NEERA1001: The Northeast Research, Extension, and Academic Program Committee for Integrated Pest Management [NEREAP-IPM]
(Multistate Research Coordinating Committee and Information Exchange Group)
Status: Inactive/Terminating
Date of Annual Report: 04/27/2009
Report Information
Period the Report Covers: 04/01/2008 - 04/01/2009
Participants
Audrey Moore, Andrea Szylvain and Steve Hopkins of EPARoger Adams, University of Connecticut
Tom Melton and James Vankirk, North Carolina State
Carrie Koplinka-Loehr, John Ayers, NE IPM Center
William Coli, University of Massachusetts,
Joanne Whalen, University of Delaware
Sandy Sardanelli, University of Maryland
Curtis Petzoldt, Cornell University
James Dill, University of Maine
Rakesh Chandran, University of West Virginia
Ed Rajotte, Pennsylvania State University
David Jefferson University of Washington, DC
Marty Draper, USDA CSREES
Brief Summary of Minutes
The following topics were discussed at the meeting.-EPA update of IPM related activities
-Extension Directors Update of IPM activities
-Changes at the NSF IPM Center and what opportunities for interaction for NEREAP exist
-NE IPM Center and Grants programs update
-NEREAP and national IPM impact assessment projects Funding of 2 projects will allow cooperation in the next year among states for impact assessment.
-Brief state funding situations/reports soft copies provided for some states
-Election of 2011 Chair (James Dill is 2010 Chair) Joanne Whalen was elected chair for 2011
-Most of the discussion focused on the new competitive process for IPM funding among the states and the results of the 2009-2010 round. In general, with a couple of exceptions, states in the northeast region were successful in obtaining the same or higher funding under the competitive process. Specific recommendations that NEREAP could make to USDA CSREES for the next RFA were discussed. After extensive discussion, a vote was taken on input to be made to the listening process for the 2010-2011 RFA. James Dill, 2010 chair, sent the following list of agreed upon inputs to the RFA listening process:
1. Two phase RFA Coordination- competition achieved by measuring proposal against a standard list of criteria. Should be multiple years of continuing funding at $75,000 per year for 4-years, based on available funding each year.
2. Enhancement categories: No formulaic category caps; No restrictions on the number of categories for which one can apply; Add 3 categories--- livestock, wildlife and possibly a miscellaneous (as a place for other IPM programming doesn't fit into listed categories) pest management categories.
3. Roll other CSREES extension-oriented funds into EIPM.
4. Cap the total amount for each state's proposal at $300,000 per year
5. Allow for language promising interstate collaboration without using subcontracts or roll collaboration funds into coordination (see #6)
6. Better define collaboration and its documentation in the rfa or remove collaboration completely as a criterion "and we would suggest moving the $25,000 into coordination-so we now have $50,000 and would only have to remove $25,000 from the enhancement funding part of the proposal)
7. Better informed panelists concerning the mission of Extension and on the
nature and operation of an IPM program and better knowledge of the RFA especially concerning the use of the logic model for evaluation, which was a guideline but not required and everyone who didn't use the logic model was
chastised.
Accomplishments
The following activities and impacts (according to the planned milestones) were realized in the reporting period for NEREAP<br /> <br /> -NEREAP-IPM met on 3/23/09 and prioritized and discussed emerging issues, shared experiences and plans, devised regional responses to national issues, coordinated collaborative, multistate activities, and reported IPM impacts.<br /> <br /> <br /> -A work group for IPM impact assessment submitted a proposal and was funded to be active during 2009 to assess IPM impact regionally. The first meeting is scheduled for May 8. <br /> <br /> <br /> -Petzoldt and Dill (current chairperson and chairperson elect) attended the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy/Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP/ESCOP) National IPM Committee.<br /> <br /> <br /> -Petzoldt and Dill served on the Steering Committee and the Advisory Committee of the Northeast IPM Center. <br /> <br /> <br /> -This report was submitted 4/27/09.Publications
NoneImpact Statements
- Input was made to the USDA CSREES IPM competitive process
Date of Annual Report: 04/11/2011
Report Information
Period the Report Covers: 04/01/2009 - 04/01/2010
Participants
Jim Dill and Glen Koehler, University of MaineWilliam Coli, Sonia Schloemann, and Dan Cooley, University of Massachusetts
Heather Faubert, University of Rhode Island
Ana Legrand, University of Connecticut
Ed Rajotte, Penn State University
Curt Petzoldt, Cornell University
Joanne Whalen, University of Delaware
Sandra Sardanelli and Cerruit Hooks, University of Maryland-College Park
Stephan Tubane, University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Rakesh Chandran, University of West Virginia
Carrie Koplinka-Loehr, Northeast IPM Center
Mike Fitzner National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Brief Summary of Minutes
Update from USDA-NIFA Michael Fitzner, National Institute of Food and Agriculture:
A comprehensive review was presented including how Global Food Security applies to IPM, a discussion of a National Research Council piece on A New Biology for the 21st Century, and E-IPM Coordination grants for 2011-2013. He indicate that all 56 proposals submitted were funded to some extent ($11.7 million requested; $8.5 million funded). For the Northeast region, the average award was $151,725 average and twelve given in the NE. Most states requested a 3 year grant. Averages for other 3 regions: 192,000 North Central, 187,000 Southern Region and 113,000 Western Region.
