May 2026 Central Issue

News stories shared in the May 2026 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!

Center for Agriculture and Biosciences Institute Resources Propel IPM Forward

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January Webinar: Breeding Efforts to Curb Cucurbit Downy Mildew

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PGSIP Plant Alerts

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War Against Weeds Podcasts

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The Big World of IPM

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I See Dead Plants Podcasts

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USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Update

Here’s the latest news from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.

USDA’s 

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USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture Update

Here’s the latest news from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

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US Environmental Protection Agency

Here’s the latest news from the US Environmental Protection Agency.

EPA

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Tick Special Issue

Enjoy this collection of tick news.

See if there are updates to this, published in Dec 2025:
Study Identifies Hotspots of Disease-Carrying Ticks in Illinois

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign scientists analyzed the distribution of three potentially harmful tick species in Illinois, identifying regions of the state with higher numbers of these ticks and, therefore, at greater risk of infection with multiple tick-borne diseases.
 
The study found that of the three species tracked
▪️Lone star tick, Amblyomma americanum, is most prevalent in southern Illinois
▪️Black-legged tick or deer tick, Ixodes scapularis, is more common in northern and central Illinois
▪️Dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis, dominates the central and southern parts of the state
 
Learn more and stay in the loop with current tick research in Illinois at: https://news.illinois.edu/study-identifies-hotspots-of-disease-carrying-ticks-in-illinois/ 
 
Find more information on submitting tick samples through Extension and the Illinois Natural History Survey Medical Entomology Lab at https://go.illinois.edu/bitemap

Just-In-Time Tick Awareness Resources

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Lego tick

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How to get Rid of Ticks – a Mini-Review on Tick
Control Strategies in Parks, Gardens, and Other
Human-related Environments

summarize: Join the Tick IPM Working Group for an educational tick webinar this Wednesday, December 17th at 1:00 p.m. CST featuring guest speaker Anastasia Figurskey.  

Figurskey is a repellents entomologist at an international consumer packaged goods company that manufactures insect repellent products. She supports the company’s global pest control efforts in developing, testing and registering topical repellents to be used against mosquitoes, ticks and other biting arthropods.  

This presentation will describe the different topical repellent active ingredients used against ticks, types of products, test guidelines for product registration and helpful resources to learn more about ticks and protection measures. 

Register here: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/ClcwaSB_QACJatLSAd46aA  

IPM Highlights

Here’s interesting stories related to progress in integrated pest management. 

Study Identifies Hotspots of Disease-Carrying Ticks in Illinois

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Preparing for Next Season

Get ready for next year with these learning opportunities. 

Watch for Season Four of CPN TV Coming January 2026

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New Webinar Series: Purdue Vegetable Chat 

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2026 What’s Bugging You First Friday

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Fungi from Minnesota Can Kill Emerald Ash Borer Beetles

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Resources

Read, use or share the latest IPM resources. 

New Beginning Farmer Resource 

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White Mold ROI Calculator

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Research

Keep learning with these IPM-related research articles.

Could Insect Viruses Open New Doors in Biological Pest Control?

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Foliar Fertilizers Rarely Increase Yield in U.S. Soybean

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Events

Learn and network at these upcoming in-person events. 

Plant Health 2026

update: Registration is now open for “Plant Health 2026,” the annual meeting of the American Phytopathological Society. The 2026 event will be held on August 1-4, in Providence, Rhode Island, and the theme is “.” 

Job Board

Consider applying for these job opportunities.