CAES Record of the Year 2012-2013
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THE CONNECTICUT AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION Record of the Year 2012 - 2013 The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, founded in 1875, was the first state agricultural experiment station in the United States. The Station has laboratories, offices, and greenhouses at 123 Huntington Street, New Haven 06511, Lockwood Farm for experiments on Evergreen Avenue in Hamden 06518, the Valley Laboratory and farm on Cook Hill Road, Windsor 06095, and a research center in Griswold and Voluntown. Station Research is conducted by members of the following departments: Analytical Chemistry, Biochemistry and Genetics, Entomology, Forestry and Horticulture, Plant Pathology and Ecology, and Soil and Water. The Station is chartered by the Connecticut General Statutes to experiment with plants and their pests, insects, soil and water and to perform analyses. 2 The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station – Record of the Year 2012-2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS REMEMBERING DR. LOUIS A. MAGNARELLI 5 REMEMBERING DR. JOHN F. AHRENS 8 BOARD OF CONTROL 9 STATION STAFF 10 PLANT SCIENCE DAY 2012 13 ACTIVITIES AT THE STATION 19 Visit by Scientists from Kazakhstan 19 Bed Bug Forum VII 19 ACTIVITIES AT THE VALLEY LABORATORY 20 Christmas Tree Twilight Meeting 20 Hops and Malt Grain Conference 20 Annual Tobacco Research Meeting 20 Spotted Wing Drosophila Workshop 21 ACTIVITIES AT LOCKWOOD FARM 21 2012 Connecticut FFA Forestry Career Development Event 21 THE EXPERIMENT STATION IN THE COMMUNITY 21 Experiment Station Hosts National Plant Board 21 Experiment Station Staff Detects the Emerald Ash Borer in Connecticut 22 FOOD DONATIONS 22 Donation of Venison to Food Pantry Program 22 Food Donations from Lockwood Farm 22 Food Donations from the Valley Laboratory 22 Station Scientists Judge Projects at the 2013 New Haven Public Schools Science Fair 23 EXPERIMENT STATION ASSOCIATES 23 Fall Tour of Bishops Orchards, Stonington Vineyard, and Chamard Vineyard 23 AWARDS GIVEN TO STATION STAFF 23 The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station – Record of the Year 2012-2013 3 SCIENTIFIC OFFICERSHIPS AND MEMBERSHIPS ON STATE, NATIONAL, OR REGIONAL COMMITTEES 25 Department of Analytical Chemistry 25 Department of Biochemistry and Genetics 26 Department of Entomology 26 Department of Environmental Sciences 27 Department of Forestry and Horticulture 29 Department of Plant Pathology and Ecology 30 Valley Laboratory 31 LECTURES, SEMINARS, AND INTERVIEWS 33 ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE 97 Department of Analytical Chemistry 97 Department of Biochemistry and Genetics 111 Department of Entomology 116 Department of Environmental Sciences 134 Department of Forestry and Horticulture 159 Department of Plant Pathology and Ecology 177 Valley Laboratory 198 TECHNICAL BULLETINS PUBLISHED DURING 2012-2013 214 SCIENTIFIC JOURNAL ARTICLES PUBLISHED DURING 2012-2013 215 Department of Analytical Chemistry 215 Department of Biochemistry and Genetics 216 Department of Entomology 216 Department of Environmental Sciences 218 Department of Forestry and Horticulture 220 Department of Plant Pathology and Ecology 221 Valley Laboratory 224 4 The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station – Record of the Year 2012-2013 On July 11, 2013, Dr. Louis A. Magnarelli, 8th Director of the Station (2004-2013) passed away after a long illness. The following article by Terry Jones, Vice President of the Station’s Board of Control, is a tribute to Lou and his dedication to his work and the Station. He is greatly missed. Remembering Dr. Louis A. Magnarelli: Scientist, Public Servant, and Friend to Connecticut by Terry Jones (Terry Jones is a Shelton farmer and Vice-President of the CAES Board of Control) “Clearly, the trick in life is to die young as late as possible.” That sentiment, expressed by William Sloan Coffin, former chaplain at Yale University, rings true as we think of Dr. Louis A. Magnarelli. We can only wish that Lou left us much later. He passed July 11th at age 68 while serving as the 8th director of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station (CAES), founded in 1875, now located at 123 Huntington Street in New Haven. Lou arrived at the Station in 1975, its centennial year, after receiving his doctorate in medical entomology at Cornell University. He was an excellent scientist, specializing in ticks and their associated diseases. The culture of the Station captured his spirit and energy as he worked tirelessly “putting science to work for society.” Lou became Vice-Director in 1992 and was appointed Director in 2004. