IPM News and Events Roundup 5/28/2021
A weekly collection of IPM news, webinars, employment and funding opportunities and more from the NE IPM Center. If you have IPM-related research, events or other IPM news you would like to have included, please email me at nec2@cornell.edu. If you would like to subscribe to the weekly Roundup, please email northeastipm@cornell.edu.
Northeastern IPM Center News:
Referencing articles and news just became easier! The Northeast IPM Center had started archiving the IPM News and Events Roundup, as of last Friday. You will be able to view these as a web page. If you go to the Center’s home page, you will find the Roundup under the About Us tab, Publications section. Links will not be maintained, so once an event has passed or a link has gone down that’s it.
The 2020 State IPM Coordinator reports for the NEERA-1604 (Northeast Region Technical Committee on IPM) meeting are available for your use. Read and learn about each state’s IPM activities and more. The NEERA meeting was held virtually on April 23.
Check out the Center’s Working Groups page, featuring currently funded working groups on Municipal Rodents, Tarping and Soil Solarization, and Tree Fruit. Other active Working groups are School IPM, Spotted Wing Drosophila and more. Take a look.
More IPM News:
DEC anticipates more boaters will hit the water this season and with them an increased risk of introducing AIS to New York's waters. Taking proactive steps such as cleaning off fishing tackle, removing aquatic vegetation from rudders, disinfecting boat hulls and water compartments, and properly disposing of bait, significantly reduces that risk.
PFAS found in compost or commercial soil amendments made with sewage sludge
Many home gardeners buy compost or commercial soil amendments to enhance soil nutrition. But new tests reveal concerning levels of toxic chemicals known as PFAS in fertilizer products which are commonly made from sewage sludge. These “forever chemicals” were found in all of the nine products tested by the Ecology Center of Michigan and Sierra Club and marketed as “eco” or “natural” and eight of the nine exceeded screening levels set by the State of Maine. PFAS in fertilizers could cause garden crops to be a source of exposure for home gardeners.
USDA-NIFA Director Dr. Carrie Castille’s From The Director message
This week, we kicked off a pilot of a new program – LGU2U – to strengthen and renew essential partnerships between U.S. Land-grant Universities and NIFA. This new effort will not only help our new NIFA workforce learn more about our stakeholders and partners, but help us all enhance our mission, forge a clear path ahead and increase our capacity to build a better future. The pilot was led by LGUs’ North Central Region leaders and NIFA liaisons. As the program is refined in the pilot, we expect to see it grow and expand to lead us to long-term partnership improvements.
EPA Deviated from Typical Procedures in its 2018 dicamba Pesticide registration decision, Office of Inspector General says
“We found that the EPA’s 2018 decision to extend registrations for three dicamba pesticide products varied from typical operating procedures,” a summary of the report released Monday by the EPA’s Office of Inspector General stated. “Namely, the EPA did not conduct the required internal peer reviews of scientific documents created to support the dicamba decision.” Report at a Glance. Article here.
The EPA is collecting comments on the re-registration of Sulfuryl Fluoride Draft Interim Re-Entry Mitigation Measures and Draft Risk Assessment. Comments will be collected until July 26.
The purpose of the Sulfuryl Fluoride Draft Interim Re-Entry Mitigation Measures is to propose risk mitigation measures to address recommendations from the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) report ahead of the typical mitigation phase of Registration Review. EPA expects that the implementation of the mitigation measures described in this risk mitigation document will allow sulfuryl fluoride products to remain available to users while addressing the recommendations from the OIG report. These recommendations include: Implement a process to evaluate label changes for all three brands of sulfuryl fluoride to require secured tenting and fumigation management plans; Clearly define the criteria for meeting the applicator stewardship training requirement; Conduct an assessment of clearance devices to validate their effectiveness.
EPA is also collecting comments on three other pesticides: chlormequat chloride, chlorothalonil and tebuconazole. Comments will be collected until July 20.
Use the link above to enter comments. To find the documents on each chemical, find the chlormequat chloride documents here; the chlorothalonil documents here and the tebuconazole documents here. When looking at these links, you may need to sort Newer to Older.
EPA receives dinotefuran exemption from PA, VA for BMSB
The request is to treat up to 25,000 and 29,000 acres, respectively, of pome and stone fruits to control the brown marmorated stinkbug. The applicants propose uses which are supported by the Interregional Research Project Number 4 (IR4) program and have been requested in 5 or more previous years, and petitions for tolerances have not yet been submitted to the Agency. Therefore, as required, EPA is soliciting public comment before making the decision whether or not to grant the exemptions. Comments accepted through June 14.
International Phytosanitary System Impedes Prevention, blog by Faith Campbell, Center for Invasive Species Prevention
The international phytosanitary rules adopted by both the World Trade Organization’s Agreement on the Application of Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures [WTO SPS Agreement] and the International Plant Protection Convention [IPPC] are fundamentally flawed. That is, they require regulatory officials to be unrealistically certain about an organism’s “pest” potential before regulating it. Yet uncertainty is likely to be at its highest at two critical times: before invasion or at its earliest stage. These times are precisely when phytosanitary actions are likely to be most effective.
