Photo of Heidi Kratsch, Extension

Heidi Kratsch

Professor, State Specialist
she/her/hers

Summary

I have over 20 years of experience working on issues related to woody plant stress. I am particularly interested in the impact of water stress on trees, and have spent most of my career instructing students, green industry professionals, master gardeners and the public on landscape water conservation strategies. I also have an interest in marketing social change, and I have used a variety of strategies to help citizens move towards positive behavior related to urban landscape sustainability.

Education

B.S. University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1979 (Agriculture)
M.S. University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, 2000 (Biology)
Ph.D. Iowa State University, 2004 (Horticulture / Plant Physiology)

Programs

professionals in a commercial landscape horticulture class

Commercial Landscape Horticulture

Classes offer training for green industry workers, including some bilingual classes, on how to landscape in the Nevada desert

people learning to identify a tree

Green Industry Training

A workforce development program to train green industry professionals, who receive continuing education units for pesticide applicator, ISA-certified arborist and Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper

hands holding freshly picked carrots

Grow Your Own, Nevada!

Learn the secrets of high desert gardening

ladybug larva eating aphids on a pepper plant

Integrated Pest Management

Integrated Pest Management program is a long-term management strategy that uses a combination of tactics to reduce pests to tolerable levels with potentially lower costs for the pest manager and minimal effect on the environment.

Master gardeners planting seedlings

Master Gardener Native Plants Demonstration Garden

Members of the Master Gardeners of Washoe County's Native Plants Committee maintain a small demonstration garden on the west side of Extension, Washoe County Office.

pesticide traing cb

Pesticide Safety Education Program

Extension’s Pesticide Safety Education Program provides web-based training for pesticide applicators seeking to apply restricted and general use pesticides safely, properly and according to the law. Pesticide licensure and certification is administered by the Nevada Department of Agriculture.

qwel cb

Qualified Water Efficient Landscaper (QWEL)

Training will provide participants with local water, soil and plant information, basic and advanced irrigation principles and hands-on water audit skills they can use in the field

cheatgrass and flixweed

Weed Prevention & Management

Integrated weed management is based on economically viable and environmentally friendly weed management tactics that combine use of herbicides with other control tactics, such as mowing, burning, tillage, grazing and re-vegetation. By taking steps to prevent weed invasion, land owners/managers and other stakeholders can avoid the economic and environmental impacts of noxious and invasive weeds.

Weed Warriors Invasive Weed Training cb

Weed Warriors Invasive Weed Training

The Weed Warriors program tackles the growing problem of weeds on public and private land.

Honors and Awards

  • Industry Honors/Awards 2015 – Outstanding Service Award,
  • Nevada Landscape Association 2012 – Education/Research Award,
  • Nevada Landscape Association 2006 – Utah Nursery and Landscape Association Board of Directors Leadership Award

Accomplishments

Kratsch, H.A. (Principal). 2021-2024. Nevada FY21 Crop Protection and Pest Management Extension Implementation Program, USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (Non-Formula, Accession No. 1027173). $404,321. 

McAfee, S. (Principal), Ormerod, K.J. (Co-Principal), Rebori, M. (Co-Principal), and H.A. Kratsch (Co-Principal). 2021-2024. Improving Drought Communication in Nevada to Enhance Regional and Local Adaptive Capacity, USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (Smith-Lever Standard Grant). $46,303. (My responsibility: 25%)

Kratsch, H.A. (Principal). 2020-2021. TMWA Landscape Retrofit Fund, Truckee Meadows Water Authority. $22,098. 

Hefner, M. (Principal) and H.A. Kratsch (Co-Principal). 2020-2020. Pesticide Safety Education Funds Management Program (PSEFMP), eXtension Foundation. $17,300. (My responsibility: 100%)     

Barrios Masias, F. (Principal), H.A. Kratsch (Co-Principal), and B. Poudel (Co-Principal). Nevada Grown Melons: Enhancing Production and Adoption Through Novel Management Techniques, Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education. $349,825. (My responsibility: 33%)

Kratsch, H.A. (Principal) and M. Hefner (Co-Principal). 2020-2020. Adopt-A-PSEP Non-cash Award Program, National Pest Management Association. $1,000. (My responsibility: 100%)

Moe, J. (Principal) and H.A. Kratsch (Co-Principal). 2019-2022. Establishing Best Production Techniques and Varieties for Enhancing the Production of Nevada Grown Melons, Nevada Department of Agriculture/USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant. $70,052. (My responsibility: 50%) 

Kratsch, H.A. (Principal). 2019-2020. TMWA Landscape Retrofit Fund, Truckee Meadows Water Authority. $23,902.

