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Jaime Piñero, extension professor in the Stockbridge School and Agriculture, has been awarded three USDA-backed federal research and extension grants to support sustainable agriculture and ecologically based pest management in New England fruit orchards.

In partnership with multiple institutions nationwide, the projects aim to promote environmentally sound farming practices. Out of the total funding awarded across all agencies and collaborators, amounting to $4,644,635, the Stockbridge School will receive $663,195 to further its leadership in sustainable agricultural innovation.

The projects and their funded amounts are:

• “Impacting Change: Fostering the adoption of grower-friendly apple Integrated Pest Management strategies in New England,” a in collaboration with the University of New Hampshire in which Piñero, an expert in tree fruit entomology and integrated pest management, will serve as principal investigator that was awarded $324,262.
  
  
• “Cultivating Tomorrow’s Orchard: Evolving and Enhancing IPM in Eastern Tree Fruit Systems,” a collaboration led by the USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) that includes researchers from 14 universities and USDA ARS labs in the Eastern U.S. The project was awarded a total of $3,996,373, of which Piñero and UMass Amherst will receive $299,920.
  
  
• “Towards the Sustainable Management of Two Economically Important Dipteran Insect Pests, Spotted Wing Drosophila and Apple Maggot, Utilizing Natural Enemies: Entomopathogenic Nematodes and Fungi,” a collaboration between Piñero and principal investigator Marisol Quintanilla of Michigan State University. The project was awarded a total of $324,000, of which Piñero and UMass Amherst will receive $39,014.