Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Below are highlights of accomplishments drawn from individual state reports. State Reports in their entirety are in the attached file in the minutes section.

Program Outcomes Summary (AZ):

Across all IPM program areas, we reached over 9,000 participants at 43 Cooperative Extension meetings and at industry conferences and university events, delivering 139.5 AZ CEUs, 57 CA CEUs, 11 Certified Crop Advisor CEUs and 49 CEUs from Office of Pest Management for urban pest management. These included several field days and research demonstrations for agricultural crops, pesticide safety, turf and school IPM.

Bed bug IPM

California and Montana reported on programs to manage bed bugs. Arizona has bed bug IPM programs included in other community/school programs.

Activity: Capturing the ABCs of Bed Bug Management: Bed bug management is especially challenging in low-income multi-unit housing (MUH) situations. (CA)

Outputs:

• IPM Advisor Andrew Sutherland and several western urban entomologists and extension specialists formed a working group with funding provided by USDA’s Western Integrated Pest Management Center.
• An online survey was developed and distributed to pest management professionals (PMPs) to assess their current bed bug management practices, the most challenging aspects associated with bed bug management in MUHs, and the self-reported needs of the industry that may improve
• bug management outcomes in these environments.
• 2 publications (also in publications list)
  • Sutherland, A. M., D. Choe, V. Lewis, D. Young, A. Romero, H. Spafford and D. Gouge 2015. Survey sheds light on bed bugs in multi-unit housing. Pest Control Technology, September.
  • Campbell, K., A. Sutherland, V. Lewis and D. Choe. 2015 California multi-unit housing managers answer bed bug survey. California Apartment Manager.

Activity: Bed Bug workshops (MT)

Outputs: Two workshops on Bed bugs with 110 participants were presented during the reporting period.

Short-term Outcomes: A post-workshop online survey of participants at one of the workshops was administered two weeks following the workshop with a 44% response rate. Participants were most confident in their awareness of resources to help with bed bug infestation (4.53 on a 5.00 Likert scale). They were least confident in their ability to treat bed bugs (3.85) Participants were generally confident in their ability identify a bed bug (4.15), what steps to follow if they find a bed bug (4.41) and how to identify bed bug damage and infestation (4.41). Participants were less enthusiastic about further training on bed bug detection (3.41) perhaps because it was covered thoroughly in this workshop.

Landscape and Community IPM

Most states reported programs addressing IPM for pests found in the landscape or other non-crop areas. These included projects for noxious weeds, entomology training (including mosquitoes as disease vectors), community gardens, honeybees, training Master Gardeners, and structural pests.

Activity: Checklist Guides Pest Management Activities (CA)

At least half the pesticides used in California are applied in urban or residential areas, targeting pests that infest landscape plants and other outdoor areas. Landscape professionals and gardeners who manage outdoor pests and problems often don’t know what problems to anticipate and things to look for from season to season. Associate Director for Urban and Community IPM, Karey Windbiel-Rojas, working with UC IPM Writer Steve Dreistadt, and a team of UCCE advisors, specialists, UC Master Gardeners, and other staff, helped create a regional and seasonal checklist to help landscape professionals and gardeners find pest-specific IPM information.

Outputs: The seasonal landscape IPM checklist enables professionals and gardeners to identify pest-related activities to implement throughout the year. Users are able to subscribe to receive monthly email alerts for their region and download a PDF of their checklist.

Activity: Salmon-Safe education and certification for public facilities (WA)

Outputs: IPM training for facility pest managers conducted

Short-term outcomes:

• Two facilities received Salmon-Safe certification
  • Seattle Children’s Hospital
  • Port of Seattle Seatac
• One facility underwent pre-assessment
  • PacTrust/Hopworks Vancouver

Activity: Montana Noxious Weed Realtor Training Course (MT)

Outputs: The Montana Noxious Weed Realtor Training Course was launched in the fall of 2015 through the online platform Digital Chalkboard. This module–based program provides training on how to identify Montana noxious weeds and resources for treating them. Realtors receive continuing education credits for completing the course. To date 22 individuals have taken the course.

Short-term Outcomes: Results for participants completing the course through July 2016 indicate that 95% thought the course adequately addressed the topic of noxious weed identification and management. Sixty-four percent said that noxious weeds are a problem on the properties they list in Montana. All agreed that the course increased their knowledge, ability to inform clients of noxious weeds, and ability to recognize noxious weeds on the properties they list.

A Likert scale was used to collect the “Level of Awareness” about Montana noxious weeds from participants. Before taking the Montana Noxious Weed Realtor Training course participants’ average rating was 2.9 out of a 4 point scale. More specifically, 24% of participants reported to be “very aware” of noxious weeds prior to the training course, 57% “aware”, 5% “unaware”, and 14% “very unaware”. The above data indicates that around 75% of participants to date are reasonably aware of noxious weeds.

After taking the course levels of agreement were very high to the following statements:

• I know where to direct clients for appropriate resources about noxious weed management. (80% strongly agree)
• I am more likely to inform clients about noxious weed issues on properties I list. (85% strongly agree)
• I am able to recognize noxious weeds on properties I list. (47% strongly agree)
• I am more informed about laws pertaining to noxious weeds. (79% strongly agree)

Activity: Emerald Ash Borer workshops (MT)

Outputs: Six workshops administered across Montana with 82 participants

Short-term Outcomes: A level of agreement scale was used to collect information about participant confidence in identifying the EAB beetle, ability to identify symptoms of EAB infestations and understanding about treatment options. Participants were most confident in understanding treatment options for EAB (4.40 on a 5.00 Likert scale). They were least confident in their ability to identify EAB beetles (4.00). Participants were confident in their ability to identify symptoms of an EAB infestation (4.05), how to conduct destructive tree sampling to check for EAB (4.35) and understanding treatment options for EAB. (4.40).

