North Central IPM Center

September 2024 Central Issue

News stories shared in the September 2024 Central Issue appear below. Subscribe to receive the Central Issue newsletter monthly via email.

North Central IPM Center Updates

2025 Funds Available

The North Central Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Center has approximately $360,000 of funding available for 2025 projects related to integrated pest management. Applicants may request a maximum of $30,000 per project. Projects may increase collaboration, fund research or promote pest management in communities. More details are available on the North Central IPM Center website. Applications are due on Friday, November 22.

Other regional IPM centers also have grant opportunities available.

Northeastern IPM Center: RFA is available now; applications are due Thursday, November 7.

Southern IPM Center: RFA is available now; applications are due Friday, Nov 22.

Western IPM Center: RFA will be posted Wednesday, Oct. 2; applications are due Friday, Dec. 6.

Lavender field background with the words "Apply for Funding" above.  Photo from AdobeStock.

Reframing Farming: A Workshop for Midwest Farm and Food Communicators

Hey Midwest farm and food communicators!

  • Are you hungry for effective ways to convey the complexities of farming with the public or people who have little experience with agriculture?
  • Do you want to have more productive conversations about farming practices that are sustainable, organic, conventional, or regenerative?

Join us for a 1.5-day in-person workshop to learn and practice using new communication tools that will improve the impact of your messaging!

This workshop is your chance to learn communication practices based on seven years of research (conducted by FrameWorks Institute and The Farming and Food Narrative Project) that explored the public’s understanding of agriculture, as well as effective ways to build understanding about unfamiliar farming topics. You’ll practice reframing techniques on your own materials and connect with fellow Midwest communicators to discuss challenges and collaborate on solutions. You’ll expand your network and gain the confidence to use new communication tools in your work.

The “Reframing Farming: A Workshop for Midwest Farm and Food Communicators” event will be held from April 29-30, 2025, at the beautiful Des Moines Botanical Center in Iowa. The registration cost is $100. Space is limited so let us know you are interested by filling out this short application.

Botanical Center dome and gardens

Des Moines Botanical Center conservatory and garden. Photo by Kelly Norris.

October Webinar: Asiatic Garden Beetle as an Emerging Pest of Corn

Asiatic garden beetle adult (inset in the top left) and white grub larvae.

Asiatic garden beetle adult (top left) and larvae.

Asiatic garden beetles have been in the United States for 100 years, but the beetles are now emerging as a field crop pest in the Midwest. During the next “Pests and Progress” webinar, Dr. Kelley Tilmon, Ohio State extension specialist for field crop entomology will share recent research on Asiatic garden beetles, an emerging pest of corn and other crops.

This webinar will be held on Wednesday, October 16 at 1:30 pm ET (12:30 pm CT).  “Pests and Progress” webinars are free, and more details are on the North Central IPM Center website.

Webinar Recording: Phomopsis Stem Canker of Sunflower – Is Fungicide Resistance Becoming an Emerging Problem?

Dr. Febina Mathew, associate professor of plant pathology at North Dakota State University and John Swanson, president of the Minnesota Sunflower Grower’s Association, shared recent research regarding control of Phomopsis stem canker in sunflower in their webinar called, “Phomopsis Stem Canker of Sunflower – Is Fungicide Resistance Becoming an Emerging Problem?” Phomopsis stem canker can reduce sunflower seed production by 40% and sunflower seed oil content by 10%.

Phomopsis stem canker is often mistaken for Sclerotinia, another disease that inffects sunflowers, but Phomopsis continues to spread and is thought to be the most limiting factor for successful sunflower production in Minnesota. Once established, Phomopsis stem canker is difficult to defeat. It can infect a number of crops and even weeds, and it can overwinter in crop residues. Effective management options are needed.

Efforts to breed or discover a resistant sunflower variety are in progress but have been unsuccessful so far. Currently, farmers are advised to manage Phomopsis stem canker by using Quinone outside Inhibitor (QoI) fungicides. However, resistance to QoI has been confirmed in one strain of the Phomopsis pathogen: Diaporthe helianthi. In order to effectively address fungicide resistance, it is recommended to employ a combination of chemicals with different modes of action. Learn about recent field trials conducted in Minnesota, North Dakota, Nebraska and South Dakota to assess new fungicide chemistries and application timings.

Sustainable Landscaping Initiative

You are invited to attend the free Schoolyard Maintenance Virtual Workshop on Thursday, September 26 at 5 pm ET (4 pm CT). During this webinar, schoolyard maintenance expert Ryan Anderson will review the schoolyard maintenance calendar, share case studies of well-maintained schoolyards and answer questions from webinar attendees.

