North Central IPM Center

Current Projects

The North Central IPM Center funds Working Groups, Critical Issues, IPM Partnerships, and IPM mini-grant projects annually. Projects funded this year are described below, and a sample of past projects are listed at the bottom of the page.

Working Groups

The Signature Programs of the North Central IPM Center form the core focus of the Center and serve as the foundation for setting annual priorities. When seeking funding, working groups are required to align their proposals with at least one of these programs.

This approach ensures that our mission to promote the advancement and implementation of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is furthered through targeted initiatives.

Alfalfa Pest Management

Project Director: Adam Sisson, Iowa State University

Alfalfa is a vital forage crop, and maintaining its yield, quality, and stand longevity requires effective pest management. This project continues the work of the existing Alfalfa Pest Management Working Group, a multidisciplinary team of experts dedicated to addressing key disease and insect challenges.

The project will focus on developing and disseminating comprehensive resources, including a long-form alfalfa pest management publication, an updated fungicide use efficacy guide, and a user-friendly fungicide return on investment calculator.

These efforts aim to provide timely and practical information to alfalfa farmers, agricultural professionals, and extension workers, ultimately supporting more efficient and profitable alfalfa production.

Forest Health IPM Working Group

Project Director: Jessica Hartshorn, Central State University

Forests support both human well-being and agricultural productivity by providing recreation, food, increased crop yields, and vital ecosystem services. While integrated pest management (IPM) has been used to support forest health for more than a century, the long lifespan of both trees and their pests presents unique challenges to maintain IPM in forested settings.

This new Forest Health IPM Working Group will conduct three in-person field days in the different forested areas of Ohio. Field days will include K-12 educators, landscape professionals, pesticide applicators, arborists, and members of the public. Presentations will focus on forest health issues IPM techniques in forest systems. The Working Group will produce at least one peer-reviewed publication describing the field days and the changes in stakeholder attitudes and knowledge. A presentation at the North Central Forest Pest Workshop is also planned to share information with university, state and federal agency representatives, along with non-profit partners.

Managed Pollinator Protection Plans (MP3)

Project Director: Ana Heck, Michigan State University

The Managed Pollinator Protection Plans (MP3) Working Group was established to address the limited progress in pollinator health by furthering national collaboration among professionals.

The group focuses on reducing pesticide exposure to pollinators through integrated pest management and preparing for emerging threats like the Tropilaelaps spp. mites, which are a growing concern for honey bees.

They will achieve this by coordinating meetings, promoting educational materials, and developing crisis communication plans, ultimately aiming for greater IPM adoption and improved pollinator health. Current efforts are focused on creating a Tropilaelaps Mite Preparedness and Response Guide for States, Territories, and Tribes based on stakeholder input.

North Central School IPM

Project Director: Peter Werts, IPM Institute of North America, Inc.

The North Central School IPM Working Group aims to enhance environmental health and educational outcomes by expanding the adoption of IPM in schools.

By providing access to IPM training, resources, and expertise, the group works to reduce pesticide use and minimize pest allergens, which in turn helps improve student attendance, especially for children with asthma.

Their ongoing efforts include sustaining and expanding IPM resources, including no-cost educational resources for school staff and integrating IPM principles into K-12 curricula. Collaborations with strategic partners to produce webinars, newsletters, and courses and will encourage more teachers to implement existing Pest Defense IPM curricula. 

Public Tick IPM

Project Director: Peter Werts, IPM Institute of North America, Inc.

The Public Tick IPM Working Group aims to reduce human and animal exposure to infected ticks by expanding the adoption of integrated tick management (ITM) strategies, particularly in the North Central region.

The working group enhances tick and tick-borne disease knowledge through webinars, a virtual Tick Academy, and developing resources like a pest alert for the Gulf Coast Tick. The group also actively supports institutions and tribal health services in implementing ITM programs and distributing educational materials.

Red Crown Rot of Soybean

Project Director: Darcy Telenko, Purdue University

Red crown rot is a new and emerging soybean disease in the North Central region. Caused by the soilborne fungus Calonectria ilicicola, red crown rot is particularly challenging because its symptoms can resemble those of other well-known soybean diseases, making accurate identification difficult. As this disease continues to expand to new states, there is an urgent need for improved awareness, diagnostic capacity, and coordinated integrated pest management strategies to minimize economic losses.