Activity: Master Gardener training (MT) 

Short-term Outcomes: A survey was sent to the list serve of Master Gardeners in the fall of 2015. There were 178 responses to the survey which asked about understanding and knowledge increases as a result of participation in the program. Before participating in the Master Gardener program participants’ average level of understanding from novice understanding (1) to expert understanding (5) about the topic is 2.08. After participating in the Master Gardener program the average level of understanding increases by 1.65 points for a 3.73 average rating.

Activity: Hortsense and Pestsense websites updates (WA)

Outputs:

• 100 new images
• 4 new fact sheets

Short-term Outcomes: Additional information available on common landscape, garden, and indoor pest problems

Activity: Systematic evaluation of traps and repellents for vespid wasps (CO) Evaluations were made of all available lures, trap designs and purported repellents for their effectiveness in managing pest vespids, particularly western yellowjacket (Polistes dominula) and the western yellowjacket (Vespula pensylvanica).

Activity: Survey of fruiting ornamental plants for use by spottedwinged drosophila (CO)

A multiyear study was conducted to evaluate the relative use of commonly grown fruiting ornamental plants for their use by spottedwinged drosophila. In addition trapping of this insect has determined the seasonal activity of the adults.

Activity: Survey of pollen collected by honeybees along the Front Range (CO)

Used to identify ornamental plants on which insecticide use would be of greatest concern.

Activity: Compared three hive designs for Front Range commercial and residential beekeepers (CO).

Activity: Presentations and workshops (CO)

• 20 presentations on landscape IPM, stinging insects, household invaders, fungal diseases of trees
• 3 workshops for hardware store employees on household insects
• 5 Vegetable Troubleshooting workshops conducted
• A 2-day, bilingual Vegetable University was presented to 14 promotoras who work with 400 backyard gardeners who grow food in metro Denver low income areas.
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Outputs: See publications.

Short-term Outcomes: Vegetable Troubleshooting workshop evaluations averaged 4.5 out of a possible 5.

Activity: IPM in Communities (UT)

Activity Outputs and Short-term Outcomes:

• Community gardens, small acreage farms, organic farms, municipal landscapes (UT)
  • 15 presentations to community stakeholders
  • Over 500 community stakeholders received training in IPM practices for small-scale farm and garden production
• Collaboration with Utah Urban and Small Farms Conference, organized by USU Extension and multiple community partners; major funding comes from a USDA NRCS Risk Management Agency grant (UT)
  • The Utah IPM Program provides extensive input into conference planning and implementation; four IPM presentations were delivered in February 2016 reaching nearly 100 small acreage stakeholders
• Interpretative IPM signage (UT)
  • Two interpretative IPM signs were deployed at key public garden facilities in 2016: Utah State University Botanical Center in Kaysville, and Wheeler Historic Farm in Salt Lake City
  • Signs were positioned near gardens demonstrating IPM techniques
  • Official visitation numbers are not available, but each site receives an estimated 50-100 visitors per weekend during the growing season
• Raised bed demonstration and instruction conducted by an IPM mini-grant recipient (extension agent) funded jointly by USU IPM Program and Western Sustainable Agriculture and Education (WSARE) (UT)
  • Conducted hands-on workshops to teach raised-bed best management practices, including IPM, to 62 adults and youth

IPM in Communities (AK)

• Presentations to Garden Clubs, Farm Bureau, and Local/Regional Workshops
• Small acreage and larger farms
• 4 presentations ranging from pasture management to garden management.
• Over 100 participants.

Activity: Entomology Short Course (WY)

Extension Entomology team: Alex Latchininsky and Scott Schell

Organized and also presented at the 12th Annual Entomology Short Course on March 15-17, 2016 in Laramie for 22 attendees. The emphasis of the training was IPM for Wyoming Counties’ Weed & Pest district personnel. Although enrollment is open to the public the majority of the students are always from Wyoming’s 23 county Weed & Pest districts in Wyoming. These counties have an umbrella organization, the Wyoming Weed and Pest Council (to learn more about http://www.wyoweed.org/. Each county’s district is funded with a mill levy and have a supervisory board made up of citizens from that county. The Entomology Short Course attendees pay a fee to cover the costs of the course which is 16 hours long and is conducted over 3 days in March each year.

In an anonymous course evaluation given at the end of the training the students were asked if the course was a valuable use of their time and if they would recommend it to their colleagues. Out of 16 responses, the student’s average score for the course was 9.7 and 9.9 out of possible 10, respectively, for those two questions.

Short-term Outcomes:

Basic insect identification is the heart of the training course and the students have to be able to identify to Order 10 unknown insect specimens using a dichotomous key by the end of the course. They are also provided with basic reference books as part of the course packet and shown where to find and how to use additional IPM based pest management tools.

Activity: Mosquito Larval Control and West Nile virus prevention workshop (WY)

Extension Entomology team: Alex Latchininsky and Scott Schell

Organized, promoted, and presented the 5^th annual Mosquito Larval Control and West Nile virus prevention workshop in conjunction with City of Laramie Mosquito Control and the Wyoming Department of Agricultures’ Emergency Insect Management Grant (EIMG) program for mosquito abatement personnel on May 24-25, 2016 in Laramie for 25 attendees. This workshop is for employees of small Wyoming mosquito abatement districts, many of whom have no background in pest control or any form of biological science when hired to do their job. A small grant of $5,700 from the Wyoming Dept. of Agriculture funds the costs of the 12 contact hour course, including the hotel stays for the student travelling more than one hour one way to attend the course.

