The IPM Toolbox: "Pest Management in No-Till Corn Silage Systems – With an Introduction to Northeast SARE Funding Programs and Resources" – Webinar Recording

Recorded September 25, 2018.

John Tooker, Penn State
Debra Heleba, Regional Communications Specialist, Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program

Description

While no-till farming provides important soil health benefits, management of insects and weeds in no-till can be challenging. With increased adoption of no-till corn silage systems, use of neonicotinoids as preventative seed coatings has grown rapidly. The entomology research team at Penn State, led by Dr. John Tooker, has been studying the effects of neonicotinoid seed treatments (NSTs) used in no-till corn silage systems. Ongoing research has revealed that NSTs are exacerbating slug populations in no-till crop fields by disrupting biological control. This issue is important because slugs are among the most challenging crop pests faced by mid-Atlantic and northeastern field crop growers. Therefore, the team has been researching viable strategies to manage this invertebrate pest in no-till systems. This research has been funded by Northeast SARE.

Debra will share information about Northeast SARE’s IPM resources and their grant program, including the Farmer Grant program that provides IPM research funding to commercial farmers.

About the Presenters

John Tooker is an Associate Professor of Entomology at Penn State. His areas of expertise include insect ecology, plant-insect interactions, and conservation biological control. He has worked with no-till farms for more than 15 years. John and his graduate students have conducted several research projects with funding from Northeast SARE to better understand the role of insecticidal seed treatments in no-till corn silage systems.

Debra Heleba is the Regional Communications Specialist with Northeast SARE, a regional competitive grants and sustainable agriculture education program funded by USDA NIFA.

Download presentation slides (PDF, 13 MB)