Detailed Discussion on ipmPIPE. After a long discussion on what will occur with the ipmPipe system, the group decided to proceed with a conference call or webinar to look at how the NEERA1001 could move the issue forward, especially in the areas of IPM Modeling/Wide Area Monitoring/Forecasting. Key people identified to work on a conference call included Carrie Koplinka-Loehr, CurtPetzoldt, Ana Legrand and Joanne Whalen. Others identified to include were Juliet Carroll. Cornell, Marty Draper,NIFA Mark Gleason (two projects: NC Regional Weather IWG with Forrest Nutter; IPM Decision Support Grant), Canadian partners, Mark Russo, Scott Isard, Jeffery Andresen (andresen@msu.edu), Mike Brewer, Glenn Koehler (Orchard Radar), Abby Seaman (late blight....pheromone traps), Curt Petzoldt (NEWA), Paul Jepson, Jay Brunner, Vince Jones (Washington State). Possibly combine weather / forecasting programs / field reports. It was also discussed that we need to get Extension Extension directors behind the idea of an ipmPIPE-like proposal. Let National Weather Service/Skybit collect the data (dont get into weather machines). The possibility of submitting an SCRI or AFRI grant was also discussed.
Relevancy Panel for RIPM - The group discussed the need for the relevancy panel. It was decided that the Center should ask IPM coordinators for suggestions of who could serve on the panel. Overall, there was a lot of support for keeping the relevance panel as part of the RIPM process.
Bed Bug Prograns in the Northeast There was detailed discussion of what is occurring with bed bug IPM Programs in the northeast: (a) in Pennsylvania - Hazelton (and other) schools infested; started the Center Regional Bedbug Coalition, (b) In Massachusetts: Craig Hollingsworth is working with bedbugs and has documented that 25% of housing units in Springfield are infested, (c) In New York - NYC mayor formed a bed bug task force; Jody G-K is chair; (d) NE-IPM Center Alison Taisey working with bedbugs in Healthy Housing project. Whats new in Bedbug management.(e) Bedbugs on youtubeDini Miller. (f) Rachel Maccini is trying to establish a NE working group on bedbugs. Her proposal for the working group was only partially funded at slightly less than half of what was requested.
Future of NEREAP It is currently a multi-state project through 2011 with our administrative contacts being Roger Adams ( Extension Directors) and Mike Hoffman ( Experiment Station Directors. The group supported that a block of time should be kept for coordinator issues but there is a need to re-invigorate participation by extension and academic appointees at each institution.
In the future we should consider topics that are common interest for the entire group ( i.e IPM Coordinators, Research and Academic colleagues) as well as topics included in the RIPM proposals. Regional cooperation is an important component and it was pointed out that the Evaluation Working Group was a good example of a regional partnership that evolved out of our annual meeting.
We also discussed that we could have a theme for the meeting AFRIs Wide Area Monitoring was suggested as an example. The group discussed the possibility of a working session during next years meeting to target funding, development of a working group for proposals and a webinar at the next meeting. Group tends to consist of IPM coordinators; not many researchers or academic people.