The Red Crown Rot Working Group will unite farmers, university scientists, soybean commodity groups, and agricultural industry personnel to help enhance communication and collaboration to ensure a rapid response to this emerging disease. Efforts will focus on disease development and management options as well as outreach.

Regional Wheat Virus

Project Director: Jessica Rupp Noller, Kansas State University

Aphid- and mite-vectored viral diseases, such as wheat streak mosaic and barley yellow dwarf, pose a significant and costly threat to wheat production in the North Central U.S.

This project proposes the formation of a Wheat Virus Working Group, bringing together plant pathologists, breeders, agronomists, entomologists, and producers. The group will formalize a collaborative effort to identify critical knowledge gaps and develop a coordinated action plan for IPM of these viruses.

Key outcomes will include standardized diagnostic protocols, improved extension materials, and a workshop to enhance diagnostic capabilities, ultimately reducing yield losses and improving the resilience of wheat production.

Sunflower Pathology

Project Director: Sam Markell, North Dakota State University

The Sunflower Pathology Working Group (SPWG) addresses the significant challenge of sunflower diseases in the North Central States, where most U.S. sunflower is grown. Their mission is to develop Extension materials and programs to help growers and stakeholders identify and manage sunflower diseases and insect pests, thereby facilitating the adoption of IPM practices.

Ongoing efforts will focus on the recently introduced parasitic higher plant, sunflower broomrape (Orobanche cumana) and helping stakeholders learn to identify it. Outreach efforts will also expand to include WhatsApp to facilitate additional collaboration.

Critical Issues

Critical issue projects support research that addresses critical pest concerns, aiming to improve understanding and management of pests that pose threats to crop productivity, human health, or safety, including diseases, weeds, and insects. Projects that received funding are listed below:

Addressing current challenges in alfalfa weevil management in the central Midwest

Project Director: Pin-Chu Lai, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

This project addresses critical challenges in managing alfalfa weevils, a significant pest of alfalfa crops in the central Midwest. Researchers will investigate whether these weevils have developed resistance to commonly used insecticides, particularly pyrethroids, a problem observed in western states.

The project will also study changes in the weevil’s spring emergence patterns, likely influenced by warmer winters, which can complicate timely pest control. The findings will provide up-to-date information on weevil susceptibility to insecticides and their seasonal behavior, ultimately helping to improve integrated pest management strategies for alfalfa production.

Aster Yellows Phytoplasma Transmission in the Northern Great Plains

Project Director: Madalyn Shires, South Dakota State University

Aster Yellows disease is believed to be spread by insects carrying aster yellows phytoplasma (AYP) from the southern United States into the northern Great Plains. This disease affects canola and wheat and can reduce yields by 15% when fields are heavily infested. Outbreaks in home gardens and landscapes are requiring large amounts of plants to be destroyed to stop spread. Also, alternate hosts (such as row crops) are asymptomatic carriers of the AYP disease, making control even more difficult.

This research team will increase monitoring and mapping efforts of AYP using field surveys and sample collections from diagnostic clinics and the general public. Infected samples will be analyzed for genetic markers to determine whether there are multiple strains of AYP in the northern Great Plains and whether all strains infect both horticultural and agronomic cropping systems.

The research team will also create educational packets and fact sheets to educate stakeholders about AYP and to help with identification.

Integrated management of herbicide-resistant corn volunteers in corn and soybean: Research & Extension

Project Director: Amit Jhala, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

This project focuses on improving the management of volunteer corn, a common and challenging weed in corn and soybean fields, especially those resistant to common herbicides like glyphosate and glufosinate.

The research will evaluate the effectiveness of precision sprayers in accurately identifying and targeting volunteer corn within soybean crops, a unique challenge since the “weed” is the same plant as the crop. The project also aims to determine the potential for significant herbicide reduction by using these precision technologies compared to traditional broadcast spraying.

Ultimately, the goal is to provide growers with evidence-based strategies for integrated volunteer corn management, leading to improved yields, reduced herbicide use, and increased profitability.

