December 2025 Central Issue
News stories shared in the December 2025 Central Issue appear below. Subscribe to receive the Central Issue newsletter monthly via email.
North Central IPM Center Updates
Stay informed with the latest news from the Center with the stories below. Be sure to share your favorites!
January Webinar: Breeding Efforts to Curb Cucurbit Downy Mildew
Edmund Frost from Twin Oaks Seed Farm has been breeding winter squash, cucumber, and melon in Central Virginia since 2013, with downy mildew resistance as one of the main goals. During the webinar called, “Breeding Efforts to Curb Cucurbit Downy Mildew,” Frost will talk about his work with each of these crops, the varieties he has developed, and what lies ahead.
This webinar qualifies for 0.5 CCA Integrated Pest Management CEU for live attendees.
This Pests and Progress webinar will be held on Wednesday, January 21, 2026, at 1:00 pm ET (12:00 pm CT). Pests and Progress webinars are free, and you must register to attend.
More details are on the North Central IPM Center website.
New Plant Alerts
The Public Gardens as Sentinels Against Invasive Plants (PGSIP) Working Group has two new plant alerts available: Golden rain tree and Japanese tree lilac. These trees have demonstrated the ability to spread, and ideally, they should not be used in landscaping. Learn more about these trees and how to identify them.
The PGSIP Working Group was formed to increase collaboration between public gardens to identify and address invasive plants that escape cultivation. Encourage your local botanical gardens to get involved! Share this 6-minute video introducing the working group or sign up for this newsletter to stay informed as additional pest alerts are released.
The PGSIP Working Group has been funded by the North Central IPM Center since 2018.
Tropilaelaps Train-the-Trainer Workshop Recordings
Tropilaelaps is a genus of parasitic mites that use bees as hosts. The Managed Pollinator Protection Working Group has recently hosted two webinars about this mite to help beekeepers prepare and respond to Tropilaelaps infestations. Check out the recordings to learn more:
- Tropilaelaps Beekeeper Preparedness with Natasha Garcia-Andersen
- Tropilaelaps Mite Monitoring, Diagnosis, and Management with Jenna Crowder and James Fulton
The Managed Pollinator Protection Working Group was established to improve pollinator health by reducing pesticide exposure using integrated pest management and by preparing for emerging threats. Additional details about Tropilaelaps and the working group are available on the working group’s website.
The Managed Pollinator Protection Working Group has been funded by the North Central IPM Center since 2020.
2026 Grant Proposal Submission Summary
The North Central IPM Center recently received 30 grant proposals for the 2026 funding cycle, requesting a total of nearly $873,000. These submitted proposals included 14 for Working Groups (9 continued and 5 new), 14 for Critical Issues projects, and 2 for IPM Partnerships.
Proposals were received from 11 of the 12 North Central states, and 21 of the 30 proposals included multi-state or international collaborations. These collaborations enable states to pool resources, knowledge, and effective IPM strategies.
The proposals will be reviewed in January, and funding decisions will be announced in February.
War Against Weeds Podcasts
- Dryland Agriculture Weed Management
Interviewees: Jeanne Faulk Jones from Kansas State University and Dr. Drew Lyon from Washington State University - Weather and Weed Science
Interviewees: Daryl Ritchison from the North Dakota Agricultural Weather Network and Chip Redmond from Kansas Mesonet
The Big World of IPM
- Attracting Predators of Root Maggots
Interviewees: Gino Graziano and Joey Slowik from the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service - Click Beetle Chemical Communications
Interviewee: Jackie Serrano: Click Beetle Chemical Communications from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service located in Washington state - Yes, There are Ticks in Wyoming
Interviewees: Mikenna Smith and Kelsey Mitchell from the Teton County Weed and Pest District in Wyoming
I See Dead Plants Podcasts
- The Bug Crusade: Adventures of the Indiana Jones of Entomology Part 1
Interviewee: Dr. Mark S. Hoddle from the Center for Invasive Species Research and the University of California Riverside - The Bug Crusade: Adventures of the Indiana Jones of Entomology Part 2
Interviewee: Dr. Mark S. Hoddle from the Center for Invasive Species Research and the University of California Riverside
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Update
Here’s the latest news from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service Launches Office of the Assistant Chiefs to Strengthen Field Leadership and Accountability
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is adjusting its leadership structure. The Office of the Assistant Chiefs will provide regional leadership and is replacing the Office of the Regional Conservationists. This strategic change is expected to strengthen accountability and put decision-making closer to the producers and partners NRCS serves.
