NCERA222: Integrated Pest Management

(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)

Status: Active

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SAES-422 Reports

Annual/Termination Reports:

[04/28/2022] [03/28/2023] [06/12/2024] [08/14/2025]

Date of Annual Report: 04/28/2022

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 02/28/2022 - 02/28/2022
Period the Report Covers: 04/30/2021 - 04/01/2022

Participants

Daren Mueller – Iowa State University, Laura Iles – Iowa State University, Elena Polush – Iowa State University, Erin Lizotte – Michigan State University, Lynnae Jess – Michigan State University, Cliff Sadof – Purdue University, Jim Jasinski – Ohio State University, Diane Plewa – University of Illinois, Bob Wright – University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Asha Mane – University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Mandy Bish – University of Missouri, Marissa Shuh – University of Minnesota, Patrick Beauzay – North Dakota State University, Ryan Clifford – University of Kansas

Brief Summary of Minutes

Please see attached file below for NCERA222's annual report.

Minutes Attachment:

2021 NCERA 222 Report.pdf

Accomplishments

Publications

Impact Statements

Date of Annual Report: 03/28/2023

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 02/28/2023 - 03/02/2023
Period the Report Covers: 01/01/2022 - 12/31/2022

Participants

Adam Sisson and Ed Zaworski – IA
Diane Plewa – IL
Michelle Wallace – OH (Central State University, 1890)
Clement Akotsen-Mensah – MO (Lincoln University, 1890)
Pat Beauzay – ND
Bob Wright – NB
Dan Sjarpe – MO
Frannie Miller – KS
Jed Colquhoun – WI
Marissa Schuh – MN
Jim Jasinski (Chair) – OH
Hannah Burrack – MI, Administrative Liaison
Lynnae Jess, Laura Iles, Jacque Pohl – NC IPM Center Leadership

Brief Summary of Minutes

NCERA222 Meeting Notes 3/1/2023

Welcome, introductions, Beauzay appointed as recorder

Fun introductions

Discussion on annual report - due next Wednesday - 1/1/2022 through 12/31/2022

Objective 1: Discussion on what ‘capacity’ means, we do need to demonstrate linkages (per Hannah) in context of participation, information exchange, attendance at this meeting, how our activities align with our activities and accomplishments

Objective 2: Condense/distill broad priorities (e.g. underserved audiences, pesticide resistance) from state/local priorities. Will help inform NCIPM Center, USDA-NIFA, etc.

More discussion on 3/2

Hannah will send an email to Basecamp

9:00 - Vijay Nadula, USDA-NIFA

Links in Zoom chat box, Jim J. saved links.

EIP - meet and greet with grants office/IPM coordinators (two weeks ago), EIP renewal letters/email forthcoming

Participated in a meeting with 13 federal agencies; survey from WSSA (manuscript abstract posted in the chat box), results categorized what the needs/priorities are. Priorities that are funded by private industry and commodity groups vs. programs that need long-term funding from federal granting agencies (e.g. USDA-NIFA). Precision ag can be promoted through groups such as NCERA-222 because of our group linkage/infrastructure with county agents in our respective states. Genomics is an emerging field in weed science. Vijay and Emmanuel managing IPM programs. Discussion about RFAs that are ‘scalable’ and can serve smaller farming operations, underserved audiences.

9:20 - IPM Center Discussion (Laura, Lynnae)

IPM Survey Update: Initial focus on 1862s. Let’s come back to this due to time constraint right now. Discussion resumed at 2:45.

9:30 - Spotted Lanternfly - Ashley Leach, The OSU

10:10 - Break

!0:30 - 3D Printing - Andy Michel. Using 3D printed products in Extension education

Stink bugs, WBCW, SLF, cereal egg masses, percent defoliation (soybean leaves)

Printers only $1,500

email Andy for details, files, etc.

11:10 - EPA Update, Seth Dibblee

Slides will be in Basecamp

Support registration review comments with data if you can

Seth will post review compilation tips on Basecamp

11:30 - IPM Turns 50 Podcast discussion

Should we do more podcasts in this vein, other topics? Do more to promote this program? Should we pull in other podcasts from all NC states into a common ‘feed’? What are we teaching, and who are our audience(s)? Can farmers who are practicing IPM be interviewed and/or participate in podcast production? How to reach as wide an audience as possible, especially new audiences outside of IPM practitioner/specialized disciplines? Define your audience for special topics. Quality control, branding, appropriate hashtags, etc. because there are so many podcasts out there on Spotify, etc.

12:05 - Lunch

1:00 - One Big Thing

Discussion on pulling together individual state’s pollinator programming into a common group, possibly applying for a working group through the NCIPM Center.

Digital badges - certificate of completing training (cranberry course, Jed C.)