Integrating Cover Crops and Row Spacing: A Sustainable Approach to Waterhemp Management in Early-Planted Soybeans

Project Director: Rodrigo Werle, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Waterhemp is an aggressive weed that produces huge numbers of seeds, germinates throughout much of the growing season, and has evolved resistance to multiple herbicides. Soybean growers are already experimenting with three promising cultural weed management tactics to help manage waterhemp with fewer herbicides: planting soybeans earlier, narrowing soybean row spacing, and adopting cover crops. These practices are typically evaluated individually.

The goal of this project is to evaluate a range of soybean management practices, comparing conventional approaches (tillage, no cereal rye, wider rows, later planting) with integrated practices that stack no-till management, earlier planting, narrower soybean rows,  and cereal rye cover crop. These trials will be paired with standard pre- followed by post- herbicide programs so that the added value of the integrated tactics can be quantified. Research trials will be conducted in Wisconsin and Indiana for a total of 3 locations in 2026. Results will be shared through field days, extension meetings, conferences, videos, and online platforms.

Rapid Field-Based Geochemical Fingerprinting of Native and Invasive Migratory Insect Pests Using Field-Deployable Xray Fluorescence

Project Director: Clement Bataille, Purdue University

Some migratory insect species, such as spruce budworm or corn earworm, become destructive pests to crops and agriculture when they arrive in new areas. Migratory insects are typically monitored by counting adults in seasonal traps, but these counts do not distinguish between local population growth and migratory arrival. This distinction is essential for predicting outbreaks, identifying insect-borne pathogens and planning timely integrated pest management interventions. Existing tools like genetic or isotope analysis can trace insect origins, but they are expensive, slow, and require specialized laboratories.

This project will use non-destructive X-ray fluorescence (XRF) to measure metal concentrations in insect tissues. Since metal concentrations reflect the local environment where an insect developed, XRF creates a “fingerprint” that can be used to show whether an insect is local or from another region. The spruce budworm will be used as a model species, and corn earworm will be used as a test species.

Rapid Response to Asian Copperleaf in the Midwest: Mapping and Controlling an Emerging Threat to Iowa

Project Director: Wesley Everman, Iowa State University

Asian copperleaf is an emerging invasive broadleaf weed that was classified as a high-risk invasive weed species by the USDA in 2012. The USDA analysis projected that Asian copperleaf could occupy up to 75% of the United States based on its wide tolerance of growing conditions. More study of Asian copperleaf is needed, but early studies suggest that it may be similar to waterhemp with a prolonged emergence period, natural tolerance to several herbicides, and successful seed production even in competitive crop environments

Currently, there’s no regional IPM efforts to identify, monitor, or manage Asian copperleaf, leaving stakeholders without the information or tools necessary to act proactively. The goals for this project are to learn more about the biology and management options for Asian copperleaf and to survey Asian copperleaf distribution to better understand the potential for spread in Iowa.

Reducing Dogwood Borer Impact in Midwest Apple orchards

Project Director: Elizabeth Long, Purdue University

Dogwood borer has re-emerged as a highly destructive pest of Midwest apple orchards, particularly those adopting modern high-density systems. Although previously considered a minor pest, this insect now poses a substantial risk to apple trees due to a combination of changing orchard architecture, restricted insecticide chemistries (e.g., chlorpyrifos), a lack of pheromone registrations in the North Central region, and prolonged, unpredictable seasonal emergence.

 A better understanding of dogwood borer is needed to provide improved integrated pest management (IPM) options. The goals for this project are to identify management options for dogwood borer in the North Central region, establish a multistate monitoring network, evaluate mating disruption performance across varied landscape contexts and create extension resources to share these resources and results.

Strengthening On-Farm Potato Early Die Management through IPM

Project Director: Julie Pasche, North Dakota State University

Potato early dying (PED) disease complex is driven by the interaction of two soilborne fungal pathogens, Verticillium dahliae and Colletotrichum coccodes. These pathogens accelerate vine senescence, reduce canopy duration, and shorten the tuber bulking period. Potato early dying disease is persistent and economically damaging with consistent yield losses of 20–30 % in infested fields. Growers identify PED as a major constraint to both yield stability and processing quality.

