2019 Program Year
RFA: NCIPMC Critical Issues Grants Program
Project Director: Rufus Isaacs
Funding Amount: $50,000
Animal pollinated crops are particularly important in the North Central region of the United States, which is home to a large and diverse agricultural landscape. These crops rely on pollination services provided by managed and wild bees to produce maximum yields. Michigan is the leading state in the nation for highbush blueberry production. This is achieved, in part, through investments in honey bees and bumble bees for pollination. Approximately 100 million pounds of blueberries are produced each year in Michigan, valued at $122 million. However, growers are facing increasing pest and disease pressures that have direct effects on crop yields, and some of which require management with pesticides during bloom when managed bees are most likely to be exposed to pesticides.
Beekeepers have had record colony losses over the past decade, and several Michigan bumble bee species have seen significant population declines. Exposure to pesticides has been implicated in declining bee health. In recent experiments, our lab found that for managed bees placed in blueberry (bumble bees) and cucumber fields (honey bees) for pollination services, more than 50% of bee collected pollen is from non-crop sources. Herbaceous flowering plants are of particular interest as they often grow in and around the crop, and therefore can be particularly susceptible to off-target pesticide deposition. While the majority of best management practices for mitigating pesticide risk to bees have focused on reducing toxic exposure while visiting the crop, the role of non-crop flowers within agricultural landscapes has received relatively less attention from researchers and educators.
Here, we will test two practical management strategies for minimizing pesticide exposure to bees at non-crop resources in and around agricultural fields. Drift reduction technology is an active field of study due to increasing concern about the impacts of non-target pesticide deposition. Air-induction spray nozzles have shown promising results for decreasing drift. They increase droplet size, decreasing the distance that the spray will travel. Weed control efforts, particularly mowing, have also been recommended to growers to reduce the chances of non-crop pesticide exposure in agricultural fields. Mowing has also shown promise for reducing pesticide exposure to bees in controlled field enclosures. However, these recommendations have not been explicitly tested within working farm settings.
We expect that the investigated strategies can be easily integrated into grower best management practices and increase crop yields via effective pest suppression, and increase pollination services due to improved bee health. This project will directly address concerns of pollinator health stakeholders in the region, and provide recommendations for mitigating risk across fruit production systems. Adoption of the outcomes will also improve relations between growers and beekeepers, two groups who sometimes struggle to resolve conflict over use of pesticides during bloom. Improvements in wild bee health will support a robust integrated pollination approach to specialty crop production.
Project Director: Anthony McMechan
Funding Amount: $50,000
In June of 2018, entomologists in Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota received reports of soybean fields with visible signs of dead or dying plants associated with soybean gall midge. Surveys initiated in these states and neighboring Minnesota found that 65 counties had some presence of soybean gall midge. Fields with significant damage had clear signs of gradient of dead or dying plants that dissipated with distance from the field edge. Historically, this insect has been of little concern with its presence being linked to soybean plants that had been previously damaged by hail or infected by a plant pathogen. The sudden widespread detection of soybean gall midge and its association with damaged or dying plants is of great concern to growers. Soybean gall midge is being considered as a new species, therefore, no ecological information is available on this pest. With limited knowledge, growers are likely to resort to calendar insecticide spray applications in an attempt to reduce pest pressure. This proposal would track adult soybean gall midge activity during the spring to provide growers with knowledge on when management practices might be warranted. Adult activity cages would be accompanied by multiple small plot planting dates of soybeans to determine if such cultural strategies can be used to mitigate losses. Due to the rapid expansion of this pest, a concentrated effort will be made to communicate adult soybean gall midge activity and organize field days to create a dialogue for future research objectives to address clientele needs with this pest. The impacts of this research would be evident in the spring through a reduction in unnecessary insecticide applications. Establishing this early network of clientele and researchers would help direct future research efforts and identify sustainable practices for soybean gall midge.