2:45 - Open Discussion

Resumed NCIPM Center IPM Survey discussion

3:20 - Break

Tour

Adjourn for the day

3/2/2023

8:00 - Regional Climate Interactions with IPM (Aaron Wilson)

Climate Change Indicators - USDA publication

Slides available

Climate impacts on existing ag infrastructure (land ownership, wells, tiling, etc.)

Climate smart IPM, emerging pests and their management, changing pest fauna/flora

9:15 - NC IPM Center Updates (Laura Iles)

Lynnae retiring, will stay on part-time as working group liaison

The NC IPM does a lot for us, but what can we do for NC IPM Center? Keep center abreast of state/regional issues, utilize working groups

9:30 - Open Discussion

Should we have some kind of ‘onboarding’ for new state IPM coordinators?

Should we have an EIP Grant workshop for the next 3-year cycle?

Human infrastructure

On-line facilitated workshop (NCIPM Center facilitates) where we meet, discuss state priorities, find common themes for collaboration, work through the ‘nitty gritty’ of writing the EIP grant, breakout rooms for common themes? Structured writing time?

Conduct workshop sometime this fall (late November/early December)

We’ll need to identify what our workshop goals are, some ‘homework’ done before the meeting

Can we have Vijay, Emmanuel and/or Rubella join us or provide input? Getting good, consistent reviewers is an issue. Will NIFA have a reviewer training? We can provide input on past reviewer problems that we’ve encountered. Need consistency and understanding among reviewers

10:00 - Group Project Discussion

Podcasts (ISU), IPM video library (concatenate each state’s videos, send to Jacqueline at NC IPM Center)

Group report

Next year’s meeting - tentatively 2/27-2/29 2024, Kansas City? Pat and Frannie will work out hotel/meeting room details, coordinate with NC IPM Center, Pat develop agenda, get logistics nailed down within the next month

New chair election - Diane Plewa, University of Illinois, is our chair-elect!

Add Adam and Ed (ISU) to Basecamp, did some maintenance on Basecamp

Group Report Discussion - Objectives

Jim doing some editing in meeting, will get a final Objectives out on Basecamp

App Development Discussion - have a working group activity?

Bring in Joe L. for a ‘lunch and learn’ to discuss web-friendly mobile interfaces, session held online (Jim J. will contact Joe)

Regional ideas? Weather (mesonets), crop ‘dashboards’, etc.

