Mike Brewer (MSU IPM), far left, Maria Josefa Santos, Pedro Bautista and David Mota-Sanchez (MSU Entomology) at the training series IPM and Nutrient Management Planning: Addressing Farm Production and Resource Conservation.
Dr. Mike Brewer,right, speaking with USDA NRCS Soil Conservationist Bruce Vandenbosch during the IPM and Nutrient Management Planning: Addressing Farm Production and Resource Conservation.
Texas AgriLife Research Welcomes Dr. Mike Brewer to Corpus Christi
September 11, 2009
By Rob Williams
The Department and Texas AgriLife Research welcomes Dr. Mike Brewer to the entomologist position at the Texas AgriLife Research and Extension Center in Corpus Christi.
Brewer joined the center on September 1 from Michigan State University, where he was an associate professor as well as the coordinator for MSU's IPM program.
The main focus of Brewer's research is the study of the interactions between natural enemies of pests, pests and plant interactions in diverse agricultural landscapes. He has worked on several collaborative research projects, including studying the natural enemies of aphids in soybean and neighboring habitats, and aphid natural enemy interactions.
As the IPM Coordinator at MSU, Brewer implemented educational programs for stakeholders such as the Crop Advisory Alert (CAT) Alert newsletters, IPM Report and pocket guides for Michigan growers.
In his new role with AgriLife Research, he will be researching the major pest insects of grain and field crops, such as sorghum, cotton and corn, in the south Texas area. He will also be working to identify pest management approaches that can be integrated into comprehensive crop pest management systems.
"The breadth of this work really requires strong collaborations," he said. "I look forward to working with growers and cooperators, as well as with everyone in the Corpus Christi AgriLife Research and Extension Center, other centers and the Department of Entomology."
Brewer received his Ph.D. in Entomology from University of California-Riverside and his master's degrees in Applied Statistics and Entomology from LSU.