RFA: North Central IPM Center Working Group Grants
Project Director: Jacqueline Kowalski
Funding Amount: $9,874
Urban agriculture continues to gain momentum particularly in Rust Belt cities where land re-use is a critical priority for city planners. Urban farms are developed and managed as either social (not-for-profit) or for-profit enterprises. Community gardens are also critical to re-greening strategies in the region and provide fresh produce to many who might not have adequate access. Urban farmers are often new and beginning farmers and inexperience and lack of knowledge of integrated pest management strategies which have led to decreased yields well as decreased potential profits. To address this problem, the Great Lakes Urban Agriculture IPM working group was formed in 2016 and is seeking renewal for the 2019 grant cycle. The approach of the working group will be to build upon our existing network and to complete the objectives of the formation of the 2019-2020 working group which are 1) to hold a regional meeting of University agriculture professionals and stakeholders in order to continue to grow an information sharing-network of urban agriculture professionals (Ohio, March 2019), 2) plan a monthly Working Group ZOOM check in meeting for the working group members and other interested stakeholders, 3) create three information fact sheets, and 4) build upon a series of information cards on pests of importance to serve the integrated pest management needs of urban gardeners (2 new cards focusing on incorporating pollinator habitat). The beneficiaries of the activities of this working group will be urban farmers and community programs that support urban farms and community gardeners. These activities will help meet the goals of improved understanding of current IPM issues across disciplines, increased/new IPM knowledge, increased adoption of IPM practices and improved economic impacts for urban farmers. The outcomes will also inform the research community of IPM research needs for urban farmers.
Project Director: Adam Sisson
Funding Amount: $10,000
The Crop Protection Network (CPN) was created to serve as infrastructure for field crop Extension outputs from diverse collaborators in the North Central Region and beyond. The CPN is a regional network of land-grant universities in the United States, and a closely related organization in Canada. The CPN has primarily involved plant pathologists and focused on field crop disease outputs. Outputs from the CPN thus far include 40 publications in the form of Extension bulletins and scouting guides on a variety of crop protection-related topics, with more in development. Nearly 100 specialists from more than 30 states have contributed thus far. The focus of this Working Group proposal is to further develop infrastructure for collection of disease loss estimate data for corn, soybean and wheat; increase participation of Extension specialists and administrative units in the Crop Protection Network while increasing IPM outputs; and increase engagement of farmers, agronomists, extension specialists and others with CPN IPM resources, concentrating on promotion through social media. Expansion of the CPN provides a “stage” where knowledge sharing or collaboration in extension efforts can be introduced, considered, or facilitated, and then leveraged across multiple crop-growing regions. This project directly benefits the North Central region by providing current and timely Extension material to aid in identification and management of existing and emerging problems, and provides information on issues lacking Extension material.
Project Director: Erin Lizotte
Funding Amount: $13,482
Famers in the Great Lakes Region of the United States produce a diversity of crops. This region also supports abundant wildlife populations. As a result, crop damage by wildlife is common. However, information on how common and widespread crop damage is or the costs to farmers is lacking and resources for helping farmers address crop damage are highly varied. Wildlife IPM resources are generally under-used, often viewed as not effective, and for some types of wildlife damage, they simply do not exist. To improve communication across the region between relevant agencies and Universities, the Agriculture and Wildlife Coexistence Working Group will bring together researchers, regulators, conservationists, educators, stakeholders, and resources from across the region at one annual symposium as well as 11 monthly for web-based meetings. We currently have 20 work group members representing faculty and staff at the following universities and agencies: Michigan State University, Ohio State University, Purdue University, University of Wisconsin, University of Illinois, USDA-APHIS, Ohio Department of Natural Resources, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service and the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. We hope to grow the group by adding 10 new members in 2019 who can contribute to and benefit from the group. The major goals of the of the working group include; improved understanding of agriculture-wildlife conflict resources and expertise across the region, increased collaboration between participants to address ag-wildlife conflicts, improved stakeholder communication, and increased adoption of mitigation practices by producers. These efforts address the NCIPMC priority for production agriculture IPM outreach and partnerships and training for Federal, State, County Agencies and Conservation Programs. The working group efforts also align with the NCERA222 Committee priority to network and collaborate with state, regional, and federal partners working on IPM-related issues.