11:20 - Adjourn

Accomplishments

OBJ. 1: Increase the capacity of members to implement Extension based programs. Activity: Members from each state will share at least one innovative project or program that is currently being implemented. Accomplishments: Over-arching multi-state activities were highlight by Michigan State University leading an effort to create a regional NCERA222 resourced podcast titled, “The IPM Central Podcast.” In 2022, the series kicked off with a special series celebrating the 50th anniversary of IPM with 7 episodes highlighting IPM programs from 6 states and the North Central IPM Center. The series was launched late in 2022 and the group is working to build listenership and expand the episode catalogue in 2023. Another unique multi-state activity called PhytoPoetry began in 2022. The goal of the PhytoPoetry project was to draw attention to some of the IPM work being done through Extension by using social media such as Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. There were 3,700 YouTube views, 420 Twitter followers, and 71 Instagram followers in the first year. Multiple states participated in the “I see dead plants” podcast which created 19 episodes based on interviews with a plant pathologist from the region on various topics. Nebraska co-led the Great Plains Master Beekeeping Program. North and South Dakota are working collaboratively to solve the red sunflower seed weevil pyrethroid resistance issue through jointly organized workshop. Other state centric projects included MO working with their state PSEP to focus on youth and pesticide safety through programs like Diquat Dan and Ag Pest Detectives to over 5,000 youth. Michigan State University is now offering a Pollinator Stewardship for Pesticide Applicators online course which covers pollinator appreciation, pesticide toxicity, pollinator risks, pesticide labels and how to support pollinator health.   OBJ. 2: Review, prioritize and disseminate IPM research and Extension needs. Activity: Review key IPM research and Extension needs that would be useful in conducting Extension programs, informing research activities, enhancing grant applications and assisting with state, regional, national and international agendas. Accomplishments: As a group we briefly discussed the importance of collaborating and communicating with NC peers and the IPM Center to distribute EPA pesticide-related notifications to relevant agricultural stakeholders including field faculty who can provide expert input into current field practices, product efficacy and use, and regulatory processes.  In the past year, these multi-state communications have been particularly critical in the upcoming potential Endangered Species Act pesticide labeling changes. We discussed at length the National IPM survey issued late in 2022 which most of the NC states participated in and contributed data toward. While the committee discussed some positive aspects of the survey, broad concern was expressed about the vague wording and potential for misinterpretation on several of the questions. Additional discussion centered on the need of a NC centric survey as the national survey may not describe the needs or accomplishments of our region very well. We did not have time in our annual meeting to officially review or discuss the NCERA 222 priorities but the most recent list (2018/19) has been recently circulated to all committee members for review and modernization as needed. This list is intended to help identify areas of concern that may need to be addressed by granting agencies active in the North Central region. The list will be published on the Center’s website. Some state centric research and extension needs include prioritizing tree health in the wake of recent destructive weather patterns, reaching out and educating youth who will be the next generation professionals, managing aphids in alfalfa due to spreading pyrethroid resistance, climate change impacts on IPM, sustainable and resilient agriculture, and outreach and training activities for Spotted Lanternfly invasion.   OBJ. 3: Increase collaboration and coordination between state IPM programs, NCIPMC related working groups and relevant NC multistate committees. Activity: Focus on communicating and interacting with relevant NCIPMC-funded working groups and other NC multistate committees in an effort to reduce redundancy and create efficient streams of information exchange and proactive future activities. Accomplishments: Connections across these various regional committees and program levels help ensure timely communication and information flow between states, research and extension faculty. Several members of the 222 committee and multiple faculty/specialists from each state contribute and participate in regional technical committees such as NC246: Ecology and management of arthropods in corn, Project S1080: Biology, impact, and management of soybean insect pests in soybean production systems, NCERA137: Soybean Diseases, NCERA184: Management of Small Grain Diseases, etc. Members of 222 and specialists/faculty from each state also share expertise in multi-state collaborations by helping to populate over a dozen NC IPM Center Working Groups such as Right of Ways, various Pollinator efforts, Urban Agriculture, Fruit and Vegetable, Hops, Hemp, Ticks, etc. Lastly, is the broad participation of several states in the Crop Protection Network which produces scouting videos, crop specific presentations/webinars, podcasts, publications and articles that impact growers and educators across the region.   OBJ. 4: Facilitate multistate programming to share curriculum and educational materials Activity: Provide publications, workshops and concepts that might have regional interest, enrich the knowledge base of members and positively impact end users in other states. Accomplishments: There were many excellent and unique state-based programs reported at the meeting which can be consolidated into the following categories: Pollinators in landscape / Pollinator health / Gardening (OH, ND, KS, IL, NB, MI) Crop specific (WI, MN, MO) Pesticide education (MN, MO) Multimedia / Social Media (IA, MI) If we focus on multistate programs and sharing, there was a collaboration developed between two NC IPM Center working groups that resulted in a grant submission to USDA NIFA; despite the grant not being funded this outcome was reported as a positive interaction. As reported earlier, the ISU based Crop Protection Network spurred numerous interstate collaborations (NB, OH, ND, KS, MN, IA) through its virtual crop scouting school, video production capability, two podcast series and crop specific presentation series. Ohio was the host state for this meeting and shared local expertise on creating and utilizing 3D printed objects successfully in extension and training activities ranging from Spotted Lanternfly egg masses to soybean leaf defoliation cards. Multiple states seemed extremely keen to learn more about this technology and expressed interested in attending a regional workshop where Dr. Andy Michel and others would teach a short course on building and printing 3D models. The NC IPM Center was interested to support and help coordinate this workshop.     What are the 3 most important research/extension needs in your state in 2023? While there was certainly a range of responses to this question, the top three responses were funding, pesticide resistance and exotic invasive pests. Perhaps surprisingly climate impacts did not appear as a top concern on most lists. -Funding needs to be increased across the board to retain or add IPM oriented personnel, infrastructure and the ability to offer relevant programs to clientele (10+ mentions). -Pesticide Resistance Management remains high on the radar with herbicide resistant weeds, fungicide and insecticide resistance issues mentioned often (6+ mentions). -Non-native and exotic pests are a concern as they require human capital for monitoring, cause significant economic disruption and upset current IPM programs (4+ mentions).