IPM Highlights
Here’s interesting stories related to progress in integrated pest management.
Study Identifies Hotspots of Disease-Carrying Ticks in Illinois
Supporting & Sustaining Bee Health–Multistate Research Fund Impacts
- monitor bee populations,
- improve breeding programs, protect the queen bee,
- manage parasites, pathogens and pests
- support bee foraging and nutrition
- reduce pesticide exposure
- mitigate weather stress and habitat change
- increase education and outreach
The full-length Impact Statement is attached and available on the Multi-State Research Fund Impacts website. A one-page summary is also available.
Iowa State Researcher Helps Map the Mosquito—Cell by Cell—to Fight Disease
Some consider mosquitoes the world’s most dangerous animal because of the diseases they carry. Now, thanks to a global research effort, a map of 367,000 individual mosquito cells may provide insight into how to prevent mosquitoes from spreading disease.
Dr. Ryan Smith and Dr. Hyeogsun Kwon from Iowa State University helped determine how cells differ between male and female mosquitoes, how blood feeding changes brain and sensory cells, and how the immune system operates in mosquitoes.
Preparing for Next Season
Get ready for next year with these learning opportunities.
New Webinar Series: Purdue Vegetable Chat
The Purdue Extension Vegetable Team is starting a new webinar series about vegetable crops called “Vegetable Chat.” The series will help commercial vegetable growers by featuring experts who discuss crop-specific topics and production issues. Each webinar will include a presentation followed by a Q&A session.
The first webinar featured Dr. Thomas Björkman from Cornell AgriTech, who shared, “Midwest Broccoli Production: Marketing, Production, and Postharvest Management.”
2026 What’s Bugging You First Friday
Now is the time to register for the 2026 “What’s Bugging You First Friday” webinar series! The 2026 webinars will include an assortment of interesting subjects from spotted lanternfly to ways to support native insects to mole control and Joro spiders.
You may register for one or multiple webinars; check out the full list of 2026 topics. Webinars are held the first Friday of each month, from 12 to 12:30 p.m. ET (11 to 11:30 a.m. CT).
Fungi from Minnesota Can Kill Emerald Ash Borer Beetles
Parasitic fungi may be a useful form of biological control for the emerald ash borer. A research team from the University of Minnesota used an autodissemination device to trap beetles and cover them with fungal spores before releasing them.
As fungi grows on these infested beetles, they spread spores to other beetles until they perish. Ten types of fungi were tested, and four were effective.
Resources
Read, use or share the latest IPM resources.
New Beginning Farmer Resource
The Beginning Farmer Resource and Decision-Making Guide is now available from Michigan State University. This resource provides details about essential topics like crop options, pest management, water management, and soil health. Other topics like marketing, beekeeping and urban farming are also included.
Be sure to share with anyone who is starting a farm.
White Mold ROI Calculator
A white mold return on investment (ROI) calculator is available to help you make informed decisions about fungicide use and timing. By entering treatment costs, expected yield gains, and market prices, you can get an estimate of net return per acre.
This calculator is available from the Crop Protection Network, along with an Overview of White Mold summary.
Connect Database
A new networking tool called Connect is available. Created by the Southern Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Center, the Connect database links IPM professionals, researchers, and stakeholders to promote networking and collaborative efforts.
As insects, weeds and diseases continue to spread and evolve, we must improve partnerships between land-grant universities, federal and state agencies, industry partners, and communities across disciplines to address pest challenges.
Sign up for Connect today. Note that your Connect login is the same as your login for Bugwood Images, EDDMapS and the Regional IPM Centers Resource Database.
Pesticide Educational Resources Collaborative
Educational resources are available from the Pesticide Educational Resources Collaborative (PERC). These resources may be useful to trainers, regulators and farmers across the United States, and they cover topics from worker protection to applicator exams.
PERC’s online library includes over 130 posters, flip charts, handouts, videos, checklists and other educational publications and illustrations.
New Soybean Pest Articles Added to the Crop Protection Network Encyclopedia
Three new encyclopedia articles on insect pests in soybean have been added, expanding resources to support pest identification and management. Access them below:
Events
Learn and network at these upcoming in-person events.
Midwest Crops Conference
Midwest Cover Crops Council Annual Meeting & Conference
Dubuque, Iowa
Conference on Soilborne Plant Pathogens
March 24-26, 2026
Parlier, California
March 2-5, 2026, San Diego, California
American Society of Plant Biologists: Midwest
April 24-26, 2026
Columbia, Missouri
Job Board
Consider applying for these job opportunities.