The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is increasing efforts to make sure pesticide impacts are minimal, especially for species that have been identified as an endangered species. Learn why changes are happening, how and when to use the new Bulletin Live 2 database, and keep up with related webinars and resources all summarized for you in one place.
Students at Escuela Verde in Milwaukee, Wisconsin had a chance to learn about integrated pest management (IPM) and hear about rodent biology and pesticide chemistry to create an IPM plan for their school. Ted Snyder, a board-certified entomologist and teacher, will share how he implemented this learning opportunity. On Friday, March 29th at 2:00 p.m. ET (1:00 p.m. CT), Snyder will describe how to structure an IPM course to fit into a biology curriculum.
Urban farms have the potential to earn as much as $10,000 per half acre, but each urban farm is unique, especially when compared to rural farms. Check out these virtual tours of three urban farms in Detroit, Michigan. Watch the tours to learn about a no-till system, insect pests and management options in urban settings, and equipment challenges and opportunities in small spaces. These virtual tours were created by the Great Lakes Urban Agriculture Working Group.
D Town Urban Farm showing several rows of annual vegetables.
Asian longhorned ticks (ALHT) are special. If one tick makes it to a new location, it can begin a new ALHT population all by itself. This is because most ALHTs are female, and they can clone themselves, laying up to 2,000 eggs. This reproductive superpower means that treatment for ALHT infestations may need to begin sooner than we would treat other tick population explosions.
In this webinar, Dr. Andreas Eleftheriou, a veterinary public health resident in the Department of Veterinary Preventive Medicine at The Ohio State University, shared recent research on the ALHT population in Ohio.
Watch the webinar to learn whether the ticks were found to carry any infectious pathogens, what habitats they inhabit, what host species they prefer, when they are active and special management considerations for this rapidly reproducing species.
Webinar image of Asian longhorned tick life stages and a map of locations where ALHT has been confirmed.
Poison Hemlock Interviewee: Dr. Bill Johnson from Purdue University
Broadleaf Weeds in Rangelands Interviewee: Dr. Brian Mealor from the University of Wyoming; Director of Sheridan Research & Extension Center; Director of the Institute for Managing Annual Grasses
Weed Control Failures Interviewee: Dr. Peter Sikkema, (retired) from the University of Guelph
Interseeding Interviewee: Dr. Karla Gage from Southern Illinois University
New Episodes—I See Dead Plants Podcasts
The most recent episodes of “I See Dead Plants” focus on the southern corn leaf blight epidemic that occurred in 1970 with insights from interviewees Dr. Snook Pataky, professor emeritus at University of Illinois; Dr. Sung Lim, former department chair and retired professor from the University of Arkansas plant pathology department; and Dr. Dave Smith who has been employed at Dekalb, Monsanto and Zea Sage.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is updating its restrictions on three chlorpyrifos pesticide products: Pyrinex Chlorpyrifos Insecticide, Chlorpyrifos 4E AG (alternate brand name Quali-Pro Chlorpyrifos 4E), and Vulcan.
These changes apply to existing stocks provisions in the May 4 and November 6 cancellation orders as follows:
Sale and distribution of existing stocks of Pyrinex Chlorpyrifos Insecticide (EPA Reg. No. 11678-58) is permitted until June 30, 2024.
Sale and distribution of existing stocks of Chlorpyrifos 4E AG and Quali-Pro Chlorpyrifos 4E (EPA Reg. No. 66222-19) and Vulcan (EPA Reg. Nos. 66222-233) is permitted until April 30, 2025.
Use of existing stocks of Chlorpyrifos 4E AG, Quali-Pro Chlorpyrifos 4E, and Vulcan on food, food processing sites, and food manufacturing sites must be consistent with the product labeling. Such use is permitted until June 30, 2025. Use of existing stocks Chlorpyrifos 4E AG, Quali-Pro Chlorpyrifos 4E, and Vulcan for non-food purposes is permitted until existing stocks are exhausted, as long as such use is in accordance with the labeling.
After these dates, all respective sale, distribution, and use of existing stocks is prohibited, except for sale and distribution for export and for proper disposal.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is beginning a new office, the “EPA Office of Agriculture and Rural Affairs,” to increase connection with agricultural and rural communities.
The Office of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has several goals. One goal is to ensure that perspectives from farming communities are heard. This new office will also work to protect air quality and water quality while allowing agricultural production to thrive. Funding opportunities for infrastructure upgrades and other community-improvement opportunities in small, rural towns will also be available.
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
USDA Solicits Input on Petition to Deregulate Corn Developed Using Genetic Engineering
Your experience is needed. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) invites public feedback on a petition to deregulate corn cultivar MON95379. This cultivar was created using genetic engineering to resist feeding damage from fall armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), sugarcane borer (Diatraea saccharalis), and corn earworm (Helicoverpa zea). The petition was submitted by Bayer U.S.-Crop Science (Bayer).
The next International IPM Symposium will be held on March 3 to March 5, 2025, in San Diego, California at the lovely Paradise Point location. We hope to see you there!