Publications

List Extension publications (focused on multi-state and regional activities) -Weed Control Guide for Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri. -Midwest Vegetable Production Guide -Midwest Cover Crops Field Guide, third edition -Reisig, D., Kesheimer, K., Bateman, N., Studebaker, G., Meyer, R., Reay-Janes, F., Shields, E., Owens, D. Buntin, G.D., Seiter, N., Hodgson, E., Sisson, A., Zukoff, A., Villanueva, R., Towels, T., Hamby, K., DiFonzo, C., Hutchison, B., Potter, B., Catchot, A., Cook, D., Bradshaw, J., Peterson, J., Beauzay, P., Knodel, J., Tilmon, K., Baute, T., Varenhorst, A., Brown, S., Kerns, D., Porter, P., Taylor, S., Jensen, B. 2022. Corn Invertebrate Loss Estimates from the United States and Ontario, Canada- 2021. Crop Protection Network. CPN 2019-21. doi.org/10.31274/cpn-20220722-0 -Webster, R. W., Roth, M. G., Mueller, B., Mueller, D. S., Chilvers, M. I., Telenko, D. E. P., Willbur, J. F., Mourtzinis, S., Conley, S., and Smith, D. 2022. Modern Integrated Management Practices for Controlling White Mold in Soybean. Crop Protection Network. CPN 5009. doi.org/10.31274/cpn-20220314-1 -The new MSU / OSU Insect Guide.    List Webinars (focused on multi-state and regional activities) -Emerald Ash Borer University -North Central IPM Pest & Progress Webinar: Region-wide Surveys and Pest Forecasting for Advancing Minnesota IPM Midwest Soybean Gall Midge Research Update webinars - 2022 Soybean gall midge regional webinars; http://soybeangallmidge.org   List YouTube videos / other media (focused on multi-state and regional activities) -Podcast series with MSU hosting: IPM Turns 50 -Podcast Series with ISU hosting: War Against Weeds  https://waragainstweeds.libsyn.com/ -Podcast series with ISU hosting: I see Dead Plants   List Journal articles (focused on multi-state and regional activities) - Broders, K., Iriarte-Broders, G., Bergstrom, G. C., Byamukama, E., Chlivers, M., Cruz, C., Dalla-Lana, F., Duray, Z., Malvick, D., Mueller, D., Paul, P., Plewa, D., Raid, R., Robertson, A., Salgado-Salazar, C., Smith, D., Telenko, D., VanEtten, K., and Kleczewski, N. 2022. Phyllachora species infecting maize and other grass species in the Americas represents a complex of closely related species. Ecology and Evolution. 12:4.  https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.8832   List Book chapters None

Impact Statements

Date of Annual Report: 06/12/2024

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 03/05/2024 - 03/06/2024
Period the Report Covers: 01/01/2023 - 12/31/2023

Participants

Patrick Beauzay, North Dakota State University; Mandy Bish, University of Missouri; Hannah Burrack, Michigan State University/Administrative Advisor; Emmanuel Byamukama, USDA-NIFA (virtual); Seth Dibblee, EPA (virtual); Jennifer Dobbs, EPA (virtual); Jared Fogue, University of Missouri; Anthony Hanson, University of Minnesota; Laura Iles, Iowa State University/NC IPM Center; Jim Jasinski, The Ohio State University; Lynnae Jess, Michigan State University/NC IPM Center; Amit Jheila, University of Nebraska; David Lane, Cornell University/NE IPM Center; Erin Lizotte, Michigan State University; Esneider Mahecha, University of Illinois; Mallory Marienfeld, Michigan State University; Frannie Miller, Kansas State University; Logan Minter, The Ohio State University; Daren Mueller, Iowa State University/NC IPM Center; Kelsey Mueller, Iowa State University/NC IPM Center (virtual); Diane Plewa, University of Illinois; Jacque Pohl, Iowa State University/NC IPM Center (virtual); Samuel Revolinski, University of Kentucky; Marissa Schu, University of Minnesota. SERA3 participants and affiliations were: Ric Bessin, University of Kentucky; Ashleigh Faris, Oklahoma State University; Janet Hurley, Texas A&M Agrilife; Heather Kelly, University of Tennessee; Joe LaForest, University of Georgia/Southern IPM Center; Norm Leppla, University of Florida; Roger Margarey, North Carolina State University/Southern IPM Center; Rebecca Melanson, Mississippi State University; Shelli Rampold, University of Tennessee; Francis Reay-Jones, Clemson University; Tegan Walker, North Carolina State University/Southern IPM Center; Kayla Watson, North Carolina State University/Southern IPM Center; Kiersten Wise, University of Kentucky

Brief Summary of Minutes

Please see attached file below for NCERA222's 2023 annual report.

Accomplishments

Publications

Impact Statements

Date of Annual Report: 08/14/2025

Report Information

Annual Meeting Dates: 03/03/2025 - 03/03/2025
Period the Report Covers: 01/01/1970 - 01/01/1970

Participants

Participants in attendance included: Patrick Beauzay, North Dakota State University; Mandy Bish, University of Missouri; Hannah Burrack, Michigan State University/Administrative Advisor (remote); Jared Fogue, University of Missouri; Anthony Hanson, University of Minnesota; Laura Iles, Iowa State University/NC IPM Center; Jim Jasinski, The Ohio State University; Lynnae Jess, Michigan State University/NC IPM Center; Amit Jheila, University of Nebraska; Erin Lizotte, Michigan State University; Esneider Mahecha, University of Illinois; Frannie Miller, Kansas State University; Logan Minter, The Ohio State University; Daren Mueller, Iowa State University/NC IPM Center; Diane Plewa, University of Illinois; Jacque Pohl, Iowa State University/NC IPM Center (virtual); Jed Colquhoun, University of Wisconsin; Marissa Schuh, University of Minnesota.