The students are given hands-on training on:

• Basic mosquito biology and ecology
• Identification of mosquito larval habitat
• Sampling for larval mosquitos
• Selection and placement of mosquito surveillance traps
• Selection of control products
• Calibration of application equipmentThe workshop students also learn to identify mosquitoes from other insects and identification of common genera of larval and adult mosquitoes. In addition, the student learn the specific diagnostic characters of Wyoming’s primary vector of WNV, Culex tarsalis, in the laboratory and how to best preserve mosquito specimens for submission for virus detection with RAMP® testing equipment. The students have to successfully complete a 12 question mosquito identification exercise with actual specimens to be awarded their course certificates.In the course evaluation given at the end of the training the students are asked if the course was a valuable use of their time and if they would recommend it to their colleagues. Out of 23 responses, the student’s average score for the course was 9.3 and 9.1 out of 10, respectively, for those two questions.Short-term Outcomes:
• Provide basic training for mosquito abatement personnel to protect the health of Wyoming’s citizenry from West Nile virus using IPM.
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Activity: Education of new stakeholder communities (Guam)

Outputs:

• Manned an all-day interactive display at the University of Guam (UOG) Charter Day March 2016. Subjects covered included plant disease plant pests and the use of a stereo microscope
• Handouts were made available on the following subjects: Plant Disease, and Plant Pests
• Students had the opportunity to use a sterile microscope

Short-term Outcomes:

• Increased awareness of the 500 attendees of the interactive display

Area Addressed: School IPM

Arizona, Washington, Wyoming, and Utah reported specific programs where they coordinated, led, or developed programs for IPM directed towards schools. Other states reported IPM work that was extended for use by schools.

ACTIVITY: IPM education in schools (WA)

• OUTPUTS: IPM Star curriculum taught to school pest control practitioners

• SHORT-TERM OUTCOMES:
  • 4 WA school districts received IPM Star Certifications
    • Lake Washington
    • Mukilteo
    • Federal Way
    • Kelso
  • Increased knowledge of IPM methodologies among school pest control practitioners

Activities & Outputs (AZ):

The Community IPM Leadership Team directs program activities with the coordination of Dr. Shaku Nair. The team continued implementation of IPM pilot projects at 6 schools in 5 school districts. Through the Stop School Pests project funded by a US-EPA grant and leveraged through EIP, online training modules and a national certification program for IPM in Schools have been develop and posted online (http://cals.arizona.edu/apmc/StopSchoolPests.html). Other major efforts include bed bug research and IPM implementation in public housing environments funded through a USDA-NIFA ARDP grant. Published several important Extension publications on topics including Zika Virus, Mosquito Identification and Management, Bats, and on new invasive pest Ficus Whitefly. Our monthly newsletter for School and Home IPM is widely distributed by several regional and state partners, reaching over 4,000 people monthly. Members of our team serve as technical advisors for EPA regional and EPA School IPM Center of Expertise staff, and collaborative school IPM orgs.

Outcomes:

• Produced standardized curricula to train individuals in key school district job roles to achieve IPM performance objectives.
• More than 20 school IPM workshops/education events in Arizona (>9,000 K-12 students).
• Elderly and disabled low-income housing sites adopting IPM:

• 78% reduction in German cockroach infested units based on visual inspection (preliminary estimate; final trap results in 6 weeks).
• 81.6% reduction in bed bug infested units based on visual inspection; final trap results in 6 weeks.
• Based on conversations, residents and staff much happier.
• 3 new housing staff.
• Pest management costs have increased significantly (amount to be determined in final analysis).Activity Outputs and Short-term Outcomes (UT):
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• Assist with compliance for Utah’s “School Rule” mandate (UT)
• Pest ID Handbook (print and website) in collaboration with Colorado State University (UT)
• Hands-on IPM workshops (150 participants) in 4 public school districts (UT)
• On-site inspections of 3 schools within each district (UT)
• Targeted IPM plans to 8 schools (UT)

Activity: IPM education in schools Wyoming School IPM Adoption Outreach (WY)

School IPM Specialist: John Connett

The Wyoming School IPM outreach program promotes preventative practices and a systematic approach that reduces pesticide use while making pest control more effective and safer for occupants. School IPM training is now being included in Wyoming pesticide applicator training to improve knowledge of pest control operators to explore alternatives to pesticides. A major goal of the program, that has been achieved, is the improved communication and collaboration among Wyoming school districts, University of Wyoming Extension personnel and other partner organizations in Wyoming.

Training Activities and Presentations:

• Conducted School Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and pest prevention training workshops and seminars for school facilities operators, county and state employees, groundskeepers, and pesticide applicators
• Cooperated with national and regional IPM coordinators, Colorado IPM Coalition, WDA, and EPA to establish IPM in and around facilities.
• Wrote technical bulletins for IPM around schools pertaining to mice, bedbugs, turf management, filth flies that include only safe options that are focused on prevention
• Conducted integrated pest management inspections and evaluations of school facilities
• Contributed to the biannual Wind River Tribal Health Fair
• Assisted with IPM program grant writing and budgeting
• Redesigned and maintained robust website for Wyoming School IPM material
• Taught the use of PICOL (Pesticide Information Center Online) for schools
• Continued to develop chapters for a Wyoming School IPM Handbook
• Edited new training material for the core manual for Wyoming State Pesticide Applicators manual
• Provided phone and email IPM support for various school district, pest control contractor, and Wyoming health department personnel
• Vetted training materials for the "IPestManager" School IPM resource database
• Cooperating on a grant with Dawn Gouge University of Arizona and Janet Hurley of Texas A&M and will assist in developing national SIPM rodent control training if the grant is funded
• Participating in the School IPM 2020 Steering Committee and the Western School IPM Working Group
• Wyoming designate for the WERA1017 (Western Region Multi-state IPM team) meeting in Boise summer 2016
• Strategizing with Western School IPM Working Group to implement and assist with the statewide distance delivery in Wyoming of "Stop School Pests" - A National IPM Standard Training and Certificate Program for learning lessons for all school community stakeholder groups including: school administrators, facility managers, pest management professionals/school IPM coordinators, landscape and grounds staff, custodians, maintenance staff, nurses, food service staff and teachers
• Working with local school district personnel on ways to improve their IPM practices
• The ongoing mouse IPM program that we established in UW, College of Agriculture, Plant Science department has been successful and very well received for over one year
• Working with the Wyoming Athletics Landscaping and Facilities to develop an IPM program for their fields and areas adjacent to facilities including, safe, legal, cost saving, and sustainable solutions for weed and pest management