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station – Record of the Year 2012-2013 5 Dr. Magnarelli loved the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. It was born a stepchild of Yale and Wesleyan Universities and is the oldest agricultural research station in America. Lou dedicated his professional career to advancing its mission of improving our lives through science. Yes, right here in Connecticut, hybrid corn was developed and Vitamin A discovered! Work at the Station involves scores of investigations ranging from microscopic nematodes and tiny ticks, mosquitos, and bed bugs to the health of giant sugar maples, nursery and food crops to the well being of our natural environment and the public health of us Nutmeggers. His love of the institution was also spread amongst his colleagues – a world-class team of scientists and support staff. The Director’s office door was always open, and he respected and encouraged the creative ideas that grew amongst his colleagues. When presented with the concept of growing the annual Plant Science Day to offer greater appeal for children, he sparked plans that encouraged a youthful excitement for science (come see for yourself on Wednesday, August 7th.) He was humble. At the Capitol, his respectful and soft spoken words – both at hearings and in conversations with government officials – always yielded support and respect for the Station. He was fair. To curtail the spread of plant diseases, at times, requires the difficult decision to quarantine or even destroy nursery crops. Dr. Magnarelli always listened to grower concerns. Although his decision might result in significant financial sacrifice to individual producers, the long-term success of the industry and the public interest were his yardstick. I never heard a grower speak ill of him! He was a fighter for his team! When Gov. Rowland proposed closing the Station in 1996, Lou Magnarelli was serving as Vice-Director under Dr. John Anderson (now Director Emeritus.) The two men rallied the countless citizens including agricultural and environmental groups that recognized the value of the CAES to Connecticut agriculture and public health. They prevailed. Later, the governor remarked to Lou, “I learned not to experiment with the experiment station!” Lou knew the success of the Station also depended on stewardship of its buildings and infrastructure. He developed a plan to rehabilitate older laboratories, replace inefficient boilers, and repair the Osborne Library – an historic gem and oldest agricultural research library in America. And he launched new visions such as sharing electronic scientific journal resources with Yale University and building a mosquito research laboratory in Griswold to make Connecticut safer from Eastern Equine Encephalitis (aka “Triple E,”) which has a 30% mortality rate. Sadly, Lou will not witness the scheduled 2014 reopening of his biggest infrastructure project – rejuvenation and expansion of the 80-year-old Jenkins/Waggoner Laboratory. He guided the project from its inception over the last eight years of his life. While hospitalized at Yale-New Haven this spring, Lou continued to guide the Station. His faith in his own recovery was strong. But, from time to time, he’d give me a phone call and like a wise and selfless 6 The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station – Record of the Year 2012-2013 coach offered thoughts on “what if.” It was not because he doubted recovery, but more to ensure the smooth forward march of his beloved Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station. Truly, the people of Connecticut are blessed to have had Dr. Louis A. Magnarelli among us these past decades. Let us give thanks. Let us also appreciate and support the women and men of our Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station as they continue to put science to work for our society. The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station – Record of the Year 2012-2013 7 Dr. John F. Ahrens, Emeritus Plant Scientist, passed away a short time after having a stroke on November 10, 2012. John was born in Bellmore, NY and was raised on Long Island. After high school, John attended and graduated from the Long Island Agricultural and Technical Institute (Farmingdale). He enlisted in the US Marine Corps during this time as an inactive reserve. After graduation he worked two years in the Soil Conservation Service in Millbrook, NY and did a one year tour in Korea during the war where he earned the rank of Sergeant, USMC. After marrying in 1952, he moved to Georgia where he received a BSA from the University of Georgia. He then earned both an MS and Ph.D in Plant Physiology from Iowa State University. He began his long career in weed science at the Station at the Valley Laboratory in Windsor in 1957, and continued to conduct research on weeds in nursery production and Christmas trees, and answer grower and other citizen requests for information for twenty years after his official retirement in 1992. He was a member and past president of both the National & Northeastern Weed Science Societies of America. In addition, he owned and operated the Ahrens Tree Farm of Bloomfield, CT & West Woodbury, VT. He was an active member of the National, CT, NH/VT, & NY Christmas Tree Growes Associtions and worked vigorously to assist in the registration of new, effective protocols for weed control in Christmas trees and ornamentals. Dr. Ahrens was a dedicated scientist and was very committed to service to the growers and citizens of the State of Connecticut and beyond. He is greatly missed. 8 The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station – Record of the Year 2012-2013 BOARD OF CONTROL The management of The Station is vested in a Board of Control as specified in Section 22-79 of the General Statutes of Connecticut.