Brief Summary of Minutes

BRIEF SUMMARY OF MINUTES OF ANNUAL MEETING

In the morning there was a premeeting with all of the NC regional groups in attendance. This was a USDA-NIFA program that highlighted and discussed the continued development and implementation of a Regional IPM Reporting Tool. The purposes of the reporting tool will be to bring consistency in NIMSS reporting across regions, increase visibility and usability through a report dashboard and reduce reporting redundancy.

In the afternoon, NCERA222 participants met as a group. Hannah Burrack provided an update on the NCERA222 program including information on agInnovation North Central, Hatch research and a review of the NCERA222 project including objectives, timeline and responsibilities.

Coordinators from each state then presented on novel projects with multistate collaborative potential. Laura Illes and Daren Mueller presented on how to build a sustainable state IPM program, including tips for writing the CPPM proposal. They also led a discussion on the IPM center survey summary and identified larger regional issues we want to address as a group. This group also discussed the NCERA 222 objectives, how we are addressing them and if we want to revise them.

This meeting wrapped up with the election of the incoming chair, Anthony Hanson. Erin Lizotte is the current chair.

Accomplishments

ACCOMPLISHMENTS Objective 1: Increase the capacity of members to implement Extension based programs. Members from each state will share at least one innovative project or program that is currently being implemented. <ul> <li>North Dakota State University shared their work on the IPM Crop Survey, a statewide survey of diseases and insect pests in what, barley, soybean and sunflowers. This system maps incidence and severity weekly and is posted on NDSU IPM Website. They reported a 2.7-million-acre impact for this project. They also presented on the launch of new public teaching gardens, continuing to certify pollinator gardens and lawns, creating pollinator education modules for use in schools as well as Master Gardener participation in Monarch Joint Venture milkweed and larval monitoring, and iNaturalist Backyard Bumble Bee Count.</li> <li>University of Illinois reported on their IPM in Public Health program which includes ticks & other pests. This project is focused on human and animal health (companion, wild, and livestock animals) with the goals of: Increasing tick knowledge; Passive tick collections; and monitoring via shelters, wildlife rehabilitators, and veterinary hospitals.</li> <li>Kansas State University presented on a new resource created by the Kansas State University Integrated Pest Management (IPM) team that is available to help them identify 13 common Kansas weeds. The card deck provides an innovative resource to teach identification skills in an interactive manner and a way to see the different growth stages of the plant. Each card suit in the deck visually represents the seed, seedling, flower, and mature plant for each featured weed common in Kansas agriculture production. A booklet provides a description of each weed featured in the card deck.</li> <li>University of Nebraska reported out on a project to monitor soybean gall distribution in 7 states. In 2024, the Soybean Gall Midge website saw a significant increase in engagement, reaching over 13,751 unique visitors from all 50 U.S. states and 72 countries. In-season communication on pest emergence and management was supported by an alert system hosted on the Final Connect platform, which delivers automated phone calls, text messages, and emails to 608 subscribers across eight states and two Canadian provinces. Participation in the alert network increased by 5% compared to the previous year. The 2024 webinar on soybean gall midge reached 248 participants across nine states, representing over 7 million soybean acres. Among 58 respondents, reported yield losses reached up to 30% due to gall midge infestations.</li> <li>South Dakota State discussed their Crop Tour IPM webinar series. Held three days a week for nine weeks from January to March. The series covers a broad range of topics including corn, soybean, small grains, sunflower & pulse crops, forages, specialty crops, precision ag., soil health, and climate & markets. This is their largest annual event which requires collaboration across multiple disciplines, organizations and commodity groups and Averaged 40 attendees per session for a total of 1,080 over 27 sessions</li> <li>The University of Minnesota reported out on their pest forecasting system. Specifically discussing the use of NOAA data to forecast soybean aphid mortality. Iowa State University reported out on the Crop Protection Network. This group engages Input from 387 specialists from 42 U.S. states, Ontario, and Quebec, Canada and generated 24 new publications in 2024. They highlighted the group’s real-time crop pest mapping system, ‘Bean Binoculars’, and the corn fungicide ROI calculator.  The Iowa IPM Program is expanding the reach of its youth-focused IPM resources by sharing them with broader audiences through a North Central IPM Center Working Group and other regional and national venues. These efforts aim to build capacity for Extension programming by providing adaptable, research-based materials that other states can use in their own youth education initiatives.