New York IPM Report, 2019

NEERA meeting: May 1, 2019, College Park, MD

Prepared by Jennifer Grant and Elizabeth Lamb, NYS IPM Program

Situation

New Yorkers are exposed to risks from pests and methods used to control them.

Response

The NYS IPM Program is reducing environmental, health, and economic risk by teaching, demonstrating, and researching IPM practices. We program in agricultural crops – fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, field crops, and livestock; and community settings – schools, homes, municipalities, parks, and golf courses.

Results/Impact

Funding: In 2018 we received state funds for Community IPM, $550,000; Agricultural IPM, $1,000,000; and Tick IPM, $156 ,000. Also Federal USDA-NIFA CPPM-EIP funds = $285,000.

People: In 2017–2018, hired two Coordinators: NEWA and Field Crops/Livestock; and two Specialists: Biocontrol and Weed IPM.

2017–2018 Annual Report in calendar format, featuring NYS IPM staff and projects. nysipm.cornell.edu/about/our-annual-report

Annual IPM Conference: In 2018, the topic was Integrated Management of Ticks and Mosquitoes. Attended by over 90 scientists, educators, regulators, master gardeners, and policy makers.

Mini-grants program: In 2018 we funded 13 mini-grants in Community IPM to CALS faculty and staff, CCE, and other partners.

Pollinators: We support implementation of New York’s Pollinator Protection Plan; conducted research on establishment of habitat for beneficials https://tinyurl.com/y6ck7w5v; and helped produce pesticide decision guides https://pollinator.cals.cornell.edu/resources/grower-resources/

Ticks: We created the Don’t Get Ticked New York campaign that includes 13 infographic posters, a tick ID card, and kits for tick removal and education. https://nysipm.cornell.edu/whats-bugging-you/ticks/ We also surveyed tick and disease distribution in three areas of the state.

NEWA (Network for Environment and Weather Applications) http://newa.cornell.edu is a system of 643 physical weather stations located in 13 member states that use real time weather data in 43 different models, tools, and resources to provide agricultural insect and disease risk estimates. A survey last year showed that the NEWA users saved an average of $4,329/yr. annually by reducing pesticide sprays and $33,048 by preventing crop loss. Their average per acre savings as a direct result of using NEWA was $2,060 annually.

Resources Produced

Profiles of Active Ingredients Eligible for Minimum Risk Pesticide Use: Profiles on each of the EPA’s 25(b)-eligible exempt active ingredients, that include a summary of uses, hazards, and efficacy. nysipm.cornell.edu/environment/active-ingredients-eligible-minimum-risk-pesticide-use

How to Get Bed Bugs Out of Your Belongings: Comprehensive 68-page document on handling bed bug infested items. https://ecommons.cornell.edu/handle/1813/55760

IPM Image Gallery: >4,000 images with links to management flickr.com/photos/99758165@N06/

IPM for Foliar Diseases of Soybeans and IPM for Insect Pests of Field Corn: online courses with pesticide recertification credits pmepcourses.cce.cornell.edu/catalog?pagename=All-Items

Pesticide decision-making guides to protect pollinators in tree fruit; and in landscapes, ornamentals and turf. https://pollinator.cals.cornell.edu/resources/grower-resources/

IPM Guidelines for SWD in Blueberry; Raspberry and Blackberry on Northeastern IPM Center website. https://www.northeastipm.org/working-groups/spotted-wing-drosophila/

Elements of IPM: Field Corn, Soybeans, Alfalfa, Winter Wheat nysipm.cornell.edu/resources/publications/ipm-elements/

Disease and insect resistant woody ornamental species and cultivars – https://tinyurl.com/y6emg5f3

Highlights by Commodity

Community

  • Authored The ABCs of School and Childcare Pest Management blog (blogs.cornell.edu/schoolchildcareipm/) and BMPs for School IPM in the Northeast northeastipm.org/bmps-for-school-ipm/
  • Taught a Structural IPM Short Course for pest management professionals, including a large teaching collection of insect specimens and a manual developed for the course.
  • Researched distribution and movements of rats on the perimeter of food plant facilities.
  • Updating Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies of North America website
  • Co-led the Scientific Coalition on Pest Exclusion (SCOPE) – a working group focused on the scientific verification and promotion of exclusion as a primary tool in IPM in buildings.
  • Continued long-term partnership with 29 NYS Park Golf Courses on reduced chemical golf course management.

Vegetables

  • Organic efficacy trials: tested organically-approved pesticides in collaboration with Cornell faculty: nysipm.cornell.edu/agriculture/vegetables/organic-resources-vegetables.
  • Sweet corn pheromone trap network (http://sweetcorn.nysipm.cornell.edu) – weekly summaries of lepidopteran trap catches and recommendations for scouting and thresholds.
  • NYSIPM Weed IPM Specialist tested and demonstrated cultivation in sweet corn, snap beans, and beets. See the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYyToq4qrZ0
  • Collaborated with PMEP to create a full set of organic vegetable guidelines produced in conjunction with the Cornell Integrated Crop and Pest Management Guidelines for Commercial Vegetable Production – with IPM practices harmonized for both guides.

Fruit & Hops

  • Spotted lanternfly (SLF): As part of New York’s Incident Command Structure, created numerous identification and awareness resources; and surveyed the preferred host, Ailanthus altissima, tree of heaven nysipm.cornell.edu/environment/invasive-species-exotic-pests/spotted-lanternfly/
  • Spotted wing drosophila (SWD): Statewide trapping network; testing hummingbirds as biocontrols in raspberries; 51 grower alert blog posts; SWD NYS distribution map generated www.eddmaps.org/swd/
  • Evaluated impact of grape rootworm on vine size, alternative materials and timings for management and biological control for grape rootworm were tested in 10 Lake Erie region vineyards.
  • Developed a Sustainable Hops IPM Program from Greenhouse to Harvest.

Ornamentals

  • Established a Christmas tree planting for research and demonstration at Cornell AgriTech, and adjacent beneficial insect and pollinator habitat demonstration plots.
  • Provided hands-on IPM training in greenhouse and high tunnel vegetable production for growers and CCE educators.

Livestock and Field Crops

  • Weekly Field Crop Pest Report blog: 22 issues in 2018 reaching several thousand producers and educators via direct subscription and a variety of traditional and social media http://nysipm.cornell.edu/fieldcrops/tag/pestrpt/default.asp
  • Bio-based bird repellent (Avipel) seed treatment tested on corn and shown effective under high bird pressure
  • Western Bean Cutworm Pheromone trapping network since 2010 has documented high populations and widespread occurrence across New York. Economic damage has begun.