Dr. German Vargas

PORTLAND — Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Lake Erie Regional Grape Program is excited to announce the arrival of Dr. German Vargas as the new statewide Grape Integrated Pest Management Specialist and Extension Associate at the Cornell Lake Erie Research and Extension Laboratory.

As a part of the third largest wine producing state in the nation, New York grape growers work nearly 35,000 acres, producing 128,000 tons of juice grapes, 57,000 tons of wine grapes, and 2,000 tons of table grapes each year. In the new role, Vargas will grow and sustain New York state’s and Erie County, Pennsylvania’s booming grape industry by working collaboratively, across disciplines, and with a variety of stakeholders to develop, demonstrate and guide Integrated Pest Management implementation (IPM) efforts. Vargas will be dedicated to generating and advancing knowledge in sustainable pest management practices in grape agroecosystems.

Vargas was born in Colombia, and in the last couple of years has worked with invasive pests attacking the ornamental industry in south Florida. He graduated with a major in agronomy from Colombia, and then completed his Ph.D. in entomology at Kansas State University in 2012.

He is an award-winning entomologist with more than 40 publications including peer-reviewed and extension. In Colombia, Vargas participated in research projects related to the biological control of invasive pest species. Later, during his Ph.D. he focused on basic biology of lady beetles, which play a crucial role in the natural biological control of major aphid pests in Midwest cereal crops.

After finishing his Ph.D., Vargas returned to Colombia to lead an Integrated Pest Management Program targeting sugarcane pests, emphasizing sustainable alternatives, particularly biological control. Most recently he has dedicated his efforts to IPM projects combatting invasive species in the ornamental industry attacking in southern Florida.

“My initial priorities include building connections within the grape industry and deepening my understanding of the crop. I aim to emphasize the integration of pest management strategies that align with the socio-economic conditions in different regions of the state,” Vargas said. “I am very excited to expand my knowledge on grape diseases, as this is a new area of development on my career, but also, I am looking forward to getting more and new ideas on how to face old and new challenges in grape pest insects, such as the grape berry moth and the spotted lanternfly, respectively. I believe this position offers valuable opportunities to contribute sustainable and cost-effective pest management solutions for grape growers in New York.”