This webinar is sponsored by Midwest Grows Green (MGG) sustainable landscaping initiative and Reflow.

Midwest Grows Green Lawn & Land Forum: Schoolyard Maintenance Virtual Workshop. Background is children with bare feet sitting on a bench.

Webinar: School Nurses: Crucial to School IPM Program Success

School nurses have the opportunity to act as a communication hub for both students and staff regarding health concerns. School nurses can serve several important roles to aid schools in being healthier environments for students.

In this webinar, Hillary Peterson, IPM specialist in the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry will cover how school nurses can play a crucial role in coordinating efforts and notifying staff and administration about ticks, indoor air quality issues, pesticide exposure, and rash prevention.

This webinar will be held on Friday, October 4 at 1:00 pm ET (12:00 pm CT). 

Pests and Progress Speaker Signup

  • Have you been working to understand a new pest issue?
  • Have you found a solution worth sharing with others?
  • Do you have recently published research to share?

The North Central IPM Center welcomes speakers for 2025 “Pests and Progress” webinars. Contact the Center if you are interested in speaking at a webinar.

War Against Weeds Podcasts

  • 2024 Summer Recap
    Interviewees: Kody Came (farmer from Kansas), Austin Sundeen (farmer from North Dakota), and Greg McGlinch (farmer from Ohio)
  • Cover Crop Trade-Offs
    Interviewees: Dr. Logan Simon, southwest area agronomist, Kansas State University; Dr. Travis Legleiter, assistant professor, University of Kentucky
  • EPA ESA Update
    Interviewees: Dr. Bill Chism, retired from US Environmental Protection Agency, Chair of the Weed Science Society of America’s Endangered Species Act Committee; Ashlea Frank, consultant with Compliance Services International

New Episodes—I See Dead Plants Podcasts

US Environmental Protection Agency Updates

EPA Publishes New Resources on Bilingual Pesticide Labeling

Pesticide product labels are going to be translated into Spanish, which is the primary language for most American farmworkers.

Product labels on restricted-use pesticide products and agricultural-use products with the highest toxicity will be required to include Spanish translations for the health and safety sections by December 29, 2025.

After December of 2025, additional label translations will be completed, with the most hazardous and toxic pesticide products requiring translation first. All pesticide labels must have translations by 2030. The translations must appear on the pesticide product container or must be provided through a hyperlink or other electronic method.

Correction: Chlorpyrifos Product Terminations

Last month, the short summary about cancellations and amendments for the active ingredient chlorpyrifos incorrectly implied that all chlorpyrifos products were cancelled, which is not the case. The exact list of chlorpyrifos products with rule changes can be found in the tables with this EPA article.

IPM Highlights

Fooling Fruit Flies

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) is a troublesome insect that infests healthy, ripe fruits such as raspberries and blueberries. This insect is difficult to control with pesticides since larvae feed inside the fruits. This new technique uses unappealing odors to trick SWD into avoiding healthy fruits.

Spotted Wing Drosophila male, full body photo.

Male adult spotted wing drosophila.
Photo by Martin Hauser.

Soybean Invertebrate Loss Estimates from the United States: 2023

Pests such as insects, mites, and mollusks reduce soybean yield every year. Check out this new publication to see how 2023 invertebrate pest pressure affected soybean yields. See which invertebrates cause the most yield loss, and review the costs spent on insecticides in soybean-producing states.

Increasing Access to Practical Biocontrol Information through Digital Resources

In the past year, the New York State Integrated Pest Management Program has added profiles of individual biocontrol agents to its website. Additional resources  developed through the Augmentative Biocontrol (ABC) Working Group will soon be added as well.

The goal of this effort is to provide practical information that addresses barriers to biocontrol adoption and helps growers and gardeners successfully implement biocontrol. During this webinar, speakers will provide a tour of biocontrol agent profiles and describe the ongoing process and progress to create resources on augmentative biocontrol.

Speakers will include Dr. Amara Dunn-Silver, biocontrol specialist Cornell University and Dr. Hillary Peterson, integrated pest management specialist at the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry.

The webinar will be held on Wednesday, October 2, 2024 at 11:00 am ET (10 am CT). 

Preparing for Next Season

Wheat Planting: Tips for Good Stand Establishment

As you prepare to plant wheat as a cover crop this fall, check out these tips to ensure successful establishment.

Apple Curculio: A Lesser-Known Orchard Pest

Learn about how to identify apple curculio insect presence by watching for both adult insects and the damage they cause. This article also includes details about apple curculio life cycle, habits, and management considerations, as well as a detailed chart that compares apple and plum curculios.