International IPM Symposium volunteers are needed for these committees: awards, students & early career scientists, international, posters, silent auction, and program.
A volunteer’s time commitment will be one to ten hours per month, depending on the assignment.
Selina Zhang, an 18-year-old New Jersey student, has designed a trap for spotted lanternflies (SLF). What makes it even better? It’s solar powered, self-cleaning and uses artificial intelligence to specifically target SLF.
University of Florida scientists are working to use artificial intelligence to create an app that can accurately identify poison ivy. The goal is to help people avoid poison ivy when they are enjoying the outdoors. The app may also provide insights into poison ivy distribution and spread, and it may also be expanded to identify other troublesome weeds.
Detecting nematodes is a challenge because these parasites are so tiny that they cannot be seen with the naked eye during most life stages. Dr. Lei Zhang is working with PhD student Vijay Kunwar, the Ag Alumni Seed Phenotyping Facility team and Dr. Jianxin Ma to find a way to detect nematodes fast and early using two imaging technologies called hyperspectral imaging and chlorophyll fluorescence imaging. Both the hyperspectral imaging and the fluorescence imaging focuses on the leaves to detect changes in photosynthesis caused by the nematode infection.
The Entomological Society of America (ESA) is working to make sure that insect common names are respectful and descriptive. You can join the Better Common Names Project to suggest insect names that need to change or to join a working group to study, evaluate, and propose new common names.
Help is needed to review names of the nine insects listed below.
Japanese beetle (Papilia japonica)
Japanese broadwinged katydid (Holochlora japonica)
Male Asian longhorned beetle. Photo by Joe Boggs.Asian longhorned beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis)
Learn what weeds are best managed in the spring, along with effective management methods from Christopher Evans, forestry extension and research specialist with Illinois Extension. This free webinar will be held on Thursday, April 11 at 2 p.m. ET (1 p.m. CT).
Onions have a small canopy that provides weed seeds with plenty of sunlight to aid germination. In this study, tarps were used to shade soil to reduce weed germination. Weed pressure was reduced, but onion yield did not improve.
A number of fungal pathogens can reduce soybean yield. Dr. Kiersten Wise, professor and extension plant pathologist from the University of Kentucky, shares insight into how fungicide efficacy ratings are generated so you can choose the best product for your needs.
The University of Missouri Plant Diagnostic Clinic is providing free testing for five wheat viruses in 2024: wheat streak mosaic virus (WSMV), wheat spindle streak mosaic virus (WSSMV), soil-borne wheat mosaic virus (SBWMV), barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV), and cereal yellow dwarf virus (CYDV). Now is a great time to submit samples.
Clover cover crops were grown as a living cover crop during broccoli production. While clover cover crops can help reduce soil erosion, provide nitrogen and suppress weeds, broccoli crops and yields were significantly affected. It is not recommended to plant broccoli into kura clover, red clover or white clover.
New approaches, such as the use of artificial intelligence, are being used to help manage rodent populations in urban areas. Learn about the use of smart cameras and sensors, along with other integrated tactics, such as sanitation, habitat modification, exclusion and rodenticides in this video from the US Environmental Protection Agency.
The Pesticide Risk Tool (PRT) is an online tool that provides a way to predict pesticide risk to people and the environment. While the PRT is similar to the Environmental Impact Quotient (EIQ), it does more than quantifying the level of hazard each pesticide poses. The PRT factors in both the hazard level and the likelihood that exposure will occur. Other advantages of the PRT are also described.
Three Fungicide Efficacy Guides Updated
Discover effective fungicide control ratings for major diseases in the United States in new reports by the Corn Disease Working Group and NCERA-137. Ratings are based on efficacy and proper application. Contact local extension services for more info.
Shattercane weed populations are increasing in Midwestern corn fields. Research at the University of Missouri (MU) shows that shattercane can germinate whenever moisture is available, even as late as September. Shattercane can produce seed within three weeks so new scouting and management strategies may be needed. MU researchers are also screening shattercane seedlings for resistance.
Exposure to germicidal UV light (UV-C) at night was tested as a treatment for fire blight, which is caused by the Erwinia amylovora bacterium. Two night UV-C applications while apple trees were blooming were shown to be as effective as standard treatments with antibiotics or biopesticides.
A soybean resistance gene called GmSNAP02 provides soybean plants with a unique mode of resistance to soybean cyst nematode (SCN). Using this gene to add variety to commercial soybean cultivars will provide additional options for integrated pest management in fields with SCN.
Job Board
Associate Dean & Director of OSU Extension and Chair, The Ohio State University
Instructional Assistant Professor and/or Assistant Professor of Practice, Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University
Urban Forestry Extension Specialist, Department of Forest Ecosystems, Oregon State University
Urban Forestry Outreach and Engagement Specialist, Department of Forest Ecosystems, Oregon State University
Postdoctoral Research Entomologist, USDA-ARS Southeastern Fruit and Tree Nut Research Laboratory in Byron, Georgia
