Examples of Working Group Projects in Other Regions

From the Western and North Central IPM Centers
(most funded in 2004-05)

Regional Work group on IPM Consequences of Herbicide Tolerant & Insect Resistant (HTIR) Crops

Objectives:  To organize a work group of Western agricultural professionals in the areas of herbicide tolerant and/or insect resistant crops and initiate a series of video conferences for the work group in late spring 2004.  a set of priorities will be developed for research and information needs and a strategy for addressing them.  We will develop a prototype web site that will provide coordinated access to HTIR information resources. Outcomes: This effort will improve communication and collaboration within the region among workers concerned with HTIR crops.  A prototype web site providing access to information resources will be developed.  A plan will be developed that will identify priority information needs for Western HTIR crops, and a strategy for addressing those needs.

Incorporation of IPM Guidelines in NRCS Conservation Planning

Objectives: Facilitate a team of pest management experts to design a methodology and process for collaborating with NRCS.  Identify or design a process/system for incorporating IPM guidelines into NRCS Conservation plans.  Identify additional funding sources to build an IPM Planner that would satisfy NRCS planning requirements.  Facilitate relationships with multiple government agencies to promote collaboration and reduce duplication of effort.

Outcomes:  The workgroup will recommend an NRCS process and system which incorporates IPM guidelines into NRCS Conservation plans.

Working Group for Curly Top Virus Biology, Transmission, Ecology and Management

Objectives: Assemble a working group which will include university, government, extension and commodity-based individuals to assess the current status of curly top and set priorities for research on beet curly top virus.  Organize research on beet curly top virus genetics in the western United States. Organize research to assess the genetics and biology of populations of the beet leafhopper vector, Circulifer tenellus within the western U.S., to study the role of weed hosts, and to examine strategies for managing curly top. 

Outcomes:  This is a two-year proposal with one work group meeting per year.  At the initial meeting, the status of the research will be assessed and priorities for needed research into curly top virus will be identified.  An action plan will be developed to determine which components of the group will accomplish which aspects of the needed work. The group will decide who will work together to seek funding for the top priority research.  It is expected that preliminary research will be coordinated to obtain information needed to secure grant funding.

During the second year it is expected that the group will have secured funding for the top priorities and have developed sufficient preliminary information to seek funding for other aspects of curly top research.

Prioritizing IPM Work in the Western Region

Objectives:  Collaborate regionally with other state PI’s to develop intra/interstate crop profiles, pest management strategic plans, rank and prioritization of emerging issues and the development of regional publications.  Coordinate three meetings a year to encourage continued collaboration among these states in the western region and participate in “Alignment to the IPM Roadmap” development projects developed by other regional PIs.

Outcomes:  Collaborative meetings between regional PI’s will lead to priority setting and future project assignments and collaborations for the region in support of the WIPM Center objectives.  A report will be submitted detailing the activities and priorities of this workgroup annually.

Crop Insect Losses and Impact Assessment Working Group

Objectives:  In collaboration with scientists and stakeholders initially throughout the low desert areas of AZ and southern CA, we will serve as the forum for discussion and development of crop insect loss and impact assessment in key economic crops of this region starting first with cotton, leafy vegetables, and melons.  We will periodically assemble diverse sources of information and perspective in the evaluation of crop losses and the associated causes and underlying costs.

Outcomes:  Detailed assessments of the role of insects and insecticides in the production of cotton, melons and leafy vegetables (key low desert crops).  Economists, entomologists, other pest managers,  regulators, policy-makers, and other state, regional and Federal interests will have ready access to a set of data that pareses out not only what is “sprayed” on crops, but also what the “intent” or target of those sprays and other pest management inputs.  We will be able to provide any interested parties specific information about crop loss and how it is associated with specific insects and other factors.  This should help to guide new and existing research, implementation and outreach efforts in IPM.

Climatic Data and Analyses for Applications in Agriculture and Natural Resources

Objectives:  Coordinate collection and dissemination of weather and climate data and information in the western U.S. and serve as a forum for discussion of related issues.  Identify weather and climate issues and support research related to agriculture and natural resources in the West.  Map climatic elements in the West over a range of scales.  Promote application of weather-and climate-based products in agricultural and natural resource management.  Promote access to real time climate elements and products in order to improve monitoring of natural resources issues (i.e. drought, agriculture, fire).

Outcomes:  Maintenance and enhancement of the Western Regional Climate Center’s integrated data base of the major climatic databases in the West.  Development of a set of distributed databases that will be compatible with the goals and objectives of the Unified Climate Access network (UCAN).  Coordination of issues surrounding data collection and quality control/assurance, and resulting recommendations to appropriate organizations as needed to promote and ensure useful, high-quality data sets to support agriculture and natural resource research and applications.  Improved algorithms for turf water management.  Support for monitoring and assessment of drought.  Development and enhancement of stochastic climate models (“weather generators”), and their application in agriculture and natural resources management.  Improved understanding of climate variability and its effects on agricultural and natural resources management.  Identify a common format for real-time data to be exchanged (such as UCAN and SHEF).  Develop a list of sources of real-time weather and climate data.  Deveop tools needed to be able to use climate data available on the internet from any climate network.  Provide information on the WCC-102 web site.

