IPM News and Events Roundup 8/13/21
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. Past Roundups are archived here.
A Practical Guide to Building Local Mosquito Control Capacity
The National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) vector control workgroup have released this document providing guidance to local mosquito control programs, whether establishing a mosquito surveillance and control program for the first time or expanding current capacity. The guide includes information on establishing baseline activities and enhancing surveillance; control and abatement; resistance testing; communication and outreach; partnerships; and workforce development. It is also a tool for fostering and strengthening relationships with key stakeholders and the public to inform them of the risks of vector-borne disease. The overarching goal is to be better prepared for future outbreaks of vector-borne disease.
Eastern White Pine – Modern Disease Threats to a Historically Important Species
White pine decline refers to a complex of environmental and biotic factors negatively influencing both short- and long-term health of the plant. The result is a decline in the overall health of the tree. Environmental factors leading to white pine decline include soil and moisture conditions white pine is not adapted to growing in.
Nursery Sale of Bradford Pear Banned in South Carolina
South Carolina will become only the second state in the United States to ban the nursery sale of Bradford pear trees and any other pear trees grown on the commonly used Pyrus calleryana rootstock.
Reducing Trips and Botryitis in the greenhouse setting – Webinar video series in English and Spanish
Throughout these webinars, you will learn the best practices for managing and controlling thrips and botrytis, understand why decisions are made, and how to make the best management decisions for your greenhouse. Our featured topics also include addressing fungicide resistance and the opportunity for use of biological controls. These presentations are brought to you directly from our expert researchers. Each webinar shares impactful research findings and how to implement the results into your growing practices. Thanks to JC Chong of Clemson University for alerting me to this video series.
The Northeast’s Hemlock Trees face extinction. A tiny fly could save them.
The battle between adelgid and fly is a preview of future fights to curtail invasive species. Nonnative pests are difficult to contain in normal climatic conditions. Can scientists save the nation’s trees from invasives supercharged by climate change? The Northeast stands to lose a great deal if they can’t.
Congratulations to Dean Polk on his new position at Rutgers
On Sept. 1, 2021, the role of director of the Rutgers Specialty Crop Research and Extension Center at Cream Ridge (formerly the Rutgers Fruit and Ornamental Research and Extension Center), currently held by Joseph Goffreda, will transition to Dean Polk, Agriculture & Natural Resources County Agent I and Fruit IPM Coordinator. Dean will serve as interim director through June 30, 2022.
For those who must comply with the federal Worker Protection Standard (WPS), please see the message below from the EPA regarding the end of the temporary guidance on respiratory protection for agricultural pesticide handlers. Based on the continued challenges of the COVID-19 public health emergency, EPA is amending the “annual fit test delay” option to extend that option until September 30, 2021. The remainder of the June 2020 memorandum remains valid and unrevised.
USDA-NIFA is looking for Peer Review Panelists
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) seeks qualified individuals to serve on peer review panels for grant applications. NIFA convenes peer review panels comprised of research, education, extension, and other subject matter experts to review competitive grant proposals.
Mysterious DNA sequences, known as ‘Borgs’ recovered from California mud. Sorry I just think this one is cool!
When Jill Banfield, a geomicrobiologist at the University of California, Berkeley, sifted through DNA in the mud of her backyard and discovered a strange linear chromosome that included genes from a variety of microbes, her Trekkie son proposed naming it after the sci-fi aliens. The new type of genetic material was a mystery. Maybe it was part of a viral genome. Maybe it was a strange bacterium. Or maybe it was just an independent piece of DNA existing outside of cells.
Borgs are giant extrachromosomal elements with the potential to augment methane oxidation
Invasive Species:
Spotted Lanternfly News:
A singe adult found in Providence, Rhode Island
A single spotted lanternfly was found in an area in Warwick near Jefferson Boulevard recently, the state Department of Environmental Management said in an emailed statement. A photo of the insect was sent to the agency, and the state Division of Agriculture confirmed the sighting earlier this week.
Single live nymph discovered in Fitchbur, MA
The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) today announced that a single live nymph of the invasive spotted lanternfly (SLF) was found in the City of Fitchburg in late July 2021. Agricultural inspectors have surveyed and have not found any evidence that an infestation is present; however, inspectors will continue to survey and monitor the area.
Invasive Species Roundup blog post from Faith Campbell, Center for Invasive Species
Updates on Sudden Oak Death, Beech Leaf Disease, Tussock moths, Laurel wilt and more.
Heavy Asian Longhorned tick infestation found on Ohio farm (link to Twitter thread)
On 5 Aug 2021, just 2 months after the first detection of Asian longhorned ticks (ALT) in Ohio was reported, OSU and USDA APHIS VS personnel responded to their first heavily infested farm. More than a thousand ALTs were collected in just over 1 hour, and the entire 25-acre pasture was determined to be infested. Investigators wore clothing treated with freshly applied permethrin, permethrin with 4 washes, DEET only, and no repellent. DEET was only mildly effective at deterring the ticks, compared to no repellent. Washed permethrin was significantly better but a few got through. The person with permethrin applied freshly the day before found zero ticks despite walking/kneeling among thousands of them while collecting.
Invasive Shothole Borers – An Ongoing Threat to California’s trees
Two identical looking species of wood-boring beetles, collectively known as invasive shothole borers (ISHB), have killed thousands of trees in Southern California and pose an ongoing threat to California's urban and wildland forests. These beetles, which are not native to the United States, were first identified in Los Angeles County in 2012 and have since spread to six other counties: Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, and Ventura.
