As the growing season kicks off, it’s time to sharpen your skills in identifying and managing orchard pests before they become serious problems. This beginner-friendly workshop is designed for community orchardists, home growers, and anyone tending fruit trees who wants to gain confidence in monitoring tree health.
We’ll cover:
How to recognize early signs of common pests
Hands-on scouting techniques to use throughout the season
Strategies for prevention and organic management
By the end of this session, you’ll be ready to head into your orchard with a trained eye, able to spot potential issues before they escalate. Whether you’re managing a community orchard with just a few trees or many more than that, this workshop will give you the tools to grow healthier, more resilient fruit trees.
Join Raymond Cloyd Professor of Entomology at Kansas State University and get ready to put your new knowledge into practice this summer! Raymond will discuss the fundamentals of scouting and the biology and ecology of some of the major insect and mite pests of fruit trees in orchards. Raymond will emphasize why understanding the life cycle helps to develop effective scouting programs that will allow for early detection of insect and mite pests.
Raymond Cloyd Bio
Dr. Raymond A. Cloyd: Professor and Extension Specialist in Horticultural Entomology/Plant Protection, Department of Entomology, Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS).
Raymond has an extension (70%) and research (30%) appointment in the Department of Entomology at Kansas State University (Manhattan, KS). Raymond received his MS and PhD from the Department of Entomology at Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN), and was employed as a professor at the University of Illinois (Urbana, IL) in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences for six years prior to his employment at Kansas State University. His research and extension program involves plant protection/pest management in greenhouses, nurseries, landscapes, turfgrass, conservatories, interiorscapes, Christmas trees, vegetables, fruits, cannabis, hemp, and pollinators. Raymond is the extension specialist in horticultural entomology for the state of Kansas with a major clientele that includes homeowners, master gardeners, and professional and commercial operators. Raymond has published over 100 scientific refereed publications, over 900 trade journals, and over 60 extension publications on topics related to pest management/plant protection. In addition, he has authored or co-authored numerous books including Greenhouse Pest Management, Pests and Diseases of Herbaceous Perennials, IPM for Gardeners, Plant Protection: Managing Greenhouse Insect and Mite Pests, Compendium of Rose Diseases and Pests, Compendium of Bedding Plant Diseases and Pests, and Western Flower Thrips: Insect Pest of Greenhouse Production Systems. Raymond has also written book chapters, manuals, PICT or picture-pocket guides, and extension-related publications. Raymond is a frequent speaker at state, national, and international conferences and seminars; and has received numerous awards and honors during his over 25 year academic career. Raymond’s professional specialty areas are plant protection, biological control, plant-insect interactions, insect ecology, pesticides, integrating pesticides with biological control agents, and sanitation.