Hello readers,My name is Ben Phillips, and I'm a new graduate student with Mary. Interestingly enough, another Michigander as well. I graduated in Fisheries and Wildlife Management at Michigan State University. I am personally interested in how farmscapes can be managed as an extension of their surrounding habitats by maintaining a diversity and abundance of insect and animal wildlife.
For the next 3 years I am taking the lead on a project that Mary and Scott have started, evaluating the effects of floral strips on pumpkin patches. Based on previous research, we expect that native perennials and exotic annuals will provide more nesting and forage habitat for beneficial insects like parasitic wasps, ground beetles and solitary bees. These good bugs will enter the main crop to provide pollination and predation services, which make a farmer's life a little easier. When the pumpkins are ripe, we will asses them for their market value and enlist the help of economist, Erik Nordman, to help us figure out if floral strips can be an affordable and competitive alternative to heavy pesticide usage. The results of this study can be used to help growers of squash and gourds as well.
Though I have only been here for one week, I have already learned so much. For example, we ran into a problem with our study design, and have had to begin adapting our plan to account for insecticide usage on larger scale farms. In the words of one OSU professor, we've had to "re-evaluate ourselves."
Good luck with your studies Ben! As a warning....I always have lots of questions!
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Bring it on and we will do our best to answer. If we can't put our heads together on it, then there IS NO ANSWER.
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