Julianna K. Wilson, Ph.D.
Julianna K. Wilson (also published as J.K. Tuell) is a Michigan native and a graduate of Michigan State University with a B.S. in Horticulture (1997), an M.S. in Plant Pathology (2003), and a Ph.D. in Entomology and the Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior (2007). She has more than 15 years of research and outreach/extension experience in a variety of fruit and vegetable cropping systems.
In her capacity as an applied Tree Fruit Specialist in the Department of Entomology at Michigan State University, she conducts collaborative research within the framework of whole farm systems and translates those results and the work of others into robust extension programs and tools. Dr. Wilson works with regional, national, and international professionals to improve and develop farm management practices that will result in healthy, marketable tree fruit in support of the long-term sustainability of the Michigan tree fruit industry.
RESEARCH
Dr. Wilson runs an applied research program driven by multidisciplinary collaborations with a focus on pollination and managing dynamic pest and disease complexes in changing tree fruit production systems. Her program extends into three main areas of research: 1) integrated pest management of invasive species that attack tree fruit, 2) pollinator health and pollination, and 3) apple replant disease. Current projects include: A) a USDA-NIFA Specialty Crops Research Initiative funded project on the biology and management of the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) in orchards, B) several coordinated projects funded by a variety of sources to develop strategies for managing spotted wing drosophila (SWD) in tart cherry orchards, C) a USDA-NIFA funded project related to bee health in orchards, and D) a project funded by MSU Project GREEEN and Michigan Apple Committee to look at factors involved with apple replant disease in Michigan.
EXTENSION
Dr. Wilson’s extension program is directly tied to her research program, producing educational materials, tools, and programs that support the needs of Michigan tree fruit growers. Dr. Wilson coordinates two invasive species statewide monitoring networks, one for spotted wing drosophila (SWD) and the other for brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), writing regular seasonal reports posted on MSU Extension News for Ag. She is responsible for soliciting citizen science reports on BMSB in homes across Michigan to help determine how widespread BMSB has become in the state. She is one of the education coordinators for Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable, and Farm Market EXPO (attended by more than 4,000 people each year) responsible for the poster session and co-organizer of the Tree Fruit Session (attended by more than 250 growers in 2018). She is also a co-organizer and co-founder of MSU Bee-Palooza, a 1-day public outreach event held during National Pollinator Week in June of each year that attracts more than 400 visitors of all ages interested in learning about bees. She is regularly invited to give extension talks on a variety of topics related to tree fruit integrated pest management (IPM) and bee conservation in general, reaching more than 2,000 people in 2018. She is an editor and contributor to the Michigan Fruit Management Guide (MSU Bulletin E-154) and a co-author on a number of pest management and pollinator-related fact sheets and bulletins.
In her capacity as an applied Tree Fruit Specialist in the Department of Entomology at Michigan State University, she conducts collaborative research within the framework of whole farm systems and translates those results and the work of others into robust extension programs and tools. Dr. Wilson works with regional, national, and international professionals to improve and develop farm management practices that will result in healthy, marketable tree fruit in support of the long-term sustainability of the Michigan tree fruit industry.
RESEARCH
Dr. Wilson runs an applied research program driven by multidisciplinary collaborations with a focus on pollination and managing dynamic pest and disease complexes in changing tree fruit production systems. Her program extends into three main areas of research: 1) integrated pest management of invasive species that attack tree fruit, 2) pollinator health and pollination, and 3) apple replant disease. Current projects include: A) a USDA-NIFA Specialty Crops Research Initiative funded project on the biology and management of the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) in orchards, B) several coordinated projects funded by a variety of sources to develop strategies for managing spotted wing drosophila (SWD) in tart cherry orchards, C) a USDA-NIFA funded project related to bee health in orchards, and D) a project funded by MSU Project GREEEN and Michigan Apple Committee to look at factors involved with apple replant disease in Michigan.
EXTENSION
Dr. Wilson’s extension program is directly tied to her research program, producing educational materials, tools, and programs that support the needs of Michigan tree fruit growers. Dr. Wilson coordinates two invasive species statewide monitoring networks, one for spotted wing drosophila (SWD) and the other for brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB), writing regular seasonal reports posted on MSU Extension News for Ag. She is responsible for soliciting citizen science reports on BMSB in homes across Michigan to help determine how widespread BMSB has become in the state. She is one of the education coordinators for Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable, and Farm Market EXPO (attended by more than 4,000 people each year) responsible for the poster session and co-organizer of the Tree Fruit Session (attended by more than 250 growers in 2018). She is also a co-organizer and co-founder of MSU Bee-Palooza, a 1-day public outreach event held during National Pollinator Week in June of each year that attracts more than 400 visitors of all ages interested in learning about bees. She is regularly invited to give extension talks on a variety of topics related to tree fruit integrated pest management (IPM) and bee conservation in general, reaching more than 2,000 people in 2018. She is an editor and contributor to the Michigan Fruit Management Guide (MSU Bulletin E-154) and a co-author on a number of pest management and pollinator-related fact sheets and bulletins.
MSU Bee Palooza
Dr. Wilson is a co-founder and co-organizer of MSU Bee Palooza, held annually each June in celebration of National Pollinator Week in the lovely MSU Horticulture Gardens. To find out more about the event, visit this page.
Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable, and Farm Market EXPO
Dr. Wilson is the coordinator of the Great Lakes EXPO poster session. For details on how to submit a poster to the poster session, click here.
For details about the meeting, visit the event website here.
For details about the meeting, visit the event website here.