Shimat Joseph is now an Assistant Professor with the University of Georgia after five years with UC IPM. Joseph focused his research and extension on IPM for Salinas Valley agricultural vegetable and berry crop production. His research enhanced our understanding of pest biology and worked to time insecticide applications to be effective, while also reducing the risk of harm to the environment and nontarget organisms.
Joseph’s work was mentioned in every UC IPM Highlights annual report since he started in 2012—using beet slices to monitor for springtails; gathering evidence that springtails are a pest of lettuce; determining that black traps catch the most bagrada bugs; and training ranch workers, pest control advisers, and growers to properly identify the quarantined light brown apple moth. He was also a leader and author of the lettuce, strawberry, and cilantro & parsley Pest Management Guidelines.