</li> <li>Michigan State University reported out on a new system for measuring impacts from web article publications. MSUE publishes hundreds of IPM articles each year. Many articles are focused on current crop scouting reports and communicating IPM resources and strategies. In spring 2024 they added a feedback widget to our IPM articles to capture impacts via a Qualtrics survey using Skip Logic. Captured KASA indicators and received 1,500 responses in less than a year! Respondents reported adopting new IPM practices, learning about new tools and much more.</li> <li>The Ohio State University presented on their program Bee Tree Trails. Information surrounding public outreach focused on Pollinator Health and supported by the "Bees for Trees" trail project was shared with other NCERA222 representatives. This represents a new angle of IPM pollinator health education in Ohio and allows for use of free digital infrastructure to enhance learning in public spaces. The concept may also be transferable to other subjects of outreach.</li> <li>University of Wisconsin gave a presentation on best practices for producing in-depth videos and field-based videos to serve stakeholder needs. In light of continued programmatic cuts to outreach communication resources (i.e.. videography, editing, etc.), we took two steps to train and outfit IPM extension outreach members with create, edit and publish their own high quality and consistently branded online IPM educational resources: green-screen dynamic presentations and in-field IPM videos. With simple and affordable video recording tools, IPM specialists were trained to create dynamic, interactive in-field videos on scouting, diagnostics and other IPM-related aspects that can be published via social media and our YouTube channel and used in conventional presentations at farmer conferences.  The full-access green-screen recording room allows specialists to create and edit professional quality presentations on more in-depth subjects (such as mechanisms of pest resistance) to support the in-field videos.  These outreach assets have been highly sought after by IPM clientele and are currently undergoing significant expansion.</li> </ul>   Objective 2: Review, prioritize and disseminate IPM research and Extension needs. Review key IPM research and Extension needs that would be useful in conducting Extension programs, informing research activities, enhancing grant applications and assisting with state, regional, national and international agendas. NCERA222 participants engaged in a major effort led by Darren Muller to identify current investments in IPM around the country and to identify the needs moving forward. The full publication, Integrated pest management: state infrastructure status after 50 yr of Federal support (1973 to 2023) can be viewed at Journal of Integrated Pest Management. 16 (1): 30. <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmaf016__;!!HXCxUKc!w3krxaieNwdnw1RpTt9GHPKWceaLsL2wU-VGyuTXmbwx-4M-hCMY8ARMKDzLJd64flZTf0Ljrk0R5BsCBMgYEMo$">https://doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmaf016</a>. The following is just a brief summary of some relevant findings. Survey responses were received from 52 out of 53 IPM programs. Respondents were asked to report up to 3 of the most important IPM needs in their state or territory. Responses were summarized and can be generally classified into infrastructure or programming needs. Primary infrastructure needs were increased funding or support for outreach, replacing or increasing expertise, and additional staffing. A respondent from the North Central region summarized primary infrastructure needs with this statement “Despite the many successes of IPM, a major area of growth remains improving grower access and use of science-based recommendations and insights from university faculty, specifically Extension…Developing grower trust and reliance on Extension, necessitates access, useability and reliability. Major cuts to Extension support and the uncertainty of soft dollar funding streams limit the ability of Extension to recruit and retain talent to serve stakeholders and has led to staffing reductions that spread people resources thin”. Secondary infrastructure needs included improved external communications, funding or support for research, and having staff on “hard money”. Primary programming needs identified were related to pesticide resistance, safety, and education, overcoming barriers to IPM adoption and reaching underserved people. This group is also part of an important national effort to streamline impact reporting which is critical to enhancing grant applications and identifying needs in the future.  Objective 3. Increase collaboration and coordination between state IPM programs, NCIPMC related working groups and relevant NC multistate committees. Focus on communication and interacting with relevant NCIPMC-funded working groups and other NC multistate committees in an effort to reduce redundancy and create efficient streams of information exchange and proactive future activities. The Iowa IPM Program actively engages in several Hatch Multistate groups (NCERA 137 and NCERA 184), regional ad hoc working groups such as the Southern Soybean Disease Workers and Corn Disease Working Group, and multiple NCIPMC-funded efforts. We lead or participate in collaborative initiatives including the Tactile Toolbox 3D printing project, the Alfalfa Working Group, and the Youth and IPM Working Group. These efforts strengthen communication across states, reduce duplication, and create efficient channels for sharing information and developing proactive, coordinated activities. Iowa co-leads the critical Crop Protection Network (CPN), a multistate collaboration that provides a centralized platform for Extension specialists working on field crops