There is potential to identify potato cultivars and fumigants to better control PED. This project will use a field-based, on-farm research framework to quantify cultivar performance and fumigant efficacy under commercial production conditions. Four widely grown processing russet cultivars will be evaluated across multiple fumigant types and rates at sites with documented PED pressure.

The goal is to integrate disease, yield, and pathogen-quantification data to develop decision-support guidelines that assist growers in selecting appropriate cultivars and adjusting fumigation inputs based on site-specific disease risk. These guidelines will be refined with input from growers and processors to ensure they are agronomically realistic and operationally feasible.

Tracking Flight Activity of Corn Leafhopper and Detection of Corn Stunt Disease Across the USA Midwest with the Suction Trap Network.

Project Director: Doris Lagos-Kutz, Illinois Natural History Survey-Prairie Research Institute, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

The recent emergence of the corn leafhopper (Dalbulus maidis) in the Midwest, an invasive species known to transmit severe corn stunt diseases, poses a significant threat to corn production.

This project will utilize the existing American Midwest Suction Trap Network to monitor the leafhopper’s migratory patterns, distribution, and abundance across the region. Researchers will also screen trapped leafhoppers for the presence of corn stunt spiroplasma, a key pathogen.

The project aims to provide crucial, real-time data to growers and extension agents, enabling better prediction of outbreaks and informing timely pest and disease management decisions. Additionally, the project will assess the susceptibility of these new corn leafhopper populations to insecticides, helping to tailor effective control strategies.

Check out the full list of episodes on the “War Against Weeds” website.

Validation and Refinement of Monitoring Tools to Advise Sugarbeet Cercospora Leaf Spot Management in the Great Lakes Region

Project Director: Jaime Willbur, Michigan State University

Cercospora leaf spot (CLS) is a major disease affecting sugarbeet production in the North Central U.S. and Great Lakes region, leading to significant yield losses and reliance on fungicides.

This project aims to improve integrated pest management strategies for CLS by refining disease forecasting and enhancing fungicide resistance detection. Researchers will validate new models that predict disease risk based on airborne spore levels, leading to more precise fungicide application timing.

A key focus will be developing better diagnostic tools to detect fungicide resistance, especially to DMI fungicides, ensuring that growers can make informed decisions about effective control measures and promote sustainable sugarbeet production.

IPM Partnerships

IPM Partnerships fund projects that focus on expanding knowledge and outreach to stakeholders to use IPM.

War Against Weeds Podcast

Project Director: Sarah Lancaster, Kansas State University

The War Against Weeds podcast delivers expert, integrated weed management strategies to farmers and ag professionals. With over 169 episodes and 73,500 downloads, the project is expanding its impact through interactive listener Q&As, a new video presence on YouTube, and a resource-rich website.

IPM Mini-Grants

Mini-grants provide funds to enable small-scale projects or activities in support of increasing IPM in the region. Projects underway include:

  • Effect of soil texture and soil organic matter content on herbicide potential of ionic thiocyanate
  • Development of a Field-Deployable Multiplex Recombinase Polymerase Amplification (RPA) Test for the Accurate Point-of-Care Detection of the Emerging Corn stunt Spiroplasma and its Vector, the Corn Leafhopper
  • Reducing herbicide use in onion production
  • Establishing a monitoring network and Extension support for the European apple sawfly and other early-season pests in Michigan apple orchards
  • Does a winter camelina cover crop affect oomycete-induced seedling disease in corn?
  • Enhancing Invasive Weed Identification and IPM in North-Central Rangelands through an Interactive Online Course

Past Projects

Working Groups

Previously funded working groups are listed below. Click on the name of a group to view details.

Agriculture and Wildlife Coexistence Working Group

The Agriculture and Wildlife Coexistence Working Group was created to help farmers with challenges associated with having wildlife near the farm, from crop damage to livestock disease. The goal was to list the problems, identify solutions and promote the solutions to growers.

Crop Protection Network (Multi-State Extension Resource for Field Crops Extension)

This project is still active as the Crop Protection Network. It allows extension materials to be created once and then shared across programs in multiple states.