Future of NE IPM Center: The position to replace John Ayers would be largely administrative. Carrie summarized Johns role in the center: establish the grants panels, interacts with USDA on grants, meets with other center directors ( 3 times per year), sits on the SARE Administrative Council and IPM PIPE Steering Committee. Summarizing the main 2 roles: grants management and think tank for the future of the center. Two-state model is encouraged; award must go to a 4-yr degree-granting institution, not a group. Penn State is identifying an individual who might be Johns successor. Maine is also interested in continuing a dialogue about participation in the next grant. If funding is restored, RFA would be released late 2010 or early 2011, before next NEREAP meeting. Coli: Avoid dramatic change in a center thats working (current PSU/Cornell arrangement)
Representative to the NE IPM Center Steering Committee: Sonia Schloemann, University of Massachusetts
Accomplishments
The following activities and impacts (according to the planned milestones) were realized in the reporting period for NEREAP <br /> <p><br /> (1) NEREAP-IPM met April 13-14, 2010 to prioritize and discuss emerging issues, shared experiences and plans, devise regional responses to national issues, coordinate collaborative, multistate activities, and report IPM impacts. <br /> <p><br /> Dill and Whalen (current chairperson and chairperson elect) attended the Extension Committee on Organization and Policy/Experiment Station Committee on Organization and Policy (ECOP/ESCOP) National IPM Committee.<br /> <p> <br /> Dill served on the Advisory Committee of the Northeast IPM Center. <br />Publications
Impact Statements
Date of Annual Report: 04/12/2011
Report Information
Period the Report Covers: 04/01/2010 - 04/01/2011
Participants
NEERA 1001 Members: Audrey Moore and Andrea Szylvain, EPA ; Carrie Koplinka-Loehr, and John Ayers, NE IPM Center; Marty Draper and Elizabeth Ley, National Institute of Food and Agriculture; Dam Cooley, William Coli and Sonia Schloemann, University of Massachusetts; Alan Eaton, University of New Hampshire; Richard Casagrande, Rhode Island; James Dill and Glen Koehler, University of Maine; Lorraine Berkett and Ann Hazelrigg, University of Vermont; Ana Legrand, University of Connecticut; Joanne Whalen and Mark VanGessel, University of Delaware; Cerruti Hooks, University of Maryland; Jennifer Grant, Cornell University; Dean Polk, Rutgers University, Rakesh Chandran, University of West Virginia, and Ed Rajotte, Pennsylvania State University; Wade Elmer, Connecticut Ag Experiment Station.
Other New England IPM Professionals part of New England Coordination Working Group ( 3/2/11 only): David Handley, University of Maine ; Peggy Siligato, University of Rhode Island; Candace Bartholomew, University of Connecticut.
Brief Summary of Minutes
March 2, 2011
Summary of the Wide-Area Monitoring and Forecasting Meeting, March 1, 2011: A proposed product of the 2 Wide Area Monitoring Webinars was the submission of a NERA planning grant. The grant was submitted with the leadership of Carrie Koplinka Loehr and input from a number of others involved in wide area monitoring in the NE. Although it was not funded through NERA, the NE IPM Center agreed to support a smaller meeting of interested individuals. The goals of the meeting were: a) briefly review regional and national monitoring/forecasting tools available) determine gaps that need to be filled to advance grower adoption of IPM; c) clarify the objectives to be met by a collaborative grant proposal; d) review and decide on appropriate funding sources; and e) create work teams and a timeline for the proposal. Although no proposal came forward from the meeting, there was great exchange and better understanding of what is occurring in the NE and other regions between individuals at the meeting as well as folks calling in by conference call. As a result of the meeting, it appears that small collaborations will develop between a number of groups including Maine and the Paul Jepsons group at Oregon State, NEWA and an Atkins Center grant in NY as well as Harvey Reisiggs SCRI planning grant. In 2013, E-IPM Proposals there may be another opportunity for multistate collaborations under the area of Wide Area Monitoring.