Outputs:

Most Wyoming school facility managers don't have offices with desk top computers. However most do have smart phones so making the information on the Wyoming school IPM web site completely compatible with those devices will be a priority for future improvement and development. See the Wyoming School IPM web site at: http://www.uwyo.edu/wyschool_ipm/

Appropriate forms for school districts to use for establishing verifiable IPM programs have been developed and are served electronically at: http://www.uwyo.edu/wyschool_ipm/forms.html

Short-term Outcomes:

The people performing pest control for school districts in Wyoming who attended the presentations now understand that IPM practices are not onerous government imposed regulations that will make their life difficult. Instead, they now know that IPM can be a way to do their jobs better, with lower costs, and greater environmental safety.

Here are a sample of comments extracted from evaluations given after school IPM presentations:

“It’s really nice to have IPM training that applies to pest control around school facilities” - Gary Barker, Facilities and Maintenance Supervisor for Uinta County School District 1

“Make these school IPM classes longer to discuss details more in depth” Blake Davis, Mechanical Systems Supervisor

“The school IPM training really helps us do a better a better job while protecting students” Austen Eusek, Grounds Supervisor for a school district.

“IPM programs are an effective way to minimize pesticide exposure while improving health and safety in schools. The implementation of IPM as a management strategy is the safest and most effective approach because it minimizes pesticide use in schools" Dixie Thomas, Wyoming Department of Agriculture inspector

Area Addressed—Agricultural Production IPM

IPM Extension activities in this area were very diverse, reflecting the IPM issues and pests more specific to the individual states’ priorities and crops.

Activity: Chlorpyrifos Project Partnership Yields Trainings and New Decision-Support Tool (CA): Last year, Area IPM Advisor Pete Goodell and Project Coordinator Lori Berger convened industry leaders to create guidelines regarding chlorpyrifos use in their cropping systems. This year, Goodell and Berger developed extension tools and trainings.

Outputs:

• Seven trainings covered IPM in alfalfa, almond, citrus and cotton. Sessions led by local farm advisors included UC IPM, DPR, NRCS, and county agricultural commissioner offices and presented relevant IPM information and regulatory updates. “We’re very proud with how the trainings equip the user community with up-to-date information in light of current regulatory changes at local, state, and national levels,” says Berger.
• A new web-based decision-support tool was also featured (http://ipm.ucanr.edu/decisionsupport/)

Activity: Comparison of methods for managing Townsend’s ground squirrel in crop lands conducted by an IPM mini-grant recipient (extension agent) funded jointly by USU IPM Program and Western Sustainable Agriculture and Education (WSARE) (UT)

Short-term Impacts:

• live bait-and-release showed that tube traps were most effective in reducing populations
• conducted ground squirrel management workshop and field day to 75 participants
• follow-up research will include improved timing of trap placement, cultural control activities, and use of biological control (owls, raptors)

Activities & Outputs: Developed and deployed Chemical Use Maps for whitefly resistance management (AZ):

We developed and deployed Chemical Use Maps for whitefly resistance management last summer, putting pesticide use maps for 6 modes of action into the hands of pest managers and conducting intense outreach on the “first principles” of resistance management. This effort is leveraged by USDA-NIFA-ARDP, Monsanto, the Specialty Crop Block Grant program and Cotton Inc.

Activities & Outputs: Research and outreach on the economics of brown stink bug management (AZ)

Research and outreach on the economics of brown stink bug management continued this term, leveraged by a Western IPM Center grant. New research results from a cost-benefit analysis were presented to 180 pest control advisors and other ag industry participants at the 2016 Desert Ag Conference. The Third Annual New Technologies workshop covered topics such as precision application technologies, implementation of biological control measurements for adjusting control decisions for whiteflies in cotton, UAV for plant disease scouting, and Dicamba and 2,4-D resistant cotton.

ACTIVITY: Outreach to growers - Integrated weed management in small grains (wheat, barley) (WA)

Short-term outcomes:

• Documented ~1,000 growers received IPM information
• Increased knowledge of weed management in an IPM context

Activity: Integrated pest management and pollinator protection in alfalfa grown for seed (WA)

• Outreach to growers
• Managed Pollinator Protection Plan (“MP3”) initiated

Outputs:

• 4 presentations to Washington alfalfa seed growers
• 1 presentation to Western Alfalfa Seed Growers at regional conference
• Reports presented to commodity groups

Short-term outcomes:

• Increased knowledge of pollinator protection methods

• Increased understanding of Lygus (primary pest) biology and control
• Improved retention of pollinators

Activities: Real time monitoring of pests via a website (MT)

Outputs: The PestWeb (pestweb.montana.edu) system was used to track populations of the orange wheat blossom midge, alert growers to pest populations, and as a venue for education of growers for IPM for insect pests.

Short-term Outcomes: In the last year there have been 5176 sessions on the website with 17,407 page views. 73% are new visitors and the average length of time spent per page is 2 minutes.

Activities: Montana AgAlerts and Urban Alerts email alerts, text notifications, and Facebook page (MT)

Outputs:

• Approximately 70 AgAlerts were issued during the year.