Research:
The fact that this study finds a link between fungicides and Nosema is especially interesting because even though fungicides are not very toxic to bees directly, researchers are beginning to realize that they may impact hive health in significant ways. Knowing more about the complex effects of fungicides and other pesticides on bees can help us to create more nuanced recommendations for growers and beekeepers.
Efforts to control the moth Lymantria dispar received a boost more than 30 years ago when the fungus Entomophaga maimaiga, native to Japan, was discovered in the United States. Since then, the fungus has played a significant role in curtailing the moth larvae’s attempts to devour large chunks of forest. A new article published in July in Environmental Entomology chronicles the spread of the fungus, both naturally and with the aid of scientists and natural resource managers. While this pathogen most likely would have invaded these new regions eventually, releases accelerated the spread of E. maimaiga and helped to reduce impacts of initial outbreaks, while further outbreaks were reduced by the pathogen’s subsequent persistence and activity in those areas.
Webinars, Conferences, Meetings and more:
Forecasting Grasshopper Populations in the Western United States using Geospatial Analytics and Machine Learning Methods, Aug 18, 10am ET
Since the mid-19th century, grasshoppers have posed a substantial threat to North American rangelands and adjacent croplands and have the potential to cost the economy millions of dollars in annual damages. The USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Plant Protection and Quarantine (APHIS-PPQ) have gone to great lengths to ensure that rangeland grasshopper populations remain below an economic impact threshold across the western United States. However, current grasshopper forecasting efforts by the USDA are based solely on the previous year’s grasshopper density and do not take regional environmental factors (e.g., climate, soil, and topography) into account. This presentation will show how historic grasshopper survey data (2002-2020) from 17 western U.S. states and large-scale geospatial data analysis and machine learning methods can be used for forecasting grasshopper populations in the western United States. The research that goes with this.
Birds as Pests, Aug 18 , 12 noon MT
Presenters: Dave Trevino, Lori Oberhofer, Brian Smith, Jeffrey Durbin, NPS This session is a crossover effort between the NPS Avian Community of Practice and the NPS Integrated Pest Management program. NPS areas are not immune to having nuisance birds negatively impact visitors and property. Join us as we explore some of the unique considerations we must take into account in addressing nuisance birds with specific examples from Everglades and Katmai.
Land Use Webinar Series, Monthly Aug 18-Nov 17, 12 noon ET
This webinar will address why the conservation practice of installing riparian buffers is highly regarded by water resource managers and landscape professionals. The presenters also will cover buffer design, width and plant selection, along with educational resources offered by Penn State Extension to help communities and private landowners install and improve buffer plantings.
Tick Academy, Sept 13-15, virtual
Please join the Tick IPM Working Group for the second annual Tick Academy! The Tick Academy is the premier event for researchers, educators, students, public health professionals, pest control professionals, public-space managers and citizen scientists interested in learning more about what they can do to stop the spread of ticks and tickborne diseases in their communities. This virtual event will feature twelve presentations over three, four-hour sessions where presenters will share the newest information from the field. Participants will be able to ask questions of these world-class tick experts.
Northeast Greenhouse Conference and Expo, Nov 3-4, Boxborough, MA
The Northeast Greenhouse Conference and Expo is still slated to be in-person this year November 3 & 4 at the Boxboro Regency Hotel in Boxborough, Massachusetts, and they’ve got cannabis-focused sessions on the itinerary this year.
Christmas Tree IPM Field Day, Aug 19, 5pm Geneva, NY
Amara Dunn, NYS IPM Biocontrol Specialist, started a new project on Christmas tree IPM this year. At this field day, you will learn more about how the project is going, and see the in-progress treatments in person! To learn more about the Christmas tree IPM Project, see here.
Great Lakes Expo, Dec 7-9, in person
Save the date for the Great Lakes Expo. Registration and lodging coming soon.
Employment Opportunities:
Group Leader/Vineyard Technician, Lake Erie Regional Grape Research and Extension Center, Penn State, North East, PA
The Penn State Lake Erie Regional Grape Research and Extension Center in North East, PA is looking for a full-time person to help manage a 40-acre research vineyard. In addition to maintaining the vineyard the responsibilities will also include working with the research and extension staff to examine novel approaches to viticulture that address the needs of the grape industry. The ideal candidate should have sufficient experience in viticulture and a PA pesticide applicators license.
Green Shield Certified® Evaluator, IPM Institute of North America, Madison, WI
The Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Institute of North America seeks an evaluator to audit Green Shield Certified® pest control companies. If you are familiar with regulations and policies impacting pest management and are able to identify common structural pest problems, we’d love to hear from you. Your role will allow you to visit Green Shield Certified® pest control companies in the New York metro area. Your on-boarding experience includes one-on-one training with Dr. Thomas Green, a world-renown entomologist, IPM expert and co-founder and president of the IPM Institute. Further, your audits and reporting will be supported by the dedicated staff of our community IPM team at our headquarters in Madison, WI. This is a contracted opportunity that will require approximately 8-16 hours per month.
Bilingual Program Coordinator, Small Farms Program, Cornell University, Ithaca NY
Specific Job Duties will include: facilitation and implementation of the farm management course, including development of a bilingual promotional campaign, recruitment, and student intake process. Collaboration with Spanish language justice work teams to create language appropriate educational resources for Spanish-speaking farmers. This individual will collaborate as a team member with other SFP staff to achieve these goals