Expanding Free Plant Diagnostic Services for Amish and Mennonite Communities in Missouri

 

The project aims to address the plant disease challenges faced by Amish and Mennonite small-scale farmers in Missouri. By establishing on-site diagnostic booths and providing free plant diagnostic services, the project seeks to reduce reliance on chemical fungicides and herbicides.

Through disease surveys and community outreach, the project aims to promote sustainable plant disease control methods, improve crop yield and quality, and foster a positive relationship between MU Extension and the surrounding communities.

Extension Entomologists Working Group

This working group is welcome to all Extension Entomologists with a few meetings a year and the opportunity to connect and ask questions through the team software called Basecamp.

The Farming and Food Narrative Project

This project seeks to unite agricultural stakeholders, from researchers to farmers to ag businesses and organizations so that good farming practices can be implemented with benefits to farmers, citizens and society. Learn more on the Farming and Food Narrative Project website.

Great Lakes Hop Working Group

From 2010 to 2020, hop production interests in regions like the Great Lakes, Northeast, and North Central grew significantly, with a 284 percent increase in acreage outside of the Pacific Northwest.

Market support also surged, with 50 percent of brewers willing to pay a premium for locally grown hops. Despite the enthusiastic growth, re-emerging production regions face challenges due to limited resources and expertise.

The Great Lakes Hop Working Group (GLHWG) successfully facilitates collaborative research and outreach efforts, resulting in achievements such as hop production tours, online courses, virus identification surveys, diagnostic tools, and an MSU Hop Podcast.

Great Lakes Urban Ag Working Group

The Great Lakes Urban Agriculture IPM Working Group was established to provide research-based information on pest management to small-scale urban agriculture enterprises in the North Central region. They plan to organize networking meetings, conduct a survey, and create educational videos to address the unique needs of these operators.

Great Lakes Vegetable Working Group

Regional extension educators in the North Central region can improve their support for growers by establishing a strong network that spans state lines.

The Great Lakes Vegetable Working Group (GLVWG) aims to facilitate this connection through winter meetings for Extension professionals, summer grower exchanges, and tours for early career individuals, fostering lasting relationships among vegetable growers across the Great Lakes region and beyond.

Learn more on the Great Lakes Vegetable website.

Great Lakes Fruit Workers

The Great Lakes Fruit Workers Working Group unites professionals across multiple fields, from researchers to extension specialists and consultants to improve information sharing related to pest management on fruit crops. More details are on the Great Lakes Fruit Workers website or in this summary of efforts.

Great Plains Sawfly Survey

The wheat stem sawfly (WSS) has become a significant pest of wheat, causing substantial yield losses and impacting dryland cropping systems in the Great Plains region. Despite the lack of widely adopted IPM tools for WSS management, the specific limitations to adoption are not well understood.

The Great Plains Sawfly Survey Working Group aims to address this by identifying needs and pathways for IPM adoption, organizing a wheat IPM forum, and producing a white paper on the impact of WSS on U.S. agriculture.

Hemp IPM

The industrial hemp market in the Corn Belt grew significantly before 2020, but limited pest management resources for Midwest growers hinder its expansion. The Hemp IPM Working Group (HIPMWG) aims to bridge this gap by connecting experts and stakeholders nationwide to share knowledge and develop effective pest management strategies for North Central hemp producers.

IPM4Bees Midwest Working Group

The IPM4Bees Working Group promotes collaboration and knowledge sharing among researchers, extension professionals, and stakeholders in the field of honey bees, native bees, and bee-related integrated pest management (IPM).

The group focuses on pollinator-friendly agricultural practices and IPM for honey bee pests. Their achievements include organizing symposiums, workshops, and virtual seminars, as well as creating extension videos on beekeeping and varroa mite checks. They also conducted an IPM for Bees Extension Exchange Seminar in 2022.

Invasive Species

To streamline the process of identifying invasive plant species, the Invasive Species Working Group, comprising representatives from multiple Midwestern states, aimed to create a shared database of scientific references.

By meeting monthly and pooling resources, the group was able to accelerate the assessment of invasive plants, preventing duplication of efforts and enabling quicker updates to state-based invasive plant lists. The project’s goals included proactively identifying invasive species and promoting efficient resource utilization among states.