to share research-based, unbiased educational materials. Through CPN, we produce publications, videos, infographics, and online tools that are widely used across the region, enriching the knowledge base of IPM practitioners and stakeholders. This platform supports multistate programming by making high-quality resources easily accessible and adaptable for use in diverse Extension efforts. Kansas State University is lead on the War Against Weeds podcast and the Regional Wheat Virus Working group through the North Central Regional IPM Center. We currently have 8 working group members on the following working groups: Tactile Toolbox, War Against Weeds, School IPM and Pulse Crops. Kansas State also has members who serve on NC 1197, NC 1208, NCERA 184 and NCERA 222. The University of Minnesota has been working with other IPM coordinators in surrounding states to address new challenges in alfalfa weevil management. This includes coordinating research on weevil insecticide resistance and examining updates to extension IPM tactics for the pest. These collaborations have been used to explore future upcoming funding opportunities for region-wide collaboration on this pest. Minnesota collaborates with North Dakota State University on predicting winter kill for soybean aphids and region-wide maps of wheat and soybean pests during the summer: <a href="https://z.umn.edu/mn-ndsu-wheatipm">https://z.umn.edu/mn-ndsu-wheatipm</a>. MN IPM collaboration also focused on invasive species such as cereal leaf beetle with NDSU and addressing horticultural invasive pests such as Swede midge and jumping worms. UMN IPM has been involved in the NCIPM Alfalfa Pest Management Working Group as well as NCERA184  Management of Small Grain Diseases, NECC2103 High tunnel specialty crop production, S1080  Improving Soybean Arthropod Pest Management in the U.S., NCERA224  IPM Strategies for Arthropod Pests and Diseases in Nurseries and Landscapes, NCERA137 Soybean Diseases and NC246 Ecology and Management of Arthropods in Corn. University of Missouri collaborates with USDA-ARS on NC IPM critical issues project: Tracking Flight Activity of Corn Leafhopper and Detection of Corn Stunt Disease Across the USA Midwest. NC1197 Practical Management of Nematodes on Corn, Soybean, and Other Crops of Regional Importance. Also has participants in NCERA13 Soil Testing and Plant Analysis, NC1210 Frontiers in On-Farm Experimentation, and NCERA137 Soybean Diseases. University of Nebraska Recently funded NCIPM Center funded project in NE. Integrated management of herbicide-resistant volunteer corn in corn: Research & Extension ($30,000). PD: Amit Jhala. Many University of Nebraska-Lincoln faculty members are members of USDA Multistate Committees including NC246 Ecology and Management of Arthropods in Corn (Co-PI Dr. McMechan); NC1173: Sustainable Solutions to Problems Affecting Bee Health (Co-PI Dr. Wu-Smart); and S1080: Improving Soybean Arthropod Pest Management (Co-PI Dr. McMechan). The Project Director (PD) and IPM Coordinator Dr. Amit Jhala is a member of NCERA222 and active contributor and member of North Central Weed Science Society and Weed Science Society of America. Dr. Jhala is also a member and contributor of Get Rid of Weeds (GROW) through IPM, Co-PI Dr. Wu-Smart and Jennifer Weisbrod, Pesticide Safety & Education Program Coordinator, are members of the Mid-Western Managed Pollinator Protection Plan (MP3) Working Group, and IPM4Bees Working Group supported by the North Central IPM Center North Dakota State University IPM related working groups and multistate committees include the Pulse Crops Working Group, Extension Entomologists Working Group, Crop Protection Network, and the Sunflower Pathology Working Group. Multistate committees include NCERA222, NCERA137, NC246, NCERA184, and S1080. Michigan State University faculty participate in many multistate groups. The following highlights IPM focused groups; NC1208 Biology, Etiology, and Management of Dollar Spot in Turfgrasses, NE2140 Sustainable Management of Nematodes in Plant and Soil Health Systems, and NCERA137: Soybean Diseases. MSU also participated in NCIPM Center working groups including Great Lakes Fruit Workers, Great Lakes Vegetable Workers, Great Lakes Hop Working Group and the Managed Pollinator Protection Plans group. The Ohio State participates in North Central IPM, Great Lakes Urban Agriculture Working Group, Great Lakes Vegetable Working Group, Connect Extension National Urban Extension Leaders, Crop Protection Network Objective 4. Facilitate multistate programming to share curriculum and educational materials. Provide publications, workshops and concepts that might have regional interest, enrich the knowledge base of members and positively impact end users in other states. Participants reported out on curriculum and educational materials that may be of interest to other states during our annual meeting. Several NCERA222 participants are currently working to develop the next NCERA222 proposal for this group and continuing to evolve our objectives over time. At our annual meeting, one experienced IPM Coordinator discussed how to make IPM Programs more sustainable, and all members shared examples of publications, workshops and concepts that might have regional interest, enrich the knowledge base of members and positively impact end users in other states. This group is active on Basecamp, sharing new resources that may have regional applications, sharing job postings to recruit desirable candidates into IPM focused positions as well as seeking interested parties to participate in ongoing projects.

