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See how our current work and research is bringing new thinking and new solutions to some of today's biggest challenges.

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  • Cornell AgriTech
  • School of Integrative Plant Science

Kaitlin is on a mission to make melon growing more sustainable. Growing a melon is not as simple as planting a seed and waiting for a sweet summer harvest. From tiny seedlings to the fruit on your picnic table, melons face nonstop pressure from insects, diseases and weeds.

Many growers rely on chemical sprays to protect their crops, but Kaitlin focuses on the farmers who choose a different path. Her research supports sustainable and certified organic melon growers who want effective tools without synthetic chemicals. Instead of reacting to problems after they appear, Kaitlin studies smart, preventative strategies that help farmers stay ahead of pests and diseases while keeping their production systems healthy.

Her work is helping growers protect their crops, strengthen their farms and bring delicious melons to your table in a more sustainable way.

 

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a woman holds a chick upside down and looks at a band on its leg

Field Note

The common tern is a sweet little waterbird, with white wings like an angel’s and a distinctive kee-er cry. They are fierce protectors of their families, fearlessly chasing down eagles and tirelessly building up their ground nests, which they...
  • Biological Field Station
  • Cornell Cooperative Extension
  • Animal Science
Doctoral student Sylvana Ross spent the summer leading the Cincinnati Urban Ecology Study to better understand the insects in the city’s green spaces.

News

Doctoral student Sylvana Ross and a team of Cincinnati youths spent their summer studying city-dwelling insects, amassing data that can inform decisions that support healthy green spaces.

  • Entomology
  • Pollinators