Wesley Kline - Rutgers Cooperative Extension

Wesley L. Kline Rutgers Cooperative Extension of Cumberland County Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station 291 Morton Avenue, Millville, NJ 08332 Phone: 856-451-2800 ext. 1 Email: wkline@njaes.rutgers.edu Education Cornell University, Ithaca, New York Ph.D. Vegetable Crops, 1984 Cornell University, Ithaca, New York M.S. Vegetable Crops, 1980 Salem College, Salem, West Virginia B.A. Human Relations, 1970 Research and Professional Experience 2002-Present: Associate Professor, Ag & Resource Management Agents, Rutgers University 1996-2002: Assistant Professor, Ag & Resource Management Agents, Rutgers University 1995-1996: Private Consultant, US Agency for International Development, El Salvador 1990-1994: Ag Research Advisor, US Agency for International Development, Honduras 1987-1990: Extension Specialist, Cooperative Extension, Cornell University, NY 1987-1987: Agricultural and Marketing Specialist, Louis Berger International, Somalia 1984-1986: Research Associate Cornell University International Agriculture, Ecuador 1981-1984: Graduate Assistant, Vegetable Crops, Cornell University, NY 1978-1981: Ag Program Leader and Vegetable Agent, Genesee Cooperative Extension, Batavia, NY 1970-1974: Horticulturalist, United States Peace Corps, Ecuador Collaborators and Affiliations Kline co-manages the Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety Team that provides training to the fruit and vegetable industry in New Jersey. He collaborates with the Produce Safety Alliance, the National Association of States Department of Agriculture, and United Fresh Produce Association in training food safety culture to growers, extension, consultants, and regulators across the US Research Areas Microbial food safety on the farm as it relates to pathogens in soil, water, and post-harvest handling. New ethnic produce for New Jersey Screening bell peppers for horticultural characteristics, disease, and Phytophthora resistance Honors and Awards (last 4 years) 2021: Distinguished Service to New Jersey Agriculture, New Jersey Farm Bureau 2021: Certificate of Commendation, Cumberland County Board of County Commissioners 2020: Melendez, M, Kline, W., Matthews, J. Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety Team, Team Award, National Winner, Epsilon Sigma Phi. 2017: Melendez, M., Kline, W. Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety Program. National Association of County Agricultural Agents Search for Excellence, Farm Health and Safety, National Winner. 2018: Team Award Best of the Best, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Grants 2020-2024: (Grant Amount: $7,200,000) USDA SCRI. Scientific Challenges and Cost-Effective Management of Risks Associated with Implications of Produce Safety Regulations. Danyluk, M., Chapin, T., Schaffner, D., Kline, W., Melendez, M., Havelaar, A., Jeong, K., Krug, M., Munoz-Carpena, R., Montazeri, N., Schneider, K., Scharff, R., Kowalcyk, B., Sharma, M., Rock, C., Jay-Russell, M., Baldwin, R., Diaz, J., Kniel, K., Dunn, L., Kumar, G., Mishra, A., Buchanan, R., Micallef, S., Tikekar, R., Strawn, L., Critzer, F., Peters, R. 2020-2021: (Grant Amount:$180,000) New Jersey Department of Agriculture. Food Safety Modernization Act Produce Safety Rule Implementation Year 5. Kline, W., Melendez, M., Matthews, J. (Co-PI, 50%) 2019-2020: (Grant Amount: $174,798) New Jersey Department of Agriculture, Marketing and Grading Division. Food Safety Modernization Act Education and Outreach for New Jersey Fresh Produce Growers. Kline, W., Melendez, M., Matthews, J. (Co-PI, 33%) 2019-2020: (Grant Amount: $12,000) National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. On-Farm Readiness Review. Kline, W., Melendez, M. (50%, Co-PI) 2018-2019: (Grant Amount: $175,681) New Jersey Department of Agriculture, Marketing and Grading Division. Food Safety Modernization Act Education and Outreach for New Jersey Fresh Produce Growers. Kline, W., Melendez, M., Matthews, J. (Co-PI, 33%) 2017-2019: (Grant Amount: $39,640) USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant. Food Safety for NJ Specialty Crop Producers: Outreach, Postharvest Assessment and Validation of Sanitizers. Melendez, M. Kline, W. (PI, 500%) 2017-2018: (Grant Amount $34,000) National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. On-Farm Readiness Review. Kline W., Melendez, M. (Co-PI, 50%) 2017-2018: (Grant Amount: $175,682) New Jersey Department of Agriculture, Marketing and Grading Division. Food Safety Modernization Act Education and Outreach for New Jersey Fresh Produce Growers. Kline, W., Melendez, M., Matthews, J. (Co-PI, 33%) 2017-2017: (Grant Amount: $5,000) Northeast Extension Risk Management Education. Economic Analysis: Preparing Produce Growers for Compliance with the Food Safety Modernization Act. Melendez, M., Kline, W. (PI, 80%) 2016-2017: (Grant Amount: $140,925) New Jersey Department of Agriculture, Marketing and Grading Division. Food Safety Modernization Act Education and Outreach for New Jersey Fresh Produce Growers., Kline, W., Melendez, M. (Co-PI, 50%) 2014-2016: (Grant Amount: $4,600,000) USDA-SCRI. Developing Scientifically Based Consensus Food Safety Metrics for Leafy Greens and Tomatoes. Pradhan, A., Kedem, B., Fernandez, B., Walsh, C., Narrod, C., Cotton, C., Gombas, D., Oryang, D., Schaffner, D., Pahl, D., Lichtenberg, E., Hashem, F., Wang, F., Giclas, H., Lejeune, J., Meng, J., Kniel, K., Everts, K., Schneider, K., Shenge, K., Sharma, M., Roberts, M., Grimley, M., Danyluk, M., Jay-Russell, M., Smith, M., Millner, P., Melendez, M., Goodrich, R., Oni, R., Marine, S., Dennis, S., Micallef, S., Kline, W., Buchanan, R. (Investigator, 2% sampling objective)   Refereed Publications 2018: Melendez, M., Kline, W. Development of the Rutgers On-Farm Food Safety Team. Journal of the NACAA. 11(2). https://www.nacaa.com/journal/index.php?jid=912 2017: Krasnow, C.S., A.A. Wyenandt, W.L. Kline, Boyd Carey, J., M.K. Hausbeck. Evaluation of pepper root rot resistance in an integrated phytophthora blight management program. HortTechnology 27(3):408-415. 2017: Wyenandt, C.A. W.L. Kline, D.L. Ward. Effect of Fungicide program on the development of downy mildew in three cucurbit corps in New Jersey. Plant Health Progress Vol. 18 No. 3:181-185 2017: Wyenandt, C.A., W.L. Kline, D.L. Ward and N.L. Brill. Production system and cultivar effects on the development of skin separation or “silvering” in bell pepper fruit. HortTechnology 27(1):37-44.