Jim Dill receives UMaine Presidential Public Engagement Award
James Dill, pest management specialist and University of Maine Cooperative Extension professor, is the recipient of the University of Maine Presidential Public Engagement Award for impactful community engagement affecting Mainers of all ages and in multiple sectors, from agriculture to schools. Congratulations to Jim on this honor!
Invasive Species
Spotted Lanternfly News:
How to Build A New Style Lanternfly Circle Trap
Recent research has shown that an entirely different kind of type of trap is also very effective and can dramatically reduce the chances of capturing other creatures. This new style trap is made of plastic-coated insect screening and does not use any sticky material at all. It is basically a tunnel that SLFs walk into.
A reminder that all businesses within the quarantine must comply with regulations
All residents and businesses must comply with the regulations, and PDA has the authority to fine anyone who willfully violates the quarantine order. To protect neighbors and communities, the agriculture industry and Pennsylvania’s business vitality, everyone needs to be aware of best practices to avoid spreading SLF and to utilize these practices in their daily activities.
Asian Longhorned Tick pest alert
The Asian longhorned tick (ALT) is primarily a pest of concern in livestock (cattle, goats, sheep) and studies suggest there is a potential for the ALT to vector pathogens that cause Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other tick-borne illnesses. In its native range, the ALT can transmit Rickettsia japonica, which causes Japanese spotted fever, and the potentially fatal, severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) virus, among others.
Research:
Pollen-Inspired Enzymatic Microparticles to Reduce Organophosphate Toxicity in Managed Pollinators
Microcolonies of Bombus impatiens fed malathion-contaminated pollen patties demonstrated 100% survival when fed OPT−PIMs but 0% survival with OPT alone, or with plain sucrose within five and four days, respectively. Thus, the detrimental effects of malathion were eliminated when bees consumed OPT−PIMs. This design presents a versatile treatment that can be integrated into supplemental feeds such as pollen patties or dietary syrup for managed pollinators to reduce risk of organophosphate insecticides. Article here.
During a 15-year study of wild bees visiting blueberry fields during their blooming season, researchers caught an unexpected glimpse of how extreme weather events can impact bee populations highlighting the need for more long-term studies, says a Michigan State University researcher. Article here.
An international team of researchers conducted trials aimed at evaluating prototype commercial lures for H. halys to establish relative attractiveness of three lures.
Webinars, Field Days, Conferences and more:
Maine Wild Blueberries Field Days, May 25-July 9
Starts on May 25 with a combined pest and crop management meeting and continues through July 9 with themed meetings about conventional and organic climate resilience and dual-use solar.
Southern Pine Beetle: Signs, Symptoms and Surveying Training, June 2, 9:30-3:30, virtual or in person
The Central Pine Barrens Joint Planning and Policy Commission’s Protected Lands Council and New York State Department of Environmental Conservation are co-hosting a two-part Southern Pine Beetle (SPB) Signs, Symptoms, and Surveying Training which includes morning presentations and field SPB Surveying training at an active infestation.
Emerald Ash Borer IPM and Biological Controls, June 8 2pm ET
Juli Gould, Ph.D., an entomologist at USDA, will discuss the effectiveness of pest management programs developed to eradicate this historic invasive species. This includes the effectiveness of mechanical, chemical and biological control approaches. The discussion will also cover insects in EAB’s native continent, Asia, that act as biological control agents capable of controlling EAB populations.
Insects that Harm Trees, June 16 12noon ET
As new pests such as Spotted Lanternfly and Emerald Ash Borer or common pests such as caterpillars, aphids, scales, and borers attack our urban trees, it is critical to properly identify the pest and then develop management strategies. Learn which insects are primed to cause damage to our community trees and how to effectively manage those insect pests.
Healthy Trees, Healthy Cities, June 16, 1pm CT
New tree-killing insects and diseases are often spotted first in cities, making tree health monitoring a priority not only for these trees themselves, but for the health of the entire North American forest ecosystem. Seven years ago, The Nature Conservancy, USDA Forest Service, and University of Georgia partnered on the development of a scientifically rigorous, non-stressor specific tree health monitoring protocol called Healthy Trees, Healthy Cities. The protocol is non-stressor specific making it a critical tool for the early detection of new, unknown insects or diseases. Furthermore, the protocol and an associated smart phone application (app) and web-based “dashboard” leverage the expertise of civic scientists and professionals alike, increasing public awareness of tree health issues. Learn about the methodology, new tools and updated training resources, as well as examples of where these tools have been used to improve tree health efforts in cities.
Funding Opportunities:
EPA Opens Application Period for Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program Grants
Proposed projects should address implementation of environmentally sound pest management practices, approaches, training, and innovations that reduce the risks associated with pesticide use in agricultural settings and, where feasible, lead to corresponding reductions in greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change. These projects will reduce unnecessary exposures to pests and pesticides through the adoption of integrated pest management practices and strengthen our shared goals of sustainable pest management and its intersection with climate change. Proposals due July 9.
HUD anticipates that the results of program-supported studies will help to develop evidence-based approaches that are cost-effective and efficient and will result in the reduction of health threats for the maximum number of residents and, in particular, children and other vulnerable populations (e.g., the elderly) in low-income households. Study results are also expected to improve our understanding of how specific aspects of the indoor environment can affect the health of residents.