Iowa Pest Resistance Management Program

The Iowa Pest Resistance Management Program is a collaborative effort including individuals and groups representing all parts of the Iowa community, including farmers and landowners, small and national businesses, scientists, researchers and state regulators.

Together, these partners leverage resources, expertise and time to help inform the public about pest resistance, find new pest management strategies and encourage public support and adoption of these practices. Since the state plan was written, two separate community teams have taken the lead to bring attention to local pest threats, potential resistance issues, and effective management options that preserve available tools.

Midwest Fruit Working Group

Midwest Grows Green Lawn & Land Forum

The Midwest Grows Green Lawn & Land Forum Working Group seeks to make sustainable landscaping the norm across the US. Their efforts focus on promoting recognition, providing resources, and driving adoption in the North Central region.

They’ve already made progress with a dedicated website, workshops, technical assistance, and a certification program.

North Central Nursery IPM Working Group

The nursery and greenhouse industry is the fastest-growing segment of U.S. agriculture, with steady growth in production facilities and cash receipts over the last two decades. In the North Central region, which has four states in the top 15 nationally, the industry contributes significantly to total national nursery and greenhouse sales.

However, nurseries face various IPM and management challenges that can impact profit margins. To address these issues, the working group conducted annual meetings and developed crop profiles for nursery crops within the region.

Visit the Nursery IPM Facebook page for more information.

North Central Region Herbicide-Drift Risk Management Working Group

Locally produced specialty crops, such as vegetables, fruits, and wines, are rapidly growing sectors in U.S. agriculture. However, their continued growth is threatened by herbicide drift, particularly from dicamba and 2,4-D, which poses a high risk to specialty crop growers in the North Central region.

To address this issue, a group of weed, agronomic, and horticulture crop specialists will evaluate and prioritize the challenges and develop resources for education and prevention to mitigate drift risks and support the long-term stability of these enterprises.

Learn more on the Herbicide-Drift Risk Management for Specialty Crops website.

North Central Weed Control Guide for Ornamental Crop Production

The Ornamental Crop Production Working Group project goal was to create a comprehensive weed control guidebook for the North Central region’s ornamental industry.

This guidebook provides growers with information on both chemical and non-chemical weed control options, including management strategies for difficult-to-control weeds and herbicide resistance prevention. It also addresses environmental concerns and best management practices for herbicide use.

Pest Alert Network

The Pest Alert Network Working Group facilitated improved communication between stakeholders to address pest threats in crop production. They achieved this by creating a pest alert network, generating maps of insect sightings, and developing a Mesonet tool for monitoring predictions. Their efforts aimed to expand scouting and identification efforts, increase management options, and improve farm profitability.

Learn more by visiting the Pest Alert Network website.

Pollinator Education and Action for Youth

The Pollinator Education and Action for Youth Working Group educates the public, especially youth, about the importance of pollinators.

They develop educational programs, train educators, and provide resources to increase knowledge and awareness. Their achievements include establishing educational goals, aligning them with K-12 standards, and identifying resources for lesson plans.

Public Gardens as Sentinels Against Invasive Plants Working Group

The Public Gardens as Sentinels Against Invasive Plants Working Group was formed to help public gardens track and address invasive plants escaping cultivation. They have developed a database and are working to engage more gardens and communicate effectively with the public.

Pulse Crops Working Group

The Pulse Crop IPM Working Group focuses on enhancing pulse crop production in the North Central region by addressing disease and pest challenges. They facilitate collaboration among stakeholders, organize meetings, and create educational resources like a podcast to support growers in implementing IPM practices.

Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group

The Rights-of-Way as Habitat Working Group promotes pollinator-friendly habitat conservation on energy and transportation landscapes. They engage with over 400 organizations and focus on information dissemination, collaboration, and tool development. In 2023, they will host webinars, discussions, and improve their website to address key issues and support participants.

The Tactile Toolbox: A 3D Printing Library for Crop Scouts and Researchers

The Tactile Toolbox Working Group will develop 3D printing models for crop diseases and insect damage to improve scouting accuracy. They will collaborate with experts from various fields and organize a workshop to promote the use of these training materials.
Register here to join the working group!

