Jay Brunner

The approach I bring to my research position at WSU is based on my philosophy of mankind’s responsibility as a steward of natural resources and accountability to society. Agriculture, forestry and animal husbandry represent segments of society with major responsibility for managing natural resources to produce food and fiber. This responsibility must be undertaken through good stewardship that maintains the quality of the land and sustains renewable resources. The revolution that occurred following World War II with the development of synthetic organic insecticides provided tremendous advances in the production of cheap food and fiber but at an ecological cost that we do not yet fully understand. I firmly believe that Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which is grounded in the principles of ecology, is the best stewardship blueprint for agriculture. Throughout my career I have developed a technology and knowledge base that supports the promotion and adoption of IPM in tree fruit production.