The North Central Integrated Pest Management Center’s FY16 Working Groups 
Competitive Grants Program has funded 13 projects. Eight of the projects are continuing working groups and the remaining projects are new. In addition, two working groups will continue using funds from the FY15 grants program. The NCIPMC working groups are self-selected, self-directed projects that expand our pest management network throughout the region and beyond. These groups have increased information exchange and expanded pest management knowledge to enhance IPM adoption and provide solutions to critical pest issues.
To facilitate sharing of programming with other working groups in the region, each project has a representative on the NCIPMC Stakeholder Panel and attends an annual meeting to provide an update of activities. If you have interest in joining a working group, please contact the lead project director for more information. To learn more about establishing a working group and our competitive process, please contact Susan Ratcliffe (sratclif@illinois.edu) or Lynnae Jess (jess@msu.edu).
FY16 Funded Continuing Working Groups:
- IC Scope: Pest Exclusion in Commercial Food Handling Facilities, Steve Kells, University of Minnesota, kells002@umn.edu
- Great Lakes Fruit, Julianna Wilson, Michigan State University, jkwilson@msu.edu
- Great Lakes Vegetable, Angela Orshinsky, University of Minnesota, aorshins@umn.eduNorthern Plains IPM Guide, Emmanuel Bayamukama, South Dakota State University, emmanuel.byamukama@sdstate.edu
- Organic and IPM: Strengthening the Alliance, Tom Green, IPM Institute of North America, ipmworks@ipminstitute.org
- Public Tick, Tom Green, IPM Institute of North America, ipmworks@ipminstitute.org
- Pulse Crops, Julie Pasche, North Dakota State University, julie.pasche@ndsu.edu
- Sunflower Pathology, Sam Markell, North Dakota State University, samuel.markell@ndsu.edu
New Working Groups:
- Great Lakes Hops, Erin Lizotte, Michigan State University, taylo548@msu.edu
- Great Lakes Urban Agriculture IPM, Jacqueline Kowalski, Ohio State University, kowalski.124@osu.edu
- Improving the IPM Capacity of Certified Crop Advisors, Peter Werts, IPM Institute of North America, pwerts@ipminstitute.org
- North Central Nursery IPM, Robert Schutzki, Michigan State University, schutzki@msu.edu
- North Central School IPM, Tom Green, IPM Institute of North America, ipmworks@ipminstitute.org
FY15 Funded Continuing Working Groups:
- Invasive Plants in Trade, Mark Renz, University of Wisconsin, mrenz@wisc.edu
- Midwest Weather, Mark Gleason, Iowa State University, mgleason@iastate.edu
These projects are funded through a USDA-NIFA award (2014-70006-22486). 