• Text alerts were added to the Montana AgAlert system (mtagalert.org, 880 email, and 40 text subscribers) and Urban Alert (mturbanalert.org, 139 email, and 8 subscribers) system for those preferring text communication rather than email.

• A Facebook page for the Schutter Diagnostic Laboratory was started with almost 200 likes.

Short-term Outcomes:

• In the last year there have been 18,095 sessions on the AgAlert website with 42,620 page views with 38% new sessions.
• On the urban alert website, there were 3128 sessions with 4995 page views and 77% new visitors.
• Our Facebook page had a total reach of 14,650 on 43 posts this year.

Activities: Presentations, TV appearances, workshops related to agronomic IPM (MT)

Outputs: 41 workshops/presentations with 2813 participants. Three appearances on “Montana AgLive” (TV show) which reached approximately 30,000 people. Three newspaper articles. One refereed journal publication.

Activity: Pest monitoring (CO)

Outputs:

• Pheromone traps were used to monitor field corn and sunflower insects pests
• Stripe rust monitoring and advisories throughout eastern Colorado

Area Addressed – IPM Education for Pesticide Applicators

This area is distinct from Pesticide Safety Training (that area is covered below) in that it focuses on pest identification and management and sprayer calibration..

Activity: Pest Management Tour (MT)

Outputs: 304 people participated in the workshops given on the tour.

Short-term Outcomes:

• Fifty surveys were received by participants with 100% indicating an increased level of knowledge about pest management as a result of their attendance.
• After the Pest Management educational event, 98% of the participants reported that they will utilize IPM practices in the future as a result of what they learned at the workshop.
• A Likert scale was used to collect the increase in the “Level of Knowledge” about pest management from participants as a result of attending the workshop.
  • All of the participants reported that the workshop increased their knowledge of pest management (e.g. increase of knowledge of pest management was reported to be 4% a little, 29% some, 65% quite a bit, and 2% extremely).
• A Likert scale was used to collect the participants’ increase in confidence and ability to adopt IPM practices after attending the Pest Management workshops.
  • All of the participants reported that the workshop increased their confidence and ability to adopt pest management practices in the future (e.g. increase of confidence and ability to adopt IPM practices was reported to be 2% a little, 3% some, 63% quite a bit, and 2% extremely).

Activity: Spray Calibration Kit Training (MT)

A survey was developed to assess participant response to the training sessions titled: “Tips on Teaching Calibration to Farm Applicators and Using Technologies when using Calibration Sprayers” (presented by Cr. Cecil Tharp, MSU Pesticide Education Specialist) during the 2016 MSU PEP Update on April 22, 2016 in Bozeman, MT.

Outputs: other workshops on pesticide application including calibration kits      

304 people participated in the workshops given on the tour.

Short-term Outcomes: A Likert scale was used to collect the “Level of Ability” to teach the concept of calibrating ground sprayers using shortcut methods from participants. Before taking the course the majority of participants’ average rating was 1, 2, or 3 out of a 5-point scale (i.e. 1= “poor” knowledge to 5 = “excellent” knowledge). The post survey revealed that the respondents’ ability to teach calibration improved to 3, 4, and 5 on the 5-point Likert scale. Applicators are for the most part fairly knowledgeable in the first place in regards to their understanding of calibrating ground sprayers. However, there was an improvement in their ability to teach calibration following this informative session (i.e. participants moved from “fair/mediocre” to “good and excellent” in regards to the Likert ability scale. 82% agreed that the workshop increased their knowledge of calibration; 71% agreed that this workshop increased their confidence in teaching others about sprayer calibration. 76% agreed that the workshop increased their understanding of hands-on training. 76% agreed that they are confident they can determine the amount of pesticide product to add to the spray tank. 77% agreed that they know how to test the uniformity of nozzles. 65% know what adjustments to make to fine tune the gallons per acre spray distribution.

Area Addressed: IPM in Specialty Crops (fruit, vegetable, nursery, nuts, coffee)

Activity: IPM Extension (AK)

Outputs:

• Small acreage and Larger Farms
• Providing Information based on community questions and individual requests

Short-term outcome: reached over 100 individuals and provided information about identification and management of tree pests, home pests, garden and crop pests

Activity: Small Farms Demonstrate Innovative IPM Solutions (CA):

Small farms face a different set of challenges than larger farm operations. Large-scale research and extension may not translate well to small farms. Small-scale farmers often have other off-farm jobs and they are not always familiar with CE. English may not be a small-scale farmer’s native language. Area IPM Advisor Cheryl Wilen partnered with IPM scientists in five other states as part of the western small-farm IPM working group. Funded by the USDA NIFA, the workgroup formed in 2010 to better serve small-scale growers and understand their needs. Wilen and UCCE Small Farms Advisor Ramiro Lobo focused on pitahaya, or dragon fruit, farming in southern California. Wilen and the other researchers on the project observed small-scale farmers creating innovative pest solutions. Wilen observed pitahaya farmers covering fruit with paint-filter bags to protect fruit from bird feeding.

Outputs: Posters and presentation at the 8^th International IPM Symposium (also in publications list)

• Grasswitz, T., D. Alston, E. Bechinski, D. Drost, G. Ellen, E. Gomez, R. Lobo, M. Ostrom, D. Walsh, C. Wilen, C. Williams. 2015. IPM for urban and other small-scale farmers in the western US: Challenges and opportunities. Pp.47–48. 8th International Integrated Pest Management Symposium, Salt Lake City, UT.
• Grasswitz, T., E. Gomez, D. Alston, D. Drost, D. Walsh, M. Ostrom, E. Bechinski, C. Williams, G. Ellen, C. Wilen, R. Lobo. 2015. Outcomes of the Western Small Farm IPM Working Group: Constraints and prospects for IPM on small farms. 8th International Integrated Pest Management Symposium. P. 84. Salt Lake City, UT.