Hefner, M. (Principal) and H.A. Kratsch (Co-Principal). 2019-2020. Nevada PSEP eXtension Administered Funds. eXtension/U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (AWD-01-00001977). $18,850. (My responsibility: 100%) 

Kratsch, H.A. (Principal). 2018-2020. Bilingual Training Materials for Non-certified Pesticide Applicators, Syngenta Crop Protection. $20,000.

Kratsch, H.A. (Principal). 2018-2019. Pesticide Safety Education Program Nevada (PSEP Nevada), eXtension Foundation/U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. $22,625. 

Kratsch, H.A. (Principal). 2018-2019. TMWA Landscape Retrofit Fund, Truckee Meadows Water Authority (GR11753). $22,820. 

Kratsch, H.A. (Principal), Walia, K. (Co-Principal), and K. Burls (Co-Principal). 2017-2021. Nevada IPM Implementation, USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (GR05142). $910,291. (My responsibility: 52%)

Kratsch, H. 2015-2016. Bioplastic Container Cropping Systems-Supplemental Funds, Subaward through Iowa State University on USDA-NIFA Specialty Crops Research Initiative (1320-151-74LJ-Supplemental). $17,948.

Kratsch. H. 2014-2015. Enhancing Professionalism and Continuing Education Opportunities for Nevada’s Green Industry, Nevada Division of Forestry. $4,954.

Davison, J. and H. Kratsch. 2014-2015. Nevada Extension Integrated Pest Management Coordination and Support Program, USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture (1320-151-71GF). $128,300 (My responsibility: 43%).

Kratsch, H. 2013-2014. Demonstration and Education about Penstemons for Great Basin Landscapes, American Penstemon Society. $931.

Davison, J. and H. Kratsch. 2013-2014. Nevada Extension Integrated Pest Management Coordination and Support Program, USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture. $115,600 (My responsibility: 45%).

Kratsch, H. 2012-2013. Demonstration, Propagation and Outreach Education Related to Great Basin Native Plant Selection and Increase Program (GBNPSIP) Plant Materials, U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station (Supplemental). $4,950.

Davison, J., S. Donaldson, and H. Kratsch. 2012-2013. Nevada Extension Integrated Pest Management Coordination and Support Program, USDA-NIFA. $115,747 (My responsibility 33%).

Kratsch, H. 2011-2016. Bioplastic Container Cropping Systems: Green Technology for the Green Industry, Subaward through Iowa State University on USDA NIFA –Specialty Crops Research Initiative. $139,672.

Kratsch, H. and K. Seymour. 2011-2012. Community Gardens Build Healthy Kids, Nevada Department of Health and Human Services. Amount: $7,927 (My responsibility: 50%).

Davison, J. S. Donaldson, and H. Kratsch. 2011-2012. Nevada Extension Integrated Pest Management Coordination and Support Program, USDA-NIFA. $115,747 (My responsibility: 33%). 

Seymour, K., K. Spears, J. Reilly and H. Kratsch. 2011-2012. Grow Yourself Healthy, USDA Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-Education (SNAP-Ed). $43,112 My responsibility: 10%).

Kratsch, H. 2010-2012. Demonstration, Propagation and Outreach Education Related to GBNPSIP Plant Materials, U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station. $16,794.

Service

  • 2023 - Present: Editor-in-Chief, Native Plants Journal
  • 2021 - Present: Associate Editor, Journal of Extension
  • 2015: President, Nevada Landscape Association
  • 2015 – 2023: Associate Editor, Native Plants Journal
  • 2013: National eXtension Water Conservation for Lawn and Landscape Community of Practice
  • 2010 – 2021: National eXtension Master Gardener Coordinators’ Committee
  • 2006 – Present: Formal reviewer (by appointment), Journal of Extension

News & Journal Articles, Fact Sheets, Reports...

Blog Posts
Tips for Keeping Your Landscape Plants Alive During a Drought
A brief list of tips on how to protect your landscape during drought.
 Kratsch, H. 2021, Extension, University of Nevada, Reno, Blog
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