Mario is a Fruit Extension Specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension, Lake Ontario Fruit Program. In this position, he manages a series of research and educational projects aimed at solving practical fruit production problems that will increase the profitability of the NY fruit industry. His program is largely field oriented and of an applied nature with significant Extension outreach. He works in 9 areas to accomplish his goals: (1) orchard systems, (2) rootstocks, (3) tree nursery production, (4) techniques for maximum tree growth, (5) crop load and canopy management, (6) irrigation/fertigation/soil nutrient management, (7) orchard mechanization for higher labor efficiency, (8) Spanish-speaking training, and (9) strategic thinking and innovation for future adoption of digital agriculture technologies. Before Mario joined the Cornell Fruit Extension team, he worked as a product development manager for BASF in Latin America, Harris Moran Seed Company in California, and managed the IR-4 field residue program at the Department of Horticulture, Cornell University. His academic training is in agronomy (B.S.) and in horticulture and agronomy (M.S.), University of California, Davis. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. degree on nutrition physiology and management at Cornell University.