Activity: Trap Modification Increases Usability for Gopher Management (CA):

Trapping is a useful and effective tool for managing damaging pocket gophers. Methods to increase trapping effectiveness are in high demand. The Gophinator trap is more efficient than the Macabee trap, because it captures larger pocket gophers more effectively. However, the Macabee trap is still popular and widely used. Large stockpiles of these traps are held by land managers and pest control operators. With so many Macabee traps available, Affiliated IPM Advisor Niamh Quinn wanted to make these traps work better. Quinn and others from UCCE, the CSU system, and USFWS added a cable restraint to the front of the Macabee trap. Quinn found that the Gophinator trap was still the most effective option, even when compared to the modified Macabee trap. However, the modified Macabee trap did increase the capture of larger pocket gophers when compared to the standard Macabee. The unmodified Macabee trap was more effective against smaller gophers. Using gloves to mask human scent did not impact capture efficiency or visitation rate.

Outputs: 1 publication (also in publications list)

• Baldwin, R. A., A. Chapman, C. P. Kofron and N. Quinn. 2015. Refinement of a trapping method increase its utility for pocket gopher management. Crop Protection 77:176–180.

Activity: Managing Scales and Botryosphaeria Cankers in Walnut (CA):

Scale infestation in walnut orchards has increased in recent years. Possibilities for the increase include decreased parasitism, increased hyperparasitism (parasitism of the parasites), changes in cultural practices, and reductions in broad-spectrum insecticide use for other pests. Information is needed to develop a more detailed management approach. To further complicate matters, scale feeding is associated with an increase in Botryosphaeria infection, which can kill major branches in older trees. The increase in Botryosphaeria cankers has lowered the tolerance levels of scale in orchards. Area IPM Advisor Emily Symmes, Area IPM Advisor Kris Tollerup and others in UCCE are working to improve understanding of the scale species present in walnut orchards. Their research thus far has involved identifying the predominant scale species, tracking the life cycles, and evaluating parasitism rates of walnut scale as a possible cause for the recent increase in scale numbers.

Outputs: 1 publication (also in publications list)

• Symmes, E. 2015. Scale Pests of Walnut: Implementing IPM in a Changing Environment. CAPCA Adviser February Vol. XVIII, no. 6. pp. 38–42.

Activity: IPM Advisories (free e-mail newsletters with advice on pest activity and IPM recommendations) (UT)

• Fruits, Vegetables, Landscape Ornamentals, Turf (23 delivered in 2015)
• Average about 8,000 subscriptions each
• Content: scouting by IPM staff and volunteers; reports from growers
• 350 archived advisories

Activity: Utah TRAPs (Temperature Resource and Alerts for Pests, a web and mobile app pest management tool) (UT)

• Access to 77 weather stations
• 12 insect and disease models (fruit, ornamental, field crops)
• Funding: grants, grower support, Utah Climate Center

Activity: 2016 Vegetable production guide (UT)

• 8 USU authors in 4 disciplines

• 11 chapters: Cucurbits, Brassicas, Solanaceous, Sweet corn, Onion, covering production issues, soil/nutrient/water management, IPM, and pesticide safety

• Funding: Specialty Crop Block Grant
• 450 copies distributed to growers, plus free PDF available on IPM website

Activity: Invasive Fruit Pest Guide (UT)

• 5 authors from USU and Utah Department of Agriculture and Food covering brown rot, plum pox virus, spotted wing drosophila, brown marmorated stink bug, plum curculio, velvet longhorned beetle, and Japanese beetle
• Funding: Specialty Crop Block Grant
• 700 copies distributed for free to growers and for sale on USU Extension website, plus free PDF available on IPM website

Activity: Intermountain Tree Fruit Production Guide (intermountainfruit.org), collaborative guide with USU, Colorado State University, and University of Idaho (UT)

• New pesticide recommendation tables tied to database to allow for automatic updates

Activity: Fruit PestFinder mobile app (free app for fruit Pest identification and IPM recommendations) (UT)

Activity: New and Emerging Pests (UT)

• Pear sawfly, Hoplocampa brevis found in commercial and backyard sites south of Salt Lake City
• Sequoia pitch moth, Synanthedon sequoiae: killing pines in Salt Lake City area

Activity: Applied Research (UT)

• Survey of leafroller species in fruit orchards found that obliquebanded was the most predominant
• Survey of potential wild fruit hosts for spotted wing drosophila (collaboration with University of Idaho)
• Testing different types of yellow sticky traps for optimal attraction and monitoring of western cherry fruit fly (collaboration with USDA ARS, Wapato, WA)
• Evaluating low-toxicity insecticides for control of western cherry fruit fly
• Testing a new codling moth biofix option by field-checking this insects’ phenology in Utah
• Development of farmscape-based management strategies for onion thrips and Iris yellow spot virus in bulb onions
• Evaluation of biochar for enhanced vegetable production and protection and protection from root-rotting pathogens

Activity: IPM self-assessment and economic impact of IPM implementation (UT)

• Self-assessment
  • 86% labeled themselves as users of IPM (61% Low IPM, 21% Medium IPM, and 4% High IPM)
  • Of those that ranked themselves as Medium or High, 59% would have ranked themselves as Low 2 years ago
• Economic impact:
  • Although 25% of High IPM vegetable producers reported increased costs, 33% also reported increased profits and none reported a decrease

Activities & Outputs: Vegetable IPM (AZ):

The Vegetable IPM Team continued biweekly insect, weed and disease management Veg IPM Update advisories, delivering 23 IPM updates to over 800 people via web, email, smart phone and in audio file format. Updates were re-distributed by Western Farm Press and other mass media, reaching well over 10,000 readers. Dr. Palumbo published 15 articles in the ESA journal Arthropod Management Test. Recent Extension publications included: Insect and weed interactions in desert crops, and management guides for leafminer, thrips, aphids, and whitefly. (Selected examples under Products.) Extension trainings on specialty crops included a Citrus & Date Palm Seminar and Lettuce Pest Losses workshops. The Southwest Ag Summit reached about 800 participants, including pest management presentations and field demonstrations.

