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 the presentation description 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!
From Detection to Action: eDNA, 3D Printing, and Grower Outreach for Spotted Lanternfly IPM
August 19, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. ET (12:00 p.m. CT)
Presenters
Ashley Leach
Assistant Professor, The Ohio State University
Dr. Ashley Leach is an Assistant Professor and State Specialty Crop Entomologist at The Ohio State University, where she works with growers to develop practical solutions for managing insect pests in fruit and vegetable production systems. Her research and extension efforts focus on integrated pest management, invasive species, and emerging technologies that support pest detection and decision-making. Dr. Leach leads Ohio’s spotted lanternfly outreach program and is evaluating tools such as eDNA surveillance and 3D printing to improve monitoring and management of this invasive pest.
Natalie Constancio
Postdoctoral Scholar, The Ohio State University
Dr. Natalie Constancio is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Entomology at The Ohio State University, where her research focuses on invasive insect management in specialty crops. Her work combines field research, molecular detection tools, and grower collaboration to improve the early detection and management of spotted lanternfly in Midwestern vineyards.
Upcoming Topics
- September 16, 2026: Dispersal Monitoring of Corn Leafhopper and Corn Stunt Spiroplasma
- October 21, 2026: Current Trends and Management of Plant-Parasitic Nematodes in Missouri Soybeans
- November 18, 2026: Validation of Cercospora leaf spot management tools in the Great Lakes region
- January 20, 2027: Beyond the Bite: Understanding Lone Star Ticks and Thriving with Alpha-Gal Syndrome
- February 17, 2027: Ag-weather resources to support integrated pest management
Recent Webinars and Recordings
AI-driven Image Analysis for Increased Accuracy and Precision of Honey Bee Colony Health and Productivity in Regulatory Field Studies
July 15, 2026
This presentation highlights a new AI-driven technology that replaces subjective manual hive inspections with automated image analysis. These tools deliver more accurate and reliable data on honey bee colony health for critical environmental safety studies, setting a new standard for pollinator research.
Ashley St. Clair, Corteva Agriscience
RNAi and Varroa mites; A new technology for managing an old pest of honey bees
May 20, 2026
Dr. Matthew O’Neal and Jarod Perez discuss how specific RNA can be applied to a pest that interferes with specific traits when applied to a target organism, a technology referred to as RNAi. There is the potential for RNAi to deliver species-specific pest management tools. A new product is now available to beekeepers that uses RNAi to target Varroa mites within honey bee colonies.
Matthew O’Neal and Jarod Perez, Iowa State University
Are you smarter than a lone star tick?
April 15, 2026
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 are discussed.
Holly Gaff, Old Dominion University
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
Past Webinars
- Breeding Efforts to Curb Cucurbit Downy Mildew
- Spying on Insects with the Insect Eavesdropper
- IPM Strategies for Reducing Insect Damage in Midwest Blueberries
- 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