Publications

Publications Chahal, K; Wachendorf, E.; Miles, L.A,; Stallmann, A.; Lizotte, E.; Mandujano, M.; Byrne, J.; Miles, T.D.; and Sakalidis, M.L.. 2024. First Report of Bretziella fagacearum Infecting Chestnut in Michigan. Plant Disease, 2024, Vol. 108, Issue 5, p1397. Johnson, A., Mchinnis, E., and Knodel, J. 2024. The Monarch Butterfly Part II: Conservation Gardens in the Northern Plains. NDSU Extension Publication E2236, May 2024. Legleiter, T., T. Butts, A. Essman, J. Ikley, S. Lancaster, R. Werle. 2024. Adjuvants with Herbicides. When and Why They are Needed. CPN-4011. doi: 10.31274/cpn-20240520-0 2024 CPN Cultivator Award – most viewed CPN publication Markell, S., Webster, R.W., and Malvick, D. 2024. Soybean Disease Diagnostic Series. NDSU Extension Publication PP1867, January 2024. Mueller, D.S., Iles, L.C., Pilcher, C., Sisson, A.J., Magarey, R., Adams, R., Almodovar, W.I., Alston, D., Beauzay P., Bessin, R., Bish, M., Burrows, M., Calixto, A., Chandran, R., Colquhoun, J.B., Concklin, M., Dreves, A.J., Ellsworth, P.C., Esker, P.D., Farrar, J., Fournier, A., Frank, D., Hamby, K., Hamilton, G., Hanson, A., Hazelrigg, A., Hein-Ferris, N., Held, D., Jasinski, J., Kelly, H.M., Kerns, D., Kersten, M., Kerzicnik, L.M., Knodel, J., Koehler, G., Kratsch, H., Krupke, C.H., Leppla, N.C., Lizotte, E., Matney, C., Melanson, R.A., Miller, F., Murray, M., Owens, D., Plewa, D., Reay-Jones, F., Rondon, S.I., Royer, T.A., Rozeboom, P.A., Sandler, H., Schell, S.P., Schuh, M., Seipel, T., Seth-Carley, D., Sial, A., Singh, R., Smith, D.L., Stock, T., Studebaker, G., Szczepaniec, A., Tewksbury, L., Tooker, J., Varenhorst, A.J., Vinchesi-Vahl, A., Walsh, D., Wickwar, D., Wright, R.J., and Zebelo, S. 2025. Integrated Pest Management (IPM): State infrastructure status after 50 years of federal support (1973-2023). Journal of Integrated Pest Management. 16 (1): 30. <a href="https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmaf016__;!!HXCxUKc!w3krxaieNwdnw1RpTt9GHPKWceaLsL2wU-VGyuTXmbwx-4M-hCMY8ARMKDzLJd64flZTf0Ljrk0R5BsCBMgYEMo$">https://doi.org/10.1093/jipm/pmaf016</a> Peters, T., Ikley, J., Sarangi, D., and Nicolai, D. 2024. Herbicide Resistant Traits in Minnesota and North Dakota. NDSU Extension Publication PS1945, January 2024. Wise K, Allen T, Bradley C, Camiletti BX, Chilvers M, Mangel D, Mathew F, Mueller D, Sisson A, Smith D, and Tenuta A (2025) Scouting for soybean stem diseases. Crop Protection Network. CPN 1002. Wise K, Mueller D, Bradley C, Chilvers M, Duffeck M, Mangel D, Sisson A, Smith D, and Tenuta A (2025) Soybean stem zone lines: fact or fiction. Crop Protection Network. CPN 1015. Wise K, Mueller D, Bradley C, Chilvers, Lopez-Nicora H, Mangel D, Sisson A, Smith D, and Tenuta A (2025) Soybean seed treatments: Questions that emerge when plants don’t. Crop Protection Network. CPN 1016. Educational Materials War Against Weeds podcasts (funded by NCIPMC) https://waragainstweeds.libsyn.com/  also available at CPN website <a href="https://cropprotectionnetwork.org/">https://cropprotectionnetwork.org/</a> <a href="https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/spotted-lanternfly-resources-from-msu-extension">Spotted lanternfly resources from MSU Extension</a>, January 14, 2025. Michigan State University Extension News. <a href="https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/epas-vulnerable-species-action-plan-may-impact-pesticide-applicators-in-michigan">EPA’s Vulnerable Species Action Plan may impact pesticide applicators in Michigan</a>, November 11, 2024. Michigan State University Extension News.