Critical Issues

Previously funded critical issue projects are listed below. Click on the name of a group to view details.

Weed Emergence Scouting Tool

The Weed Emergence Scouting Tool (WEST) aims to address the challenge of herbicide-resistant weeds in corn and soybean production by providing real-time monitoring of weed emergence and supporting more effective weed management practices. This tool integrates weed emergence knowledge, weather details, and long-term weather records to inform timely application of soil residual herbicides and tillage measures.

Improving our Ability to Detect, Monitor, and Manage Corn Tar Spot in the Great Plains

The project addressed the spread of tar spot disease in corn by providing outreach and training on disease diagnostics, documenting disease severity in different growing conditions, and evaluating the genetic and morphological variety of the pathogen in the Great Plains region.

Check out the full list of episodes on the “War Against Weeds” website.

Survey of Nematode Communities in Soils of the North Central Region

Soil health is crucial for food security, as a large percentage of the global food supply relies on soils. However, limited information is available on nematode community dynamics in the North Central region of the US, which can serve as bioindicators of soil health. To address this, the project aims to develop a baseline understanding of nematode communities through morphological characterization and DNA sequencing in undisturbed soils of different ecoregions in Missouri. This baseline data will facilitate future monitoring of nematode community shifts and comparison of undisturbed and disturbed soils to assess environmental and anthropogenic impacts on soil health in the North Central US.

Certified Crop Advisor Perspectives & Practices Regarding Pest Resistance

Over the past decade, sociological efforts related to pest resistance management have centered on growers. One major finding is that there is a need for collaborative, community-based management to encourage the use of a wide range of pest management methods, or integrated pest management.
Fundamental to any collaborative management is the involvement of a wide range of stakeholders. For pest resistance management, this includes growers as well as those who influence and advise them. To make progress, it is now necessary to understand the perspectives and practices of their influencers and advisors.

An exploratory attempt at understanding Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs) perspectives is currently underway, with the Weed Science Society of America facilitating a series of regional listening sessions with crop advisors over the winter of 2021/2022. This work will be expanded by conducting a representative survey of CCAs in the U.S. This would parallel a previous national survey of farmers completed in 2016, aiding in our understanding of how CCAs think, communicate, and contribute to on-farm pest resistance management decisions.

Slowing the Spread: Monitoring and Extension Efforts to Mitigate Impacts of Spotted Lanternfly

Spotted lanternfly (SLF), Lycorma delicatula, is a new invasive insect making headlines nationwide. Initially detected in Pennsylvania in 2014, SLF has swiftly moved through the Mid-Atlantic, with recent establishment in Ohio. SLF’s rapid expansion is owed to its broad host range of over 100 plant species, high fecundity, and inconspicuous life stages. Adult SLF can reach almost incomprehensible densities, often coating the surface of host plants.

SLF is a public nuisance, impacting urban landscaping and backyard trees. Large infestations can kill plants or weaken them to opportunistic pests and/or diseases. Further, SLF adults produce copious amounts of honeydew which can cover cars and backyards, as well as provide ample medium for plant diseases. Many common ornamental trees like maple, walnut, willow and birch are favored host plants of SLF, and SLF can also feed on many agricultural commodities including apple, cherry, hop, and grape. Notably, many of these commodities are major specialty crops within the Midwest.

Characterizing the Ecology of the Invasive Asian Longhorned Tick to Inform Integrated Management

The Asian longhorned tick (ALT, Haemaphysalis longicornis) from East Asia is a serious pest of livestock. Since its formal discovery in the United States in 2017, this tick has spread  to 16 US states, primarily because an adult female can lay more than 2,000 eggs via asexual reproduction, leading to rapidly growing populations and large infestations per host. The goal of this study was to employ Ohio as a model for the North Central region, to inform IPM programs and evaluate infestation risk to livestock through characterizing ALT ecology, including phenology, density, and preferences for wildlife host and habitat type. In addition, the team described the epidemiology of ALT-associated pathogens to assess risks to livestock health and occupational safety of producers, a workforce that has already been weakened by the current pandemic. An established high risk site within Ohio was monitored for six months.