Vineyard Team

Dr. Kent M. Daane is a Cooperative Extension Specialist in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, CA. Kent has laboratories on the Berkeley Campus and at the Kearney Agricultural Research and Extension Center, where his lab groups work on the development of IPM and sustainable agriculture programs for insect and mite pests in vineyards and orchards (pistachio, almond, stone fruit, and olive), lettuce, and urban (eucalyptus) systems. Research and extension programs to improve insect pest management are his primary objective and, to this goal, he has delivered >800 presentations at farmer and research symposia and co-authored >200 peer-reviewed publications. Biological control, insect ecology, natural enemy biology, applied use of pheromone chemistry are his primary contributions to integrated pest management. In vineyards, Kent has worked with mealybugs, leafhoppers and vineyard pathogens and their vectors. In pistachios and almonds, Kent has worked on navel orangeworm, Lygus, San Jose scale, stink bugs, leaffooted bugs, and the obliquebanded leafroller. Being based in the Central Valley has provided an excellent opportunity to work with the many excellent growers and commodities, PCAs and industry representatives and entomologists and plant pathologists from various colleges.

Dr. Monica Cooper joined UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) in Napa County as a Farm Advisor (Viticulture) in April 2009. Her formative work in the Peace Corps and her graduate degree program led her to a career in UCCE, at the intersection of her passions for science, plants and public service. Educated as a Plant Doctor at the University of Florida, she has multidisciplinary training in plant pathology, entomology, soils, and plant science that she draws upon to help growers diagnose vineyard problems. Her applied research and outreach programs provide data-driven technical information to the vineyard industry. Her research interests include disease epidemiology, pest management, labor issues affecting farmworkers and optimizing extension delivery through peer-learning networks. Fluent in Spanish, she also offers educational programming to farmworkers. Her achievements have been recognized with the ASEV Extension Distinction Award (2019), the 9th International IPM Award of Recognition (2018), the Vintage Report Innovation Award (2016) and the UC ANR Distinguished Service Award for Outstanding Team (2015/2016). She has co-authored 54 peer-reviewed publications, 120 extension publications, delivered 85 educational presentations and organizes an average of 20 outreach events per year. An active member of ASEV, she serves as an associate editor of the Society’s journals. An avid horticulturalist, she cultivates edibles, flowers and habitat plants in her home garden.