Activity: Field Guide for Integrated Pest Management in Hops (WA)

• Produced 3^rd edition (first comprehensive national edition)

Outputs:

• 3,500 copies printed and distributed
• Worked with the Hop Growers of America to digitize the Field Guide and make electronic edition available

Short-term outcomes:

• Increased knowledge of pest and beneficial organism identification
• Increased knowledge of IPM, including scouting, thresholds, phytosanitation, and resistance management
• Cooperation and technology transfer among many hop-growing states

Activity Several grape publications (listed under Publications in this report) translated to Spanish (WA)

Outputs: Printed and electronic grape pest management and production publications

• Short-term outcomes:
• Spanish-speaking vineyard owners, managers, and workers now have access to best management practice information

• Increased knowledge of vineyard IPM among native Spanish speakers

Activity: Multi-modal IPM education for Aquatic crop (cranberry, shellfish) IPM outreach (WA)

Outputs:

• 8 workshops organized, publicized, and presented to growers
• Fact sheets produced
• Newsletters written and posted electronically
• Short-term outcomes:

Increased and updated knowledge among cranberry and shellfish producers on control of insect, weed, disease, and mollusk pests in sensitive estuarial environments

Activity: Tracking and control of Brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) (WA)

• Methodical tracking
• Outreach regarding presence and control of BMSB
• Outputs:

• Website content
• Presentations to workshops and grower groups statewide
• Tours of parks, vineyards, and public areas for BMSD ID and education
• Short-term outcomes:

• Increased grower knowledge of BMSB ID and control
•  

Activity: Updated vegetable production guides with current IPM practices (Guam)

Outputs:

• Second edition of the 2002 “Eggplant, Pepper, and Tomato Production Guide for Guam” was placed on the University of Guam website on July 2016 (http://cnas-re.uog.edu/people-entry/eggplant/)

Short-term Outcomes:

• The second edition provided users with additional information on 4 new diseases, a new tomato variety field trial, and symptom production as displayed in 11 new color photos.

Activity: IPM in Specialty Crop (coffee, tropical fruit and macadamia nut) Production Agriculture (HI)

Outputs and Short-term Outcomes:

• 28 outreach events with coffee berry borer IPM information (workshops, seminars, field days, conferences, expos, etc.)
• 2 outreach events with macadamia felted coccid IPM information (workshop and conference)
• IPM Advisories (free e-mail and mail newsletters with advice on pest activity and IPM recommendations)
  • Coffee, Tropical Fruits and Macadamia Nut (12 delivered in 2015)
  • Average about 1,160 subscriptions each
  • Content: IPM educational events, agricultural announcements, farm and cultural practice advisories (pest, disease, propagation, fertilization, etc.)
  • 37 archived advisories
• Online sources of information
  • http://hawaiicoffee.weebly.com/

• Content: CBB IPM, agricultural events and announcements, predators of CBB, coffee pests and diseases, publications and presentations
• 600 views per week
• http://ctahrmacadamia.weebly.com/
• 100 views per week
• Content: Crop cultural information, pests and diseases, crop research, food safety
• Strong collaboration with USDA ARS DKI PBARC and HDOA; major funding from a USDA ARS, HDOA and CTAHR
• Applied Research
  • Evaluation of controlling coffee berry borer on a micro scale using beneficial active microoganisms and Botanigard ES (Beauveria bassiana strain GHA)
  • Survey of the effect of CBB on the flavor and consumer preferences of brewed coffee

Activity: IPM in Native Communities (AK)

• Small acreage growers in four Native communities on Kodiak Island
• develop rural agriculture

Output:

• 8 presentations including a week long field tour of agricultural farms on the Kenai Peninsula

• 10 or more trainees present at each presentation and field tour

Activities: Evaluation of IPM practices for specialty crops (CO)

Outputs:

• Onion production:
  • Continued evaluation of commercial mycorrhyzal preparations on plant health in commercial onion production
  • Evaluated onion varieties for reactions to thrips, IYSV, and pink root fungus
  • Evaluated bio-nematicide, Melocon, in commercial onion production
• Initial survey of insects associated with industrial hemp
• West Slope surveys for spotted wing drosophila, grape leaf skeletonizer, grape bud mite, hedgehog grain aphids, African fig fly
• West Slope IPM workshop with 185 participants
•  

Area Addressed—Natural Resources/Rangelands IPM

Activity: Knowledge Gaps Identified for Medusahead Management (CA): Medusahead competes with desired grasses and flowering plants for nutrients, forms a dense mat that prevents establishment of desired species, and increases the risk of wildfire. Systematic research reviews identify patterns of management success across multiple research studies. Reviews of this type, however, may not yield the specific information needed by wildland managers. UCCE Specialist and Affiliated IPM Advisor Jeremy James sought to do both.

Outputs:

• James and others in CE and UC Davis conducted a systematic review of medusahead IPM.
• James then compared his review results with an assessment of stakeholder needs to identify critical knowledge gaps in medusahead management. Stakeholders listed grazing as a preferred IPM tool. James’s systematic review determined on annual rangeland an almost 2-fold reduction in medusahead abundance by stocking the area with high numbers of livestock, such as sheep or cattle, at the same time when medusahead is most susceptible to defoliation.
• Four major information needs emerged based on the systematic review and stakeholder survey.