Project Director: Erin Lizotte
Funding Amount: $14,994
The objective of this proposal is to continue to connect and expand the network of hop educators and researchers working in the Midwest and Eastern U.S. as well as Canada. These regions represent similar growing conditions that differ significantly from those in the primary production region in the Pacific Northwest. Current members include 66 representatives from twelve Universities and the Ontario Ministry of Food, Agriculture, and Rural Affairs. The working group supports improved information exchange, knowledge sharing, and resource development that impacts growers in the region and beyond through a series meetings. The group also works to improve grower access to hop IPM education and resources with a special project to expand an on-line course developed in 2018. Primary group goals align well with the Center's regional priorities of; Improved information exchange and knowledge sharing, Improved understanding of current IPM issues; Increasing collaboration among diverse scientific communities; Increased adoption of IPM and; Improved economic and environmental impacts.
Project Director: Benjamin Phillips
Funding Amount: $19,908
Most Land Grant Universities in our North Central Region have undergone or are currently undergoing reorganization of their Extension services. Most have settled on an arrangement of regional Extension Educators, focusing on a topic area (i.e. sugar beets, dairy cattle, vegetables, fruit, etc.). Often, there is little overlap between these regions and Educators have trouble getting face time with their colleagues that share their focus. Further, vegetable growers early in their careers can learn much from networking with growers and Extension personnel in other regions, but are often at a loss of who to reach out to across state lines. Such connections can serve them throughout their careers by exposing them to how others adapt to challenges and explore new opportunities.
The Great Lakes Vegetable Working Group (GLVWG) is uniquely poised to connect educators with colleagues that have knowledge that can bridge these gaps. We propose to host a winter meeting for Extension professionals, supported by a listserv network. We also propose a summer grower exchange to forge lasting business and collegiate relationships among young or beginning vegetable growers across the Great Lakes region.
Project Director: Randall Cass
Funding Amount: $19,825
IPM4Bees Midwest Working Group
PD: O’Neal, Matthew, Iowa State University
Co-PD: Cass, Randall, Iowa State University
Collaborator: Wu-Smart, Judy, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Total Amount Requested: $19,825
Problem and Justification
Across the United States, beekeepers of all sizes (commercial, sideline, and backyard) experience annual colony losses at higher rates than previous decades (VanEngelsdorp, et al. 2008). For many beekeepers, colony losses will result in reduced income from honey production and, more significantly, pollination services. The scientific community understands higher rates of colony loss are the result of four major honey bee stressors: 1) pests and disease, 2) loss of habitat/poor forage availability, 3) pesticide exposure, and 4) negative effects that result from multiple stressors working synergistically (Goulson et al. 2015). These stressors are impacted by increased demand for crop production and directly relate to IPM.
First, controlling honey bee pests such as varroa mites and small hive beetles requires the implementation of apicultural IPM strategies. Varroa mites are especially injurious because they spread viruses between bees as they feed on them, quickly and dramatically weakening the overall health of the colony. The impact of this major pest is such that without mite management, colonies infested with Varroa mites tend to survive only 1-2 years (Le Conte et al. 2010). Moreover, in recent years the majority of colony losses reported by beekeepers (commercial sideline and backyard) are due to varroa (Seitz et al. 2016) IPM strategies for controlling pests in apiculture include cultural (apiary location and bee genetics), mechanical (traps, screened bottom boards, and breaks in brood cycles), and chemical approaches.
Second, implementing IPM practices in crop production may provide benefits to commercially managed honey bees contracted for pollination services. Benefits of “pollinator-friendly” IPM practices include the reduced use of pesticide applications, more timely use of highly selective or lower toxicity chemicals, and establishing habitat refuges for beneficial insect communities. These practices aim to reduce unintended non-target exposure or adverse effects from pesticides, mitigate further pollinator habitat loss, and improve ecosystem services.
IPM strategies for both apicultural and agricultural systems exist, however, little has been done to incorporate both sets of practices into one system. Coordinating timing of pesticide applications with honey bee management, for example, could greatly improve the health of bee colonies while maintaining crop productivity. Moreover, it may economically important for a farmer to conserve bees if they are growing a crop that requires insect pollination or may have increased yield with bee pollination. Coordinated IPM strategies could be further developed for specific cropping systems by connecting apicultural researchers with crop pest specialists.
