North Central IPM Center Working Groups
Based on recommendations from an external review panel, the North Central IPM Center will invest approximately $300,000 to fund ten working groups in 2008. We have included a brief summary about each Working Group below and we encourage you to contact the project investigators to learn more about their projects.
Building WeedSOFT as an Internet-based Integrated Weed Management Decision Tool
Mark Bernards and Lowell Sandwell, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
WeedSOFT is a bioeconomic decision-support software developed by weed scientists from seven North Central Region universities. It is currently available to subscribers in a CD format. The objective of this project is to program key components of WeedSOFT on an internet-based platform. The WeedSOFT suite of tools will be accessible free-of-charge to producers, consultants, and educators. An educational module will be developed highlighting key integrated weed management functions of WeedSOFT. Web-based WeedSOFT tools will enable more producers to make weed control decisions based on weed-competition based yield loss thresholds, better understand when weeds compete with their crops, and understand the value of good herbicide-resistant management practices.
North Central Region Weather Working Group
Mark L. Gleason and Forrest W. Nutter, Jr., Iowa State University
The North Central Region Weather Working Group will foster region-wide and nationwide communication on weather-based IPM tools among agricultural meteorologists, plant pathologists, entomologists, and IPM stakeholders that leads to new collaborations and breakthroughs in research and outreach.
NRCS and IPM Working Group: Grower Incentives for IPM
Thomas A. Green, IPM Institute of America and Michael Brewer, Michigan State University
The NRCS and IPM Working Group's goal is to encourage adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) through participation in conservation programs administered through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in the North Central region. The group is multi-state and multi-disciplinary to include university extension, state offices of NRCS, state lead agencies, EPA, and industry.
North Central Region School IPM Working Group
Thomas A. Green, IPM Institute of America and Mark Shour, Iowa State University
This project is a multi-disciplinary, multi-organizational working group that will address school IPM issues. The group will create an opportunity for interactive discussions and resource sharing among fragmented school IPM programs in our region, and coordinate with a new national school IPM working group and two other regional groups working with support from two of the other regional IPM Centers. Our project will reduce pesticide use and pest and pesticide hazards to children, school staff and visitors; result in greater collaboration and sharing of resources and information among all active school IPM programs in the Midwest; build greater awareness of existing tools and expertise, efficient use of limited resources and reduced duplication of effort; focus attention on current and emerging regional needs; and improve documentation of current status and progress towards full implementation of high-level IPM in schools.
Great Lakes Vegetable Working Group
Jim Jasinski, The Ohio State University
The Great Lakes Vegetable Working Group (GLVWG) has a mission to facilitate communication between vegetable production specialists and address priority issues in vegetable production in IL, IN, KY, MI, MN, NY, OH, PA, WI and Ontario, Canada. The GLVWG members are connected via an electronic listserv that currently contains about 150 vegetable related specialists (researchers and Extension agents) and other stakeholders (industry, grower & commodity associations) throughout the region. The listserv allows the posting of real time questions, responses and observations for the benefit of all subscribers (specialists & stakeholders) in the group. A web page for GLVWG has been developed (http://glvwg.ag.ohio-state.edu/) to display annual meeting information, research presentations, Project Committee updates, discussion forums, member profiles, calendar dates, and stakeholder information.
Great Lakes Fruit IPM Working Group
Greg Lang and David Epstein, Michigan State University; Patricia McManus, University of Wisconsin; Art Agnello, Cornell University; and Margaret Appleby, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
Within the North Central region, the most significant fruit production is located in the Great Lakes region (MI, WI, OH, IL, and IN) due to the favorable climate-modifying effect of the Great Lakes. This multi-state/multi-organization group of fruit production professionals (research and extension scientists including entomologists, pathologists, horticulturists, ag economists, ag engineers, and soil biologists, plus industry advisors and pest managers involved in IPM), which also includes NY and Ontario, meets on an annual basis at a location that rotates among the participating states.
Consumer Horticulture Working Group
Mary H. Meyer, University of Minnesota; Rhonda Burrows, South Dakota State University; and Susan Mahr, University of Wisconsin
Consumer horticulture specialists will work to improve communications, determine Integrated Pest Management (IPM) needs and priorities, and to develop these priorities for the North Central region in 2008. Consumers and residential homeowners are a huge population using pesticides that have a significant environmental impact. The goal of this project is the same as one of the goals of the NCIPM Center: to reduce the environmental and human health risks associated with managing pests in residential areas. University Extension consumer horticulture specialists are uniquely situated to offer educational expertise in IPM. Thorough the network of Extension offices and Master Gardeners, we have the resources to impact a large number of consumers.
North Central Extension Entomologists Working Group, with Emphasis on Developing an Extension Journal of Integrated Pest Management
Marlin E. Rice, Iowa State University; Kevin L. Steffey, University of Illinois; and John VanDyk, Iowa State University
The North Central Extension Entomologists Working Group will bring together and help focus the institutional and individual expertise needed to address a range of insect management issues confronting field crop producers and agribusiness personnel. As demand for increased crop production escalates and as new crops (e.g., biofuel crops) are introduced into the region, the accompanying insect management issues will require a concerted, consensus effort among Extension entomologists.
Pulse Crops Working Group
Brad Ruden and Darrell Deneke, South Dakota State Universit; and Rubella S. Goswami and Samuel G. Markell, North Dakota State University
The Pulse Crops Working Group will address IPM issues for pulse crop production in the Great Plains. The working group will facilitate communications between established pulse researchers and the NC region, implement and validate an effective molecular screening technique for seed borne ascochyta and strive to implement effective disease management plans. The working group will address information needs identified in the US Pulse Crop PMSP. South Dakota will serve as the lead state in this project, with strong multi-state collaboration and support of industry organizations in the region
The Northern Great Plains IPM Working Group
Kelley J. Tilmon, Sue Blodgett and Darrell Deneke, South Dakota State University; Janet Knodel and Samuel Markell, North Dakota State University; and Ian MacRae and Bruce Potter, University of Minnesota.
The Northern Great Plains IPM Working Group's mission is to increase adoption of IPM practices in production agriculture in the Northern Great Plains sector of the North Central region by increasing communication and collaboration among IPM-enablers and by increasing the multi-direction flow of information among IPM-enablers and Practitioners. The organizers of the NGPWG are comprised of Extension and research faculty in a range of disciplines, in SD, ND, and MN. The NGPWG will have a membership base of both IPM-enablers and Practitioners.