Webinars
Check out the Pests & Progress monthly webinars to keep up with the latest research related to integrated pest management (IPM). Webinars are hosted by the North Central IPM Center and are held virtually the third Wednesday of each month at 1:00 p.m. Eastern/12:00 p.m. Central time. These virtual webinars are delivered via Zoom. Click the “Register” button below a presentation to sign up.
Previous webinars are all available for viewing on the North Central IPM Center YouTube Channel.
Our Next Pests & Progress Webinar
We hope you will join us for the next Pests and Progress webinar! Be sure to sign up to receive the link. Thank you for your interest, and we hope you will share details with your network!
Abstract:
Tick populations are on the rise across the world, and the US is no exception. Increasing reports of tick-borne illnesses raise the question: how can we reduce this public health burden? The ODU Tick Research Team has been exploring a variety of interventions both in the real-world and in the virtual world, and results from these studies will be discussed.
Presenter
Holly Gaff
Professor and Department Chair, Old Dominion University
Dr. Holly Gaff is a professor at Old Dominion University, and she leads the ODU Tick Research Team. Her background is in mathematics, but her interests are more broadly focused on the ecology and epidemiology of ticks and tick-borne illnesses. The Tick Team has been conducting active surveillance in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia since 2009, and numerous projects have grown out of the findings from this work.
Upcoming Topics
- May 20, 2026: RNAi for varroa mite management
- June 17, 2026: Tracking Flight Activity of Corn Leafhopper and Detection of Corn Stunt Disease Across the USA Midwest with the Suction Trap Network
- October 21, 2026: Current Trends and Management of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes in Missouri Soybeans
- February 17, 2027: Ag-weather resources to support integrated pest management
Recent Webinars and Recordings
Pesticide Risk Tool: Understanding risk and measuring impact
March 18, 2026
Ariel Larson and Peter Werts from the IPM Institute of North America introduce the Pesticide Risk Tool. This webinar explores how the tool is being integrated into supply chains and certification programs to measure and mitigate environmental and human health risks. Real-world examples are highlighted throughout the presentation.
Ariel Larson and Peter Werts, IPM Institute of North America
Genetic Biocontrol of New World screwworm (NWS) and spotted wing Drosophila (SWD)
February 18, 2026
Used to suppress the New World screwworm (NWS) in the USA, the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) involves releasing mass-reared, radiation-sterilized insects into a targeted area. Because females that mate with sterile males produce no offspring, the pest population naturally declines.
To maximize efficiency, researchers have developed methods to mass-produce only sterile males for both NWS and the Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD). This work highlights these advancements and explores future gene drive technologies, which offer even more precise and powerful tools for long-term pest management.
Max Scott, North Carolina State University
Breeding Efforts to Curb Cucurbit Downy Mildew
January 21, 2026
Edmund Frost has been breeding winter squash, cucumber, and melon in Central Virginia since 2013, with downy mildew resistance as one of the main goals. During this webinar called, “Breeding Efforts to Curb Cucurbit Downy Mildew,” Frost discusses his work with each of these crops, the varieties he has developed, and what lies ahead.
Edmund Frost, Common Wealth Seed Growers
Spying on Insects with the Insect Eavesdropper
November 19, 2025
Explore the hidden world of insect communication and feeding behavior! Discover how the Insect Eavesdropper uses advanced contact microphones to capture the secret sounds and vibrations insects make as they munch plants.
Emily Bick, University of Wisconsin-Madison
IPM Strategies for Reducing Insect Pest Damage in Midwest Blueberries
October 15, 2025
IPM programs in blueberry have been disrupted by the invasive spotted-wing drosophila over the past decade, requiring a significant increase in control inputs. To reduce economic and environmental costs of these programs, we have partnered with research colleagues and growers to develop new IPM tools to help growers address this pest.
This presentation will review the potential for new cultural and biological controls based on research in Michigan blueberry plantings, and how they can be integrated into current production systems.
Rufus Isaacs, Michigan State University
Past Webinars
- IPM Network – Measuring Capacity, Framing the Future
- Soybean Aphids are Resistant to Pyrethroids, Now What?
- Integrating Long-Lasting Insecticide Netting into IPM Programs after Harvest
- Development of Laser Weed Control Robot for Sustainable Farming
- Optimizing Drone Applications for Disease Management
- Pollinator-Safe Fungicides: Floral Microbial Biocontrol of Anthracnose in Blueberry
- Innovative Approaches in Phytopathometry, Epidemiology, and Microbiology: Focus on Corn Tar Spot
- New Pesticide Mitigations, Labels, and Bulletins
- Asiatic Garden Beetle as an Emerging Pest of Corn
- Phomopsis stem canker of sunflower - is fungicide resistance becoming an emerging problem?
- Using Social Network Analysis to Understand Pest Management Practices of Vegetable Growers in the Great Lakes Region of North America
- Back to Basics on Endangered Species Conservation
- Urban Farm Resources Developed by the Great Lakes Urban Ag Working Group
- Ecological epidemiology of the invasive Asian longhorned tick: insights from Ohio
- Crop Advisors' Perspectives on Pesticide Resistance Management
- Highlights and impacts of the 2018-22 USDA/NIFA North Central Integrated Pest Management Center
- Soybean Gall Midge: Spatial and Temporal Dynamics of a New Pest in Soybean
- Incorporating The Plant-Based Antifungal Agent Poacic Acid Into An Integrated Disease Management Program In Turfgrass
- Youth Pollinator Education and Action
- The Tick IPM Working Group
- The IPM Institute: Advancing IPM in Urban Areas
- Cooperative Extension in Indigenous Communities: Experiences of Extension Educators
- Trapping and development of degree day model for Missouri Berry Crops
- Saving money and pesticides for apple growers with new spray technology and warning systems
- SDS Risk and Management
- Organic Management Tactics for Cucurbit Crops
- Creating a Regional Trapping Network for Corn Rootworm Adults
- South Dakota Integrated Pest Management Program Highlights
- Multistate Extension: The Crop Protection Network
- Michigan State University IPM Program Highlights
- EIP Highlights for North Dakota
- From Bees to Beans a Five Part Review of the OSU IPM Program
- Region-wide Surveys and Pest Forecasting for Advancing Minnesota IPM
- Navigating the Waters of IPM Educational Programming
- Adapting the Wisconsin IPM Program to the New Normal in Outreach Delivery
- Illinois IPM program Highlights and Future Directions
- Missouri IPM Highlights
- Developing a Novel Mechanical Strategy for Control of Billbug
- Indiana EIP Project Highlights
- Nebraska EIP Project Highlights
- Using Research-Based Solutions for Integrated Management of White Mold in Soybeans
- A Push-Pull Strategy to Manage Stable Flies
- When invasive pests disrupt IPM - responding to gall wasp outbreak in highbush blueberries
- Diversifying IPM after harvest: The promise of implementing insecticide netting to protect stored product