his outreach to guide our tree-fruit industry to a level 

 which put them among the most progressive pest man- 

 agers in the World. 



This extremely effective outreach effort was sup- 

 ported by one of the most productive research pro- 

 grams in the University. With hundreds of research 

 articles to his credit, Ron Prokopy was one of the most 

 respected entomological scientists in the World. He 

 helped mold the concepts which are the foundation of 

 current and future integrated pest management (IPM). 

 It was both remarkable and inspirational how his re- 

 search spanned the spectrum from basic to applied. 

 All his research, even the most fundamental, was clearly 

 focused on solving a practical problem. 



There are many examples of how Ron brought his 

 research and outreach together, but I particularly en- 

 joyed his talk at one of our twilight meetings a few 

 years ago. Plum curculio is one of the most difficult 

 pests for orchardists and scientists alike. Ron focused 

 much of the last 10 years on this troublesome insect. 

 He spent much time watching and recording curculio 

 movement into and around apple trees. At a mid-June 

 twilight meeting, Ron spent a good portion of his 20 

 minutes (which usually lasted at least 40 minutes) de- 

 scribing how curculios found an apple tree. This talk 

 was given mostly from the orchard floor, that is Ron 

 was lying down and crawling along the ground (and 

 speaking) showing the growers how the curculio saw 

 the world. This enthusiasm for the actions of plum 

 curculio, and also for apple maggot tlies, gave Ron the 

 ability make great strides in research, interpret those 

 results, and develop and transfer the knowledge nec- 



essary to help growers. 



Members of the Fruit Program cooperate on a num- 

 ber of fronts, from research to educational programs, 

 but we are always together at nine twilight grower 

 meetings per year (three series of three meetings each). 

 For at least one of each of these series over the last 

 several years, three or four of us would travel together. 

 This tnp usually was to Plymouth County, Bnstol County, 

 or Rhode Island and was as much as a two-hour ride 

 from Amherst. We always had to study the weather 

 forecast before heading that way with Ron. If it was 

 going to be hot (and Ron loved hot, humid weather), 

 we tried to get the largest vehicle available, usually a 

 van. Most of us enjoy the benefits of automotive air 

 conditioning in hot weather, but not Ron. The large 

 vehicle allowed us to make him ride in the far back, 

 away from the air conditioning and near his own open 

 window. Some of Ron's other eccentricities included 

 power naps, eating a head of lettuce for supper, re- 

 viewing papers while driving, and his numerous pillows, 

 sweaters, and bags that always traveled with him. These 

 "quirks" punctuated his honest and unwavering con- 

 cern for people. He cared about all of us, growers, 

 students, colleagues, and friends. 



This issue of Fruit Notes is dedicated to Ron's 

 memory. It begins with a few memories of Ron and 

 ends with the last three articles that he wrote for Fruit 

 Notes (in the few weeks before his death, thanks to 

 Isabel Jacome for typing these articles). 



Ron Prokopy was an amazing individual. He was 

 among the best scientists, the best extension educa- 

 tors, and the best people that we will ever know. 



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Fruit Notes, Volume 69, Spring, 2004 