Improved apicultural IPM and agricultural IPM programs will also benefit other pollinators, including wild bee species. Unlike honey bees, wild bees are either solitary or live in small colonies but are not typically bred commercially and populations are difficult to monitor and track. Unfortunately, wild bee populations are similarly in decline. In fact, from 2008 to 2013 there has been a 23% decrease in mean abundance of wild bee populations particularly in the mid-west region (Koh et al., 2016). Much of this decline was seen in areas where natural habitat had been converted into agriculture. Rapid and large-scale land use conversion to accommodate increasing demands for food and energy reduces available habitat and forage for bees, while simultaneously increasing the need for pollination services (Rashford et al., 2011; Wright and Wimberly, 2013; Lark et al., 2015; Koh et al., 2016; Otto et al., 2016). Wild bee decline is an increasingly important issue and since IPM strategies that benefit honey bees are relevant to also improving native bee health, both managed and wild bees will be considered in the development or improvement of IPM practices.
While the IPM practices discussed above overlap across states in the NCIPMC region and related extension work is offered in many of the states, there are few opportunities for researchers and extension agents to gather and share their work. A regional IPM4Bees Working Group is an opportunity to bring researchers and graduate students working in areas of bee health and crop pest management together and form a united response to IPM challenges through extension efforts. This collaborative group will also provide opportunities to improve our understanding of each system’s needs and challenges and foster discussions to better coordinate IPM strategies. As a result, best management practices for bee IPM in the region will be identified and institutions in the region will be equipped with standardized best practice recommendations to offer farmers and beekeepers in the Midwest.
This proposal addresses the NCIPMC priority concerned with the impact of IPM on pollinators and beneficials. Moreover, it aligns with the IPM goal to “minimize adverse environmental effects from pests and related management strategies,” from the IPM Roadmap.
Objectives and Anticipated Outcomes
The goal of establishing the IPM4Bees Working Group is to increase learning and collaboration as well as resources for researchers, extension agents, and other stakeholders that work in honey bees, native bees, and bee-related IPM. The primary areas of focus are pollinator-friendly agricultural IPM practices and IPM for honey bee pests.
This goal is supported by the project objectives.
Probable Duration
This proposal is for 12 months, with the primary outputs being completed by November 2019 and evaluation of outcomes completed in February 2020.
Resources, Expertise, and Leveraging
PD O’Neal is an applied entomologist who applies ecological principles to crop production, with a goal of preventing yield loss while delivering insect-derived ecosystem services (i.e. pest-suppression and pollination). To achieve these goals, he focuses on integrating pest management tools (insecticides, insect-resistant crops, biological control) and conservation practices that can complement each other. His short-term goals are to solve the immediate problems farmers have with insect pests that can significantly reduce crop productivity. To achieve these goals, his scholarship at ISU has explored how both pests and beneficial insects respond to various features of an agricultural landscape committed to annual crop production. This includes substantial work studying an invasive pest of soybean, the soybean aphid (Aphis glycines), first found in Iowa in 2000. This pest can reduce yield by as much as 40% when outbreaks are left untreated, and since its establishment in the US Midwest, insecticide use has increased 140%. In turn, the soybean aphid has become resistant to commonly used insecticides (i.e. pyrethroids). Complicating the management of insect pests, especially in flowering crops like soybeans, is the occurrence of pollinators, many of which are in decline within the US. With support from agribusiness and later the United Soybean Board (USB), O’Neal explored more basic questions regarding what community of pollinators reside in corn and soybean fields and what factors influence their abundance and diversity. As revealed in three peer-reviewed publications, O’Neal and his students tested various sampling protocols to account for pollinator diversity and abundance and showed that the pollinator community in these crops is comprised of at least 60 species of bees and flies, mostly wild, ground nesting bees. By studying the ecology of the target pest and the environment in which the crops are grown, there is the potential to integrate crop production with conservation practices that limit the pest’s potential to reach outbreak levels while also delivering other ecosystem services to the farm landscape. In this way, both an environmental and economically sustainable approach to managing pests can be developed.
