MSU Extension welcomes new IPM educator to west Michigan Fruit Ridge
Print
EmailMartín Brubaker, M.Sc., started working as an MSU Extension educator in June 2026.
Michigan State University Extension welcomes Martín Brubaker as the new tree fruit integrated pest management (IPM) Extension educator serving the west Michigan Fruit Ridge region. Based out of the Kent County Extension Office in Grand Rapids, Michigan, with a coverage area encompassing Kent, Ottawa, Barry and Ionia counties, Brubaker will support the state’s tree fruit industries with pest and disease management through grower engagement, educational programming and collaboration with commodity partners, industry stakeholders and MSU research faculty.
Brubaker grew up in Lowell, Michigan, the home of the mighty Red Arrows. He has a wide range of experience in entomology research. He worked in the Isaacs Small Fruit Entomology lab primarily working on managing spotted wing drosophila (SWD). His work also included helping to assess management strategies for blueberry maggot, oriental beetle and other berry crop pests. Brubaker has also worked in agricultural production as a laborer at Bayfield Apple Company, Phillips Orchard and Cider Mill, and as a trials grower at Walters Gardens doing a variety of horticultural trials on flowers.
Brubaker earned his M.S. in entomology at Michigan State University (MSU) where he worked with Julianna Wilson, PhD, on woolly apple aphid management. His graduate research focused on the biology and seasonality of woolly apple aphids. He also conducted chemical efficacy trials as well as cultural management trials on releasing predator insects to reduce apple aphids, and the effects of exclusion netting on variety of apple pests.
Additionally, Brubaker has skills in program outreach and evaluation from his time working with the Evaluation Research Group at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is fluent in Spanish and looks forward to using those skills to translate MSU resources and engage with the Spanish-speaking farm community.
In his new role, Brubaker aims to identify pressing pest management challenges and connect growers with the latest science on insect and disease management. He plans to develop programming that integrates field scouting, pest monitoring and emerging IPM technologies to provide practical, evidence-based and economically sound recommendations.
Brubaker welcomes growers to reach out, stop by, invite him to their orchards or discuss how Extension resources can support their fruit production needs. He can be contacted at brubak40@msu.edu.
This work is supported by the Crop Protection and Pest Management Program (grant no 2024-70006-43569) from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
