Managing the Invasive Swede Midge Webinar
Event Details
Date
March 6, 2026
Time
9:00 am - 11:30 am
Location
via Zoom
Cost
Free Registration : Free
Host
ENY Commercial Horticulture and Cornell Vegetable ProgramLori Koenick
585-469-5798
email Lori Koenick
Swede midge is an invasive fly that causes serious economic losses to brassica crops. Due to its small size and hidden feeding habits, swede midge is often called an "invisible pest" and damage may be misdiagnosed. In this webinar, we will review the swede midge life cycle and crop damage symptoms, current management recommendations, new research findings, and highlights from on-farm case studies with a focus on organic management.
1.75 NYSDEC pesticide recertification credits in categories 1a, 10, and 23. If you wish to receive DEC credits, you must email or text a photo of your pesticide license to Elisabeth Hodgdon (eh528@cornell.edu or 518-650-5323) before the start of the webinar.
COST and REGISTRATION: FREE! You must pre-register to receive the Zoom link. <--clicking this link will take you to ENY Commercial Horticulture's website to complete the registration. The Zoom link will be in the email confirmation you receive.
Agenda:
8:45 am | Log on early, sign in for DEC credits
9:00am - 9:15am | Welcome and Introductions, Pre-Program Survey Questions | Elisabeth Hodgdon, CCE ENYCHP
9:15am - 9:45am | Swede Midge Biology, Life Cycle, Crop Damage Symptoms, and Current Management Strategies | Elisabeth Hodgdon, CCE ENYCHP
9:45am - 10:15am | Research Updates: Manipulating the chemical ecology of swede midge | Yolanda Chen and Vince Tamakloe, UVM
10:15am - 10:30am | Break
10:30am - 11:00am | Using Ground Barriers to Suppress Swede Midge Emergence | Christy Hoepting, CCE CVP
11:00am - 11:15am | Case Studies of Swede Midge Management on Farms | Elisabeth Hodgdon, CCE ENYCHP
11:15am - 11:30am | Final Questions and Post-Program Survey, DEC Credit Sign-Out
DEC Credit Protocol:
- Prior to the meeting date, participants seeking NYSDEC recertification credits will be required to email or text a fully legible image of their pesticide applicator ID to Elisabeth Hodgdon.
- Each employee seeking credits will need to log onto the Zoom meeting separately, and watch from their own unique device to receive credit, which must match the ID on the license emailed to Elisabeth prior to the meeting to verify their identity. If using a shared device is the only feasible option for your farm, please contact Elisabeth.
- At the start and end of the meeting, the webinar host will enter a Qualtrics survey link into the Zoom chatbox. Growers seeking credits will need to click on the link, and then enter their full name and DEC ID number into the survey. These surveys allow us to verify grower identity, and provides the sponsor a time stamp of when growers submitted their response. This will allow the webinar hosts to ensure attendees entered the meeting room on time, and remained signed on throughout the full meeting.
Please reach out to Elisabeth Hodgdon (eh528@cornell.edu or 518-650-5323) with questions and requests for accommodations.

Upcoming Events
Small Vegetable Workshop
August 13, 2026
Fulton, NY
Identify vegetables that make sense to grow on small acreage, including under high and low tunnel season extension. Bill Ingersoll, owner of Ingersoll Farms, will provide a short tour and discuss other important factors of running a mixed vegetable farm, including a farm stand and selling at farmers' markets.
Chipping Potato and Field Crops Twilight Meeting
August 27, 2026
Dansville, NY
This year, our field meeting is bringing together field crops and chipping potatoes. SWNY Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops Specialist Katelyn Miller will lead a field crops management discussion. Hear the latest updates in potato disease control and see the Cornell chipping potato variety trial run by Walter De Jong. Dinner follows the educational event.
1.5 DEC credits available in 10, 1a, 21, and 23.
IPM Field Day for Urban Growers
September 10, 2026
Buffalo, NY
Join us for a hands-on field day exploring integrated pest management and season extension tools for urban growing spaces and the opportunity to build community with local growers!
This event will focus on best practices for using row covers and rat mitigation. Check out our CCE demonstration trial using insect exclusion netting to manage swede midge, an invasive fly that causes damage to brassica crops. Explore how to identify rat activity, reduce attractants, and strengthen site management. Hear from local growers on how they manage pests with a focus on organic management and how they extend the season on their farms and gardens.