Josh Kindel on managing the Environmental Horticulture Program with the IR-4 Project

Photo courtesy of Josh Kindel

Since 1963, the IR-4 Project has been the primary resource for facilitating registrations of conventional chemical pesticides and biopesticides for specialty crops and other specialty uses in the United States. By partnering with the government, the industry and growers, IR-4 develops required data to support the registration of pest management products.

Through advisory boards, workshops and strategic planning, new programs and initiatives have been added to assist specialty crop growers with their pest management needs.

Raven Baez: What drew you to this role and to the IR-4 Project?

Josh Kindel: What drew me to this role was seeing the impact the IR-4 Project has on growers. The new tools IR-4 puts in their hands that they likely would have never been able to use opens up their toolbox. During my interviewing process, I was also drawn to the passion that the researchers have for their trade — this really intrigued me.

RB: You’re an entomologist by training. How did you shift to ornamental crops, and what do you enjoy about this niche?

JK: Being an entomologist gives me the opportunity to ‘know thy enemy.’ If I can know the ecology and behavior of the pests, then we can find a way to mitigate their problems. Working with ornamentals specifically came from my time working in industry, mostly with consumer products. Consumers have all the same problems as (commercial) growers, albeit on a much smaller scale; we had to develop products that controlled a wide range of pests. I love the diversity of problem-solving that comes from working with ornamental crops — it always keeps you on your toes!

RB: What have your focus areas been since you started this role?

JK: Coming from industry, I’ve used the 3P mantra: ‘People, Process, Products.’ This is how I internally mapped out my first 90 days. The first 30 days were getting to know the people (FYI, I’m sorry that I am bad with names!). I like to always start by putting people first. The next 30 days were about process, i.e. getting to know the intricacies of the IR-4 Project and how it interacts with the regional offices and stakeholders. Finally, the remaining 30 days were about products, such as ongoing trials. I am happy that we have such intelligent scientists that work with IR-4, and I look forward to tapping into that knowledge base. 

RB: Tell us about your time working in the private sector in Europe..

JK: Yes, those were very fun years! I learned so much about how to work with different types of people. It really gave me the ‘think outside of the box’ mentality to apply to research. It also really opened my mind to be able to work with various types of personalities. Everyone is different, and that is the fun part! Being there for almost 6.5 years also allowed me to take trips to around 15 different countries, mainly to eat around Western Europe.

RB: What do you enjoy doing outside of work?

JK: When I lived in France, I got really into cycling, which I have continued stateside. I still have to finish a road race called L’Etape du Tour, which is a mountainous stage of the Tour de France open to amateurs. I was only able to finish about 90% of the stage in 2018 because of sickness, and it has been a thorn in my side since then. I also have a dog, Cassandra, that takes up a good portion of my time…ball is life! I am grateful to be around family again here in Raleigh, so I know there will be many cookouts at my place — all are welcome to join if you don’t mind chucking a ball for several hours straight!

Raven Baez served as the IR-4 Science Communications intern. This interview was edited for length and style. It was used with permission from the IR-4 Project.