Establishment of a Small Fruits Work Group for Oregon and Washington

Objectives:  Create a Pacific Northwest Small Fruits Work Group to identify and make recommendations concerning IPM needs and resources.  Identify and prioritize IPM research projects.  Develop, coordinate and disseminate a funding database and elicit research proposals.

Outcomes:  The work group will involve all aspects of the caneberry community – growers, field men, processors and researchers and will serve as the nucleus for information gathering and dissemination concerning IPM needs and research projects for caneberries.  By encouraging and supporting IPM research, the work group will enlarge the role of IPM for small fruits, which will help to ameliorate the environment.  The work group will help focus IPM research and forestall duplication of effort by uniting a number of organizations and small fruits professionals, many who are already working on various aspects of IPM, for a single collaborative effort in the Pacific Northwest.

The Western Region Urban Residential and Institutional IPM Work Group

Objectives:  Establish a multi-state, multi-organization workgroup to enhance communication and collaborations regarding Urban Residential/Institutional IPM.  Identify the needs and obstacles for people servicing accounts in Urban Residential/Institutional pest control to shift to an IPM practice.  Identify the needs and obstacles for consumers, institutions, and businesses receiving IPM practice.  Develop a regional plan, including funding, for moving toward short-term and long-term goals.

Outcomes:  Report findings on obstacles and needs and possible projects that might be proposed to overcome obstacles and meet needs in Urban Residential/Institutional. 

Developing Standardized Measurement Tools for Program Evaluation

The PI and Co-PIs of Iowa State propose a WG with Kansas State to undertake a collaborative regional effort to develop and provide for the implementation of standardized measurement instruments (surveys) in the NC Region with a core IPM Advisory Council of stakeholders. The instruments would be used to establish consistent Performance Planning and Report System (PPRS) reporting at the state level, consistent measures of IPM adoption and consistent measures of program impacts associated with IPM. In addition, the outcome products would include be a regional database consisting of standardized measurement tools, regional levels of IPM adoption and regional impacts associated with IPM objectives. Tasks for year 1 and 2 are presented.

Implementing IPM for Insect Pests on Ornamental Crops Under Commercial Greenhouse and Nursery Production

The PI proposed a WG to address adoption of IPM by commercial producers of greenhouse and nursery ornamental plants. The WG will integrate the needs and expertise of producers, regulators, extension agents/specialists and research scientists, and will be responsible for combining, coordinating and exchanging/communicating pest management information.

The objectives are to:

1). develop user-friendly guides to properly identify arthropod pests and making these available;

2). compile and make available information on scouting methods and management options; and

3). survey stakeholders to better identify needs, problems and useful management approaches. In this survey they will identify critical information gaps and establish research priorities.

Great Lakes Vegetable Working Group

The PI at Ohio State has Co-PIs from Ontario, Purdue and Mich State. They propose to unify the NC vegetable specialists and Canadian counterparts to focus on adoption of IPM practices. Their objectives are to

• organize an annual two-day conference to exchange information;
• develop a list serve of over 100 vegetable specialists to post questions, solutions and observations;
• develop a web page to display presentations, research findings, and project updates; and
• create a directory of all vegetable specialists in the midwest and Canada.

An initial project will be a survey of growers to determine baseline adoption of IPM practices. The results will be used to identify where IPM practices need to be strengthened.

The WG will promote communication and information transfer between researchers, Extension agents, growers and industry, and conduct focus groups to identify and prioritize IPM needs.

Pulse Crops Working Group - 2004-05 for the Northern Great Plains

The PI and Co-PI propose to address IPM issues and concerns for pulse crops, including dry peas, chickpea and lentils. SDSU will serve as lead institution and have strong collaboration with North Dakota State Univ and Univ of Nebraska. The WG will establish an advisory committee to identify and prioritize IPM issues, evaluate the adoption and implementation of IPM practices and identify potential IPM educational and research needs. They will address the National IPM Roadmap priorities of improving economic benefits of the adoption of IPM principles and reducing the impact of pests. They will develop IPM educational materials and programs, crop profiles, suggest IPM practices and develop an IPM Field Scouting Manual. Longer term outcomes include a strategic plan for pulse crops.

Potato IPM Working Group for the North Central Region

PI for year 1 proposes to continue a four state potato project (NCR 205) of extension specialists, researchers and stakeholders. They will meet annually as a subgroup of NCR 205 with leadership rotating between the participant states. The primary objectives of this WG will be:

1) monitor resistance to pesticides in key pests with emphasis on early blight/strobilurin fungicides and Colorado potato beetle/neonicotinoid insecticides;

2) develop a measurement methodology for evaluating IPM practice adoption;

3) develop regional outreach materials for potato IPM; and

4) revise NCR IPM strategic plan for potatoes.