Grape Genetics Research Center
In Line For $2.7 Million
GENEVA, N.Y. Rep. Sher
wood Boehlert (R-New Hartford)
announced $2.7 million in fund
ing for the USDA-ARS Grape
Genetics Research Center at a
press conference at the New York
State Agricultural Experiment
Station Wednesday.
The funding would be used to
design and build a new federal
research facility for USD A scien
tists to work with Cornell Uni
versity researchers in establishing
and coordinating a national, con
centrated grape program that
maximizes the impact of grape
research.
“These funds will establish the
USDA-ARS Grape Genetics
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Center as the anchor tenant in
the Cornell Agriculture and Food
Technology Park at Geneva,”
said James E. Hunter, director of
the Experiment Station. “Having
this facility located at the park
will result in the construction of
the park’s second building and
pave the way for further develop
ment.”
Hunter praised Congressmen
Sherwood Boehlert, James
Walsh, Maurice Hinchey, and
State Senator Mike Nozzolio as
key members of the New York
delegation who were instrumen
tal in making this award possible.
“I congratulate them for their vi
sion that investments in science
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and technology are important
drivers of the upstate New York
economy,” said Hunter.
“The tremendous opportunity
I’ve been given to serve this dis
trict for the last 21 years also pro
vides New York State the seniori
ty in Washington needed to bring
this funding home,” Boehlert
said. “I’m proud of the efforts
Cornell has put forward to im
prove the agriculture industry.
This funding will go a long way
toward energizing the grape in
dustry here in New York which
will reap immeasurable benefits
for our local grape growers.”
The funding was part of Fiscal
Year 2004 Omnibus Appro
priations spending bill
passed by the House of Rep
resentatives on Monday. In
addition to the $2.7 million
in funding for the Cornell
Grape Genetics Research
Center, the bill included
$3.55 million in funding for
other area projects. The Sen
ate is expected to pass the
bill early next year.
Stink Bug: A Dangerous Nuisance
Karen Bernhard
Penn State Cooperative
Extension
Lehigh County
Oh, the joys of getting out the
Christmas decorations once
again! Happy memories of
Christmases past and memories
of times gone by. Glitter and
color and ribbons and orna
ments and way down there on
the bottom of the box ... stink
bugs ?
The brown marmorated stink
bug (Halyomorpha halys), has
become established in parts of
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and
Maryland. No one knows exact
ly how or when, but it probably
came as a “hitchhiker” in pack
aging materials of some com
modity imported from its home
in Asia. It may have arrived
first in the Allentown area a few
years before 1996. It invades
homes in the fall, buzzing
around lights and windows and
getting into storage areas and
household furnishings. When
injured or disturbed, it gives off
an unpleasant odor. More im
portantly, it may prove to be a
serious threat to fruits and veg
etables.
Lehigh County Cooperative
Extension is cooperating with
the USDA in studying this in
sect. We know that it is spread
ing beyond the Lehigh Valley,
Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 13, 2003-A4l
Setting The Pace
GRANTVILLE (Dauphin Co.) Clifford Hawbaker,
right, receives a Pacesetter Award from the Pennsyl
vania Dairy Stakeholders at their annual conference
Thursday, presented by David McCorkle, vice presi
dent. Hawbaker and his wife Maggie operate a pro
gressive 410-cow dairy near Chambersburg. He is
recognized as being the “creative engine” in the for
mation of the Professional Dairy Managers of Penn
sylvania in 1994. More from the conference is sched
uled in next week’s issue. Photo by Dave Lefever
and believe it may have reached
the central Pennsylvania area.
We’d like to know if residents
in the Lancaster area are seeing
it. If you think you are getting
these insects in your home,
please save a few specimens to
confirm the identification (drop
them into a small jar of rubbing
alcohol), and e-mail Karen
Bernhard at kmbl3@psu.edu. If
you prefer, write to Lehigh
County Cooperative Extension,
Lehigh County Agricultural
Center, 4184 Dorney Park
Road, Allentown, PA 18104 or
phone (610) 391-9840.
Several species of insects, in
cluding a few of our native
stink bugs, may enter homes in
the fall. Here’s how to tell if you
have the bug we are looking for:
• The overall shape is like a
shield.
• It is Vi to V« inches long,
and almost that wide.
• It has a brown or grayish,
mottled coloring.
• The antennae have lighter
colored “bands” where the seg
ments attach together.
Other species of insects are
sometimes confused with this
one. Boxelder bugs are black
and red. Western conifer seed
bugs are brown, but much long
er than wide, and do not have
the white-bands on their anten
nae.
Brown marmorated stink
bugs cause both economic and
nuisance problems. They cause
damage as they suck plant
juices during the summer. They
attack peaches, apples, Asian
pears, snap beans, and other
cultivated fruits and vegetables.
Among ornamental plants, they
especially like paulownia (prin
cess tree), catalpa, maples, but
terfly bushes, and almost any
thing with fruit.
Nuisance problems arise
when temperatures drop in the
fall and the bugs start seeking
protected places to overwinter.
The adults fly to nearby homes
and buildings, congregate on
the outside, and attempt to
squeeze into crevices, window
frames, air conditioners, etc.
Most remain hidden until
spring, when they go outdoors
to mate and lay eggs. This over
wintering behavior contributes
to them being easily spread be
cause some of the bugs seek
shelter in vehicles and are car
ried to other locations.
Unfortunately, some make
their way inside the home. The
best way to keep stink bugs out
of structures is to tighten up the
building so they can’t enter. Re
pair cracks and crevices and
make sure window air condi
tioners are tight. Repair all ex
terior cracks and openings with
caulking or some other suitable
material.