Co-PD Cass is the first and only extension entomologist at Iowa State University focused solely on honey bee and native bee research and extension. His research and extension efforts focus primarily on a USDA/NIFA funded project that explores honey bee and native bee health in agricultural and prairie landscapes in Iowa. In addition to field research, Cass travels the state presenting his team’s findings to relevant stakeholders, including farmers, landowners, and beekeepers. In tandem with his extension presentations, he is conducting a state-wide survey to identify what “pollinator-friendly” practices, including IPM strategies and habitat restoration plans, farmers and landowners are interested in. The survey also targets beekeepers to identify their greatest challenges. Cass’ previous work includes extensive experience in Latin America (El Salvador, Guatemala, Ecuador, and Chile) working with small farmers and beekeepers. In those positions he managed agricultural development programs, provided technical advising, and conducted comprehensive surveys with stakeholders. Additionally, as an employee of ISU Extension and Outreach, Cass has access to multiple services that will be instrumental in achieving IPM4Bees goals. The proposed extension videos will be filmed, edited, and produced at no extra cost with the assistance of the ISU IPM Communications office videographer, Brandon Kleinke. Similarly, Cass will work with the graphic designers from the Agriculture and Natural Resources Communications office to develop and print the proposed varroa mite IPM guide.
Collaborator Wu-Smart leads the University of Nebraska Lincoln pollinator health research program. Her program aims to better understand the underlying stressors in bee health and their interactions with environmental toxicants. Her research explores different ways to promote sustainability and resilience in pollinator ecosystems in agricultural, natural, and urban landscapes. She also engages in outreach and extension programs to educate about the importance of conservation and biodiversity and promote practices that support healthy bee communities in agroecosystems. She is currently developing the Great Plains Regional Master Beekeeping Training Program and will be able to deliver extension materials and opportunities through this program. She also serves in several working groups including the Honey Bee Health Coalition (member), ESA Pollinator Education Committee (Chair), Multi-State Committees (NC1173: Sustainable Solutions to Problems Affecting Bee Health (Chair), NE1501: Harnessing Chemical Ecology to Address Agricultural Pest and Pollinator Priorities (member)), and the American Association of Professional Apiculturists (vice-president) from which expertise and potential collaborators may be reached. Resources, projects, and other educational materials may also be leveraged from these groups and existing programs. Coordination with other working groups will also allow the IPM4Bees group reduce redundancy, maximize resources, and focus on emerging or region-specific needs and challenges. Collaborator Wu-Smart will assist in the organization of the symposium and the workshop as well as provide input and feedback for extension videos and guides.
Literature Cited
Goulson, D., Nicholls, E., Botias, C., & Rotheray, E., 2015. Bee declines driven by combined stress from parasites, pesticides, and lack of flowers. Science, 347(6229), N/a.
Koh, I., Lonsdorf, E.V., Williams, N.M., Brittain, C., Isaacs, R., Gibbs, J. and Ricketts, T.H., 2016. Modeling the status, trends, and impacts of wild bee abundance in the United States. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(1), pp.140-145.
Lark, T.J., Salmon, J.M., and Gibbs, H.K. 2015. Cropland expansion outpaces agricultural and biofuel policies in the United States. Environmental Research Letters. 10(4), p. 044003.
Le Conte, Y., Ellis, M., & Ritter, W. (2010). Varroa mites and honey bee health: can Varroa explain part of the colony losses? Apidologie, 41, 353-363. doi:10.1051/apido/2010017
Rashford, B.S., Walker, J.A., and Bastian, C.T. 2011. Economics of grassland conversion to cropland in the prairie pothole region. Conservation Biology. 25(2), pp. 276-284.
Seitz, N., Traynor, K. S., vanEngelsdorp, D., Steinhauer, N., Rennich, K., et al., 2016 A national survey of managed honey bee 2014–2015 annual colony losses in the USA. Journal of Apicultural Research. 54 (4), pp.292–304.
Van Engelsdorp, D., Hayes Jr., J., Underwood, R.M., and Pettis, J. 2008. A survey of honey bee colony losses in the U.S., fall 2007 to spring 2008. PLOS ONE 3, e4071.
Wright, C.K., and Wimberly, M.C. 2013. Recent land use changes in the Western Corn Belt threatens grasslands and wetlands. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. 110(10), pp. 4134-4139.
Please see the proposal narrative document for more information including tables for Outputs, Milestones, and Evaluation Plans.
