parasite that causes significant yield loss in cranberry;
• examining the interaction of horticultural practices, such as sanding and pruning, on weed populations; and
• development of integrated management strategies for perennial weed pests that affect cranberry farm systems.

Selected Recent Publications:

Sandler, H.A. 2009. Integrating conventional and alternative practices into cranberry weed management. Acta Horticulturae (in press).

Sandler, H.A. 2008. Challenges in integrated pest management for Massachusetts cranberry production: A historical perspective to inform the future. pp. 21-50. In: Crop Protection Research Advances, eds. E.N. Burton and P.V. Williams. Nova Publications, New York.

Sandler, H.A., P.S. Brock, and J.E. Vanden Heuvel. Effects of three reflective mulches on yield and fruit composition of Coastal New England wine grapes. American Journal of Enology and Viticulture (in press).

Sandler, H.A. Nitrogen rate, vine density, and weed management affect colonization of cranberry beds following disturbance-Preliminary observations. Weed Technology (accepted).

Sandler, H.A., P. Alpert, and D.E. Shumaker. 2007. Invasion of natural and agricultural cranberry bogs by introduced and native plants. Plant Ecology 190:219-231. On-line: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11258-006-9202-8 .

Blake, G., H.A. Sandler, W. Coli, D.M. Pober, and C. Coggins. 2007. An assessment of grower perceptions and factors incluencing adoption of IPM in commerical cranberry. Renewable Ag. and Food Systems 22:134-144.

Hunsberger, L.K., DeMoranville, C.J., Autio, W.R., and H.A. Sandler. 2006. Uniformity of sand deposition on cranberry bogs and implications for swamp dodder control. HortTechnol. 16(3): 488-492.

Mason, J., H.A. Sandler, and L.K. Hunsberger. 2006. Evaluation of sand stockpiles as potential sources of cranberry weeds. Weed Technol. 20:58-66.

DeMoranville, C.J., H.A. Sandler, D.E. Shumaker, A.L. Averill, F.L. Caruso, M.M. Sylvia, and D.M. Pober. 2005. Fall flooding for the management of cranberry fruitworm (Acrobasis vaccinii) and dewberry (Rubus hispidus) in Massachusetts cranberry production. J. Crop Protection 24(11): 999-1006.

email Hilary

Katherine Ghantous, Master's Student

Katie graduated from Boston University with a B.Sc. in psychology and worked in the lab during the summers of 2005-07. She started a Master's degree program at UMass in January 2008 under Hilary's tutelage. Her research involves the use of flame cultivation as a nonchemical weed management strategy.

email Katie

James O'Connell, Master's Student

James is an employee at the Cranberry Station and began his M.Sc. program in September 2005. His research focuses on the effect of flooding for control of the parasitic weed, dodder. James is planning to graduate in 2009.

email James