Wheat Disease Management Starts before Planting

A few proactive tips can help you avoid disease problems in wheat crops this year. Begin by removing wheat and grass weeds before you plant to keep any disease issues from spreading into the new crop. You may also want to choose a wheat variety that is resistant to disease or a seed treatment option that will kill pathogens that may already be present in the wheat seed.

Wheat seedlings growing in field. Wheat seedlings. Photo from AdobeStock.

Another Revisitation of Using 2,4-D and Dicamba for Corn Weed Management: Application Timing and Rates Matter

Field trials in South Dakota tested herbicide applications in corn to determine if any of the herbicides cause plant injury or affect yield. There does appear to be a difference in ear-tip kernel production, suggesting that using 2,4-D and dicamba in corn should be done with caution.

Research

New Genetic Test Provides Rapid Confirmation of Herbicide-Resistant Kochia and Pigweeds

A rapid, DNA-based test is now available to confirm PPO-inhibiting (Group 14) herbicide resistance in kochia. The National Agricultural Genotyping Center also offers DNA tests for resistance to Glyphosate (Group 9) and ALS-inhibitors (Group 2) in kochia. Resistance screening is available for waterhemp and Palmer amaranth as well and includes testing for resistance to Group 14 herbicides, Glyphosate (Group 9), and ALS-inhibitors (Group 2). Test results are available in about a week.

Evidence That 2,4-D Alone May Not Effectively Manage Leafy Spurge

Leafy spurge management will likely require management tactics to be implemented in the spring and fall to be effective. Potted plant trials in South Dakota show that using 2,4-D in both the spring and fall applications is not effective so other herbicides should be rotated in, and non-chemical tactics should be incorporated as well.

Evaluation Of New Technology For Foliar Disease Management In Indiana Soybean And Corn

Use of drones may allow fungicides to be applied for disease management even when poor field conditions would limit use of other pesticide application equipment. This study evaluated the feasibility of drone use, the spray coverage of drone fungicide applicators and the safety of workers and the environment when using drone applicators.

Events

Tick Academy

The 2024 Tick Academy will be held virtually on October 16 and 17, 2024, from 11 am to 1pm ET (10 am to 12 pm CT). There will be four hours of training each day, but you may choose to attend one day or both. The registration fee for each day is $25.

Schedule highlights include:

  • A keynote presentation from Dr. Laura H. Kahn, the Co-Founder of the One Health Initiative. Kahn will share how the One Health approach can improve management of ticks and tick-borne diseases by facilitating collaboration between human-, animal-, environmental- and ecosystem- health professionals.
  • 20 to 30-minute presentations covering the risks that ticks pose to pets, humans and livestock, tick surveillance strategies and emerging tick management technologies. Presenters include:
    • Alison Hinckley from the CDC
    • Dr. Nicole Chinnici from the Tick Research Lab of Pennsylvania
    • Nootkatone researchers Dr. Kerry Dooley and Dr. Roger Laine
    • Rachel Walters from the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute’s Fire Ecology Program
    • Brian Herrin from the Kansas State College of Veterinary Medicine
    • Joellen Lampman from the Don’t Get Ticked NY program
    • Dr. John Carlson and Dr. Mark Janowiecki from the City of New Orleans Mosquito, Termite and Rodent Control Board
  • Two panel discussions, “Engaging mosquito abatement districts in tick control” and “Emerging tick control technologies.”

Register for the 11th IPM Symposium!

Registration for the 2025 IPM Symposium is now open! This is your opportunity to learn about and discuss the most significant challenges of today: pesticide resistance, biocontrol tools, new technology, invasive species, emerging pathogens, and vectors. The Symposium will be held on March 3 to 6, 2025, at Paradise Point in San Diego, California.

Over the course of four days, attendees will have the opportunity to:

  • Attend over 100 presentations, panels, and workshops from top experts on cutting-edge IPM research and innovation.
  • Explore topics spanning agriculture, public health, built environments, landscape, and forest/conservation
  • Engage in interactive discussions addressing today’s most pressing challenges with IPM professionals.
  • Connect with more than 600 professionals from around the world
  •  Visit exhibitor booths showcasing the latest IPM tools, products, and services.

Illinois Tickborne Disease Conference

The 2024 Illinois Tickborne Disease Conference will be held on Tuesday, October 22, 2024. This free conference is available virtually or in-person, but you must register to attend.

The goal of this conference is to educate clinicians, researchers, local health departments, and community advocates on Lyme and other tickborne diseases and state-of-the-art treatment and prevention strategies.  Continuing Education Credit (CECs) are available for this event.

Entomological Society of America

The Entomological Society of America 2024 Annual Meeting will be held in Phoenix, Arizona on November 10 to 13.

Learn more about the agenda or register to attend.

Job Board

Extension Plant Pathologist, Montana State University