Coordination Activities: Currently there is an officially funded New England Coordination Working Group made up of members of NEERA1001 and other IPM professionals. This group meet with the entire NEERA 1001membership to discuss coordination of programs at the regional level. Topics of discussion included : (a) Developing an IPM Community of Practice in the NE Region for Home Owner/.Master Gardener IPM, (b) Development of a Template for Regional Fact Sheets NE IPM Center will pursue, (c) Regional Publication Needs : The Management of Voles was identified as a possible topic. Alan Eaton (NH) and Joanne Whalen (DE) will work on coordination of a publication; Pest Management in High Tunnels; Pollinators and Weed Management; Aquatic Weed management; Invasive Weed Species; (b) Regional Hot Topics/ Potential New Pests: Expand the Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Pest Alert to 2 levels of fact sheets: homeowners vs. agriculture , Weed Resistance Management, Vertebrate Pests and Spotted Winged Drosophila, and (c) Regional Grant Opportunities. Breakout sessions also occurred to focus on topics specific to the New England and Mid-Atlantic Groups. Major points that came out of the New England Groups breakout session included : 1) Prospects and advantages for a unified publication management system for all of the New England crop production guides, including a database of pesticide characteristics integrated into the different guides to greatly reduce the clerical work required to update the guides each year. 2) Need and opportunity for a regional school turf IPM management effort. 3) Need for updated baseline information on pesticide use patterns for tree fruit and possibly other crops in New England. The values used for comparative purposes in evaluation IPM program impacts are from the 1980s.4) Value in continuing regional crop oriented meetings that serve as the primary networking opportunity for IPM educators. 5) Advantages available from better coordination between the IPM and Pesticide Safety Education Programs in each state, including PESP participation in NEERA. 6) Interest in compiling plant disease and insect specimen diagnostic records from across New England into a single reference database. The Mid-Atlantic group focused on plans to develop a Field Crop Working Group . Keith Waldron from Cornell joined the group by conference call to provide background on a previous NE Field Crop Working Group. A survey is planned to get input into development of priorities
IPM 3 Presentation: Bob Nowierski, National Institute of Food and Agriculture: joined the group by conference call and provided an overview of IPM Cubed. He then lead a discussion on how the NEREAP IPM group could be part of IPM cubed and identified possible NEREAP-IPM projects such as EQUIP training for specialty crops for TSPs, and providing assistance with the Bedbugs module which is under development.
IPM Center Reports
Carrie Koplinka-Loehr presented information about the centers involvement in the following: (a) Collaborations with HUD on IPM Programs including training sessions, kits and DVDs; (b) Participant in an SCRI grant on BMSB were the Center will providing decision support to the group if the grant is funded; (c) IPM Voice a non- profit group being developed as an entity to advocate for IPM that is separate from Land Grants and Government entities. They are currently developing by-laws; (d) Collaboration with the National Clean Plant Network to target nurseries and extension educators. She also provided an update on staff replacement and website updates.
John Ayers Provided the group with an update on the NE RIPM Grants Program and the Partnership Grants Program. There were 25 proposals submitted to the RIPM program and 5 were funded. There 22 proposals submitted to the Partnership Grants Program and 19 were funded.
March 3, 2011
Reports from National Institute of Food and Agriculture:
Marty Draper A comprehensive overview was provided to the group and detailed discussion covered a number of topics including: the status of E-IPM (2011-13), funding carryover, the new RFA, President 2012 budget, AFRI Challenge area, FADI funding current status of the federal continuing resolutions as of March 3. The group was made of the aware of the fact that there is a requirement in the E-IPM grant that project directors report on grant activities and accomplishments at some type of PD workshop, i.e. all funded projects have a requirement to be part of NEERA 1001. Marty also indicated that one part of the 2012 National IPM Symposium in Memphis will be a PD workshop where all will be required to either present orally or as a poster. He provided all with a PDF of his presentation.
Elizabeth Ley Liz covered a number of important topics related to the E-IPM Grants including CRIS reports including information on progress and final reports, details on how the continuation awards will be handled, statutory time limit of the grants ( RIPM is 3 years and E-IPM is 5 years), information on no-cost extensions, pre-awards and budget changes. She also provided the group with a PDF of her presentation.