Project Director: Matthew O'Neal
Funding Amount: $19,825
IPM4Bees Midwest Working Group
PD: O’Neal, Matthew, Iowa State University
Co-PD: Cass, Randall, Iowa State University
Collaborator: Wu-Smart, Judy, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Total Amount Requested: $19,825
Problem and Justification
Across the United States, beekeepers of all sizes (commercial, sideline, and backyard) experience annual colony losses at higher rates than previous decades (VanEngelsdorp, et al. 2008). For many beekeepers, colony losses will result in reduced income from honey production and, more significantly, pollination services. The scientific community understands higher rates of colony loss are the result of four major honey bee stressors: 1) pests and disease, 2) loss of habitat/poor forage availability, 3) pesticide exposure, and 4) negative effects that result from multiple stressors working synergistically (Goulson et al. 2015). These stressors are impacted by increased demand for crop production and directly relate to IPM.
First, controlling honey bee pests such as varroa mites and small hive beetles requires the implementation of apicultural IPM strategies. Varroa mites are especially injurious because they spread viruses between bees as they feed on them, quickly and dramatically weakening the overall health of the colony. The impact of this major pest is such that without mite management, colonies infested with Varroa mites tend to survive only 1-2 years (Le Conte et al. 2010). Moreover, in recent years the majority of colony losses reported by beekeepers (commercial sideline and backyard) are due to varroa (Seitz et al. 2016) IPM strategies for controlling pests in apiculture include cultural (apiary location and bee genetics), mechanical (traps, screened bottom boards, and breaks in brood cycles), and chemical approaches.
Second, implementing IPM practices in crop production may provide benefits to commercially managed honey bees contracted for pollination services. Benefits of “pollinator-friendly” IPM practices include the reduced use of pesticide applications, more timely use of highly selective or lower toxicity chemicals, and establishing habitat refuges for beneficial insect communities. These practices aim to reduce unintended non-target exposure or adverse effects from pesticides, mitigate further pollinator habitat loss, and improve ecosystem services.
IPM strategies for both apicultural and agricultural systems exist, however, little has been done to incorporate both sets of practices into one system. Coordinating timing of pesticide applications with honey bee management, for example, could greatly improve the health of bee colonies while maintaining crop productivity. Moreover, it may economically important for a farmer to conserve bees if they are growing a crop that requires insect pollination or may have increased yield with bee pollination. Coordinated IPM strategies could be further developed for specific cropping systems by connecting apicultural researchers with crop pest specialists.
Improved apicultural IPM and agricultural IPM programs will also benefit other pollinators, including wild bee species. Unlike honey bees, wild bees are either solitary or live in small colonies but are not typically bred commercially and populations are difficult to monitor and track. Unfortunately, wild bee populations are similarly in decline. In fact, from 2008 to 2013 there has been a 23% decrease in mean abundance of wild bee populations particularly in the mid-west region (Koh et al., 2016). Much of this decline was seen in areas where natural habitat had been converted into agriculture. Rapid and large-scale land use conversion to accommodate increasing demands for food and energy reduces available habitat and forage for bees, while simultaneously increasing the need for pollination services (Rashford et al., 2011; Wright and Wimberly, 2013; Lark et al., 2015; Koh et al., 2016; Otto et al., 2016). Wild bee decline is an increasingly important issue and since IPM strategies that benefit honey bees are relevant to also improving native bee health, both managed and wild bees will be considered in the development or improvement of IPM practices.
While the IPM practices discussed above overlap across states in the NCIPMC region and related extension work is offered in many of the states, there are few opportunities for researchers and extension agents to gather and share their work. A regional IPM4Bees Working Group is an opportunity to bring researchers and graduate students working in areas of bee health and crop pest management together and form a united response to IPM challenges through extension efforts. This collaborative group will also provide opportunities to improve our understanding of each system’s needs and challenges and foster discussions to better coordinate IPM strategies. As a result, best management practices for bee IPM in the region will be identified and institutions in the region will be equipped with standardized best practice recommendations to offer farmers and beekeepers in the Midwest.
This proposal addresses the NCIPMC priority concerned with the impact of IPM on pollinators and beneficials. Moreover, it aligns with the IPM goal to “minimize adverse environmental effects from pests and related management strategies,” from the IPM Roadmap.
