Monique Rivera - Leading Apple Pest Research at Cornell

By Blake Jackson

Monique Rivera, assistant professor of entomology at Cornell’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, has been recognized as one of the nation’s top young researchers in the fruit and vegetable industries by Fruit Growers News.

Rivera began her work in agricultural entomology in 2006 under Joanne Whalen, Delaware’s integrated pest management specialist. Since then, she has collaborated with growers across the country, including tobacco farmers in eastern North Carolina, blueberry producers in New Jersey, and citrus and avocado growers in Florida and California.

The Cornell entomologist was named a “40 Under 40” next-generation leader for her research on pests affecting New York tree fruit, including woolly apple aphids and codling moth. She also hosts a weekly podcast, Scaffolds, which provides apple growers with guidance throughout the growing season.

Rivera joined Cornell in 2021 after serving as an assistant professor at the University of California, Riverside, focusing on citrus and avocado. Rivera current research centers on apples, which she notes, “have a dynamic pest complex that can change priorities from year to year.”

Brad Palmer, efficacy research manager at Reality Research LLC, praised her work. “Monique Rivera is a positive influence in our specialty crops,” he said. “Her work shows that woolly apple aphids can overwinter in apple tree canopies and not just in the soil. This change in behavior leads to higher populations, increasing pressure through the season.”

Palmer highlighted Rivera’s collaboration with colleagues, industry representatives, and growers to develop control strategies that reduce aphid populations while preserving beneficial predators.

Rivera co-hosts Scaffolds with Kerik Cox and Anna Wallis, offering updates on entomology, pathology, trap captures, and regional information for New York apple growers. “Being able to communicate science and build relationships with people so that we can translate knowledge faster is really, really a fun part of my job,” Rivera said.

For Rivera, her work stems from a deeper connection with food and the land. “It’s this sort of driving, almost instinctual thing this intimate relationship we have with a plant that provides us with food,” she said. “The foremost basis of our stability in society is our creation of agricultural societies so we could put down roots and focus on other things.”

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