EPA Reports
Audrey Moore EPA Region 2 Audrey reported on 2 grant programs as well as provide an update on PESP projects and their IPM in Schools data base: (a) EPA Region 2 Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program (PESP): The following 2 year PESP grant was awarded in 2011 to Rutgers University for a project titled Implementing IPM-based Tools to Increase Adoption of New Reduced-Risk Insecticides in Cranberries for $53,000. This project will evaluate the efficacy of new reduced-risk (RR) insecticides as alternatives to currently used organophosphate insecticides in cranberries, develop and validate degree-day models to more precisely time insecticide sprays, measure biological and environmental benefits of RR pest management practices, educate cranberry growers about these practices, and measure growers adoption and attitude towards RR integrated pest management (IPM practices).(b) EPA Region 2
Strategic Agricultural Initiative (SAI): The following 2 year SAI grants were awarded in 2010 to Cornell University. The first project titled Partnering for Pesticide Reduction: Using grower partnerships to develop resources for increasing use of biocontrol in NYS greenhouses for $95,939 will focus on a partnership of Cornell with growers and the greenhouse industry group NYS Flower Industries (NYSFI) to create a workbook entitled Getting Started with Biocontrol for Greenhouse Insect Management. This workbook will promote the use of biological control of insect pests as an alternative to chemical insect management. New York State has approximately 23.8 million square feet of greenhouse space for the production of floricultural crops with over 800 producers. Increasing the use of biocontrol will impact environmental and human health through reductions in insecticide applications while still maintaining product quality. The second project titled Project DRIFT (Drift Reduction through Innovative Farming Technology for $99,941 has a primary goal to preserve water and air quality by minimizing volatile pesticide drift at lakeside and coastal vineyards and local vineyard urban/rural interfaces in New Yorks Lake Erie and Finger Lakes regions as well as in New Jerseys Coastal Plains region. As part of this project, the researchers will develop affordable, adjustable air flow retrofits for traditional air blast sprayers and install them on four cooperating growers machines (two in New York and two in New Jersey). Cornell University NYSAES will encourage partnerships and technology transfer between vineyard managers, scientists and local extension agencies during retrofit demonstrations at numerous growers meetings in the region. (c) PESP Project Updates : The Regional PESP grant to the University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ for their project entitled: TickLES - Tick Learning and Education for Schools: An Interactive Multi-media Training Program for 4th to 8th Grade Students is nearing completion. The game and video should be available soon on the following web sites: www.LymeDiseaseAssociation.org, www.cdc.gov/ticks, www.epa.gov, and (d) IPM in Schools Database: Their office has developed a database with the emails of all public schools for grades K-12 in NY and NJ. We will use this database to conduct an electronic mass mailing of our publications. The database has gone through a beta-test.
Audrey also provide updates from John Butler ( who had another meeting commitment) from EPA Region 3 regarding 2 grants programs: (a) Strategic Agricultural Initiative Program 2 year projects one to Penn State for a strawberry bio inoculation project and one to the PA Sustainable Ag group.
(b) Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program awarded to the Maryland Department of Health and for a Bed Bug Project.
Andrea M. Szylvian EPA Region 1- Andrea reported on 2 grant programs:
(a) STRATEGIC AGRICULTURAL INITIATIVE (SAI) PROGRAM - The following year 2 years SAI grant was awarded in 2010 to the University of Massachusetts for a project titled: "Promoting the Adoption of Reduced Risk Options for Weed Control in Commercial Cranberry Production" for $99,692. The project seeks to help cranberry growers understand what weed control options (beyond herbicides) are available to growers by evaluating several types of flame cultivation--the types are: open flame, infrared, and infrared spike as well as evaluating the use of plant growth regulators which can also be used for weed control. (b) PESTICIDE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM (PESP): The Region 1 PESP grant has been selected, but not awarded. At this time, we are not able to announce the recipient.
Current Undergraduate IPM Classroom Activities Anna Legrand University of Connecticut and Ed Rajotte Penn State University
At the NEREAP meeting in 2010, we discussed the need to better engage the academic community in NEREAP. Currently, we have at least two IPM coordinators in the region involved in delivery IPM classes to undergraduates at their Universities.
Ana Legrand, University of Connecticut Current class room activities focus on two and four year students in a variety of majors including horticulture, natural resource management, landscape and turf. Use a mixture of lectures, guest speakers, tem papers and exams to teach IPM principles. Currently uses the textbook Concepts in IPM by Robert Norris, et al as a basis for the course.
Ed Rajotte Penn State University The IPM class at Penn State is team taught and designed as an upper level Capstone Course. Includes field trips as well as work on a team project to work on a real world pest problem and are required to come up with feasible IPM solutions.
State Reports: Each State provided highlights of program activities since the last meeting The details of each state report are contained in individual state reports submitted to the chair (Joanne Whalen) and distributed to the membership. Dean Polk from Rutgers University provided the group with a presentation on documenting and reporting on program impacts
Chair starting April 2011 Rakesh Chandran, University of West VA
Chair Elect : Ana Legrand , University of Connecticut