Activity: Phragmites first detector training (MT)

Outputs: Five workshops and presentations administered across Montana with 280 participants

Activity: Field survey and community response to spruce aphid reports on the Kenai Peninsula (AK)

• Presence of spruce aphid on the peninsula is a new occurrence; collaboration with USDA Forest Service and Alaska Division of Forestry

Activity: University of Wyoming Rangeland Weed IPM Team (Brian Mealor, Cara Noseworthy, Julia Workman, and Beth Fowers) (WY)

Outputs: Ten Presentations

Each of these presentations discussed at least one facet managing weeds with an integrated approach.

Audiences included: federal, local, and state land managers, private landowners, wildlife management personnel, extension educators, and other natural resources professionals and more than 1500 people were present for these presentations.

Activity: Wyoming Restoration Challenge (WY)

Outputs:

• Initiated in spring 2015, this is a participatory educational project. Thirteen teams from various organization involved with weed management registered for this competition where success is evaluated by how well a teams’ integrated weed management and restoration approach improves ecosystem condition in a weed-degraded site. This time-intensive competition will continue until 2017.
• Hard copy and digital outreach materials, including social media, are currently being developed.
  • http://weedcontrolfreaks.com/2015/04/wyoming-restoration-challenge-part-1/
  • https://www.facebook.com/WYrestorationchallenge/

Activity: Invasive and noxious weed workshops (CO)

Outputs:

• Thirteen invasive and noxious weed workshops
• Two Congressional testimonies on invasive species management bills

Activity: Education of pest identifiers and first responders (Guam and Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands)

Outputs:

• Conducted a 3 ½ day Plant Diagnostic workshop in May 2016 which included first responder and invasive species training.

Short-term Outcomes:

• Increased number of pest identifiers and first responders
• 18%+ gain in knowledge by the 13 Agricultural Professionals from Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands

Area Addressed: Diagnostics

Activities: Schutter Diagnostic Laboratory (MT)             

Outputs: The Schutter Diagnostic Laboratory (SDL) at Montana State University (MSU) is provided as a service to the citizens of Montana through MSU and MSU Extension to provide plant pest identification.

Short-term Outcomes: The SDL conducted a total of 3562 plant disease, insect, and plant identification diagnoses from July 1, 2015-June 30, 2016. 1048 participants reached through 26 workshops/presentations about the Diagnostic Lab. 1 refereed journal article; 2 newspaper articles; 3750 through social media; 1 TV news feature

Activity: Support Pest Diagnostics – Provided onsite diagnostic advice to 730 clients and laboratory analyses of 198 plant disease samples (Guam)

Outputs: Guam Plant Health and IPM Center/ University of Guam Extension and Research’s 2015 Western Pacific Tropical Research Center Impact Report (http://cnas-re.uog.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/2015impactweb.pdf )

Short-term Outcomes: Enhanced Pest Diagnostics responsiveness for clients and stakeholders

Activity: The Plant Diagnostic Clinic (CO)

Outputs: processed more than 2000 disease and insect samples,

Activity: Utah Plant Pest Diagnostic Lab (UPPDL)-The IPM Program coordinates with the UPPDL on diagnostics, trainings, development of IPM recommendations, and outreach publications (UT)

Outputs: many fact sheets and other extension publications and online content are co-produced by staff from the IPM Program and UPPDL

Area Addressed—Pesticide Safety

Activity: Meeting the Changing Needs of Pesticide Fieldworker Trainers (CA): The Federal Agricultural Worker Protection Standard is changing. One of the major changes is that annual training will be required for fieldworkers; previously training was required every five years. The changing Worker Protection Standard created a need for well-trained, up-to-date trainers of fieldworkers. These trainers are Pesticide Safety Education Program Coordinator Lisa Blecker’s clientele. Her Program is working diligently to address that need.

Outputs:

• Blecker’s first step was to develop new train-the-trainer materials. These materials consist of PowerPoint presentations, handouts, notebooks, and instruction on laws and regulations, training requirements, and training techniques. The training materials include activities to help participants understand more about training requirements, such as label reading. Comprehension exercises include a discussion of hazard communication requirements and an exercise to reinforce knowledge of restricted entry intervals (REIs) and field posting requirements.
• The fieldworker training kit is a great addition developed by Blecker and her team. The kit consists of nine sessions that cover all the required elements of fieldworker pesticide safety training (as stated in 3CCR Section 6764). The fieldworker training kits are in Spanish, but the activities are scripted in English and in Spanish. Two short videos are in Spanish with English subtitles.

Impacts:

• With Blecker’s new materials and training kit, participants of her trainings will have more knowledge of how to train fieldworkers.
• Trainers will use what they learned and the training kit in their trainings for fieldworkers.
• It is anticipated that greater fieldworker knowledge will lead to increased safe use of pesticides.
•  

Activities & Outputs (AZ):

Dr. Mike Wierda, Assistant in Extension for Pesticide Safety Education, has focused on identification of pesticide safety training priorities and working with a stakeholder advisory team to find paths to sustainably for an ongoing PSEP (leveraged through a PSEP-IMI grant). In partnership with the state lead agency, Arizona Department of Agricultures, priority training resources have been identified and we are pursuing possible ongoing funding mechanisms to accomplish these goals. This term, Dr. Wierda presented at 17 meetings on topics related to IPM and pesticide safety, including 2 large Earth Day events, reaching over 2,100 stakeholders. Mike serves on a state sub-committee that is revising urban pest control applicator certification exams for Arizona and also participates on a national committee of state PSEP personnel to remain aware of emerging resources and issues that may have relevance for Arizona.

Outcomes:

Through formation of a Stakeholder Advisory Team to develop a more sustainable and robust Pesticide Safety Education program, we have established new relationships with some stakeholder groups and improved collaboration with the state lead agency.