College Of Ag Sciences To Receive $500,000 In USDA Specialty Crop Funds

USDA funds will support key research projects intended to benefit specialty crop production across Pennsylvania

Researchers in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences are set to receive more than $500,000 through competitive awards administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Specialty Crop Block Grant Program.

These funds will support six key research projects intended to benefit specialty crop research and production across the commonwealth, according to Beth Gugino, associate dean for research operations and graduate education in the college.

“Funding through the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program enables our researchers to respond directly to the evolving needs of growers across the commonwealth, while supporting applied research that delivers practical solutions and measurable impact,” said Gugino, who also is the associate director of the Pennsylvania Agricultural State Experiment Station. “The projects funded this year reflect that breadth, addressing priorities ranging from pest and disease management, orchard sustainability, soil health, value-added product development and market growth.”

The projects, principal investigators and award amounts are as follows:

• “Optimizing IPM Techniques to Control Mushroom Flies on Mushroom Farms”
  • $111,537 to Michael Wolfin, assistant research professor: Researchers will develop integrated pest management strategies for mushroom phorid flies by combining predatory mites with long-lasting insecticide netting. On-farm trials will optimize these approaches to reduce crop losses, improve yield and quality and decrease pesticide use in Pennsylvania's mushroom industry.
• “Optimizing Cover Crops for Tree-Fruit Production and Orchard Sustainability”
  • $89,793 to Suzanne Fleishman, assistant professor of root biology; Shan Kumar, assistant professor of tree-fruit; and Donald Seifrit, tree-fruit extension educator: This project will evaluate cover crop species planted within orchard tree rows to improve soil and tree health. Findings will help growers make better cover crop decisions and will be shared through grower meetings, field days, publications and online resources.
• “Ecologically Informed Virus Management: Harnessing Natural Enemies to Improve Crop Protection”
  • $78,457 Monica Kersch-Becker, assistant professor of arthropod ecology: Researchers will develop virus-monitoring and biological-control strategies to reduce the spread of aphid-transmitted diseases in specialty vegetable crops, improving disease management and strengthening crop resilience.
• “Turning Spent Mushroom Substrate into High-Value Carbon Products to Improve Grower Profitability”
  • $88,798 to Steve Chmely, associate professor of agricultural and biological engineering; Juliana Vasco-Correa, assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering: This project will explore converting spent mushroom substrate into valuable carbon-based products, creating new revenue opportunities for growers while improving the sustainability of Pennsylvania's mushroom industry.
• “Advancing Marketing Capacity in Pennsylvania’s Maple Industry Through Producer-Consumer Insights and Targeted Outreach”
  • $83,037 to Yizao Liu, associate professor of agricultural economics; Claudia Schmidt, associate professor of marketing and local/regional food systems; and Kathleen Kelley, professor of horticultural marketing and business management: Researchers will study producer and consumer perspectives to identify effective marketing strategies that increase awareness, demand and sales of Pennsylvania maple products.
• “Root-Driven Soil Health: Linking Soil Structure, Root Biology and Potato Yield in Pennsylvania”
  • $65,189 to Luis Duque, assistant research professor in storage root physiology: Through field and on-farm research, this project will examine how soil physical, chemical and biological characteristics influence potato root development and yields, helping growers make data-driven soil health decisions that improve productivity and resilience.