2025 Impact Highlight
Delta County, Western Region
Evaluating long-term exclusion netting on arthropod communities in mature orchards
Organic apple growers in western Colorado rely on effective, sustainable pest management strategies, yet little is known about how long-term exclusion netting affects overall arthropod communities in mature orchards.
The Western Colorado Organic Apple Arthropod Graduate Extension Internship was developed to advance applied entomology research, support Integrated Pest Management (IPM) decision-making, and provide graduate-level training through collaboration between CSU Extension and the Rogers Mesa Research Station (CSU-WCRC).
Under the mentorship of Extension Entomologist Melissa Schreiner and CSU-WCRC Chief Scientist Dr. Brad Tonnessen, graduate student Brody Gardner supported the final year of a three-year study evaluating arthropod responses to long-term exclusion netting in a 30-year-old organic apple block.
Gardner trapped and monitored insects across netted and unnetted treatments, developed skills in local arthropod identification, insect ecology, and macrophotography, and contributed to dataset completion for an upcoming publication. He also assisted with additional horticultural research projects at Rogers Mesa, gaining experience in orchard and vineyard care within the nation’s only USDA-certified organic research station.
Gardner’s work completed a comprehensive, multiyear dataset that will inform how exclusion netting impacts beneficial insects, orchard biodiversity, and long-term IPM outcomes in organic systems.
This CSU Extension Internship advanced research that directly informs sustainable, chemical-reducing pest management strategies for organic apple growers in the North Fork Valley and beyond. Gardner also broadened his technical and ecological skill set, strengthened his understanding of high-desert orchard research systems, and gained practical experience that will support his graduate studies and future agricultural career.
By training emerging scientists through hands-on agricultural research, CSU Extension and Rogers Mesa strengthen Colorado’s capacity to support resilient food systems, protect beneficial insects, and improve the long-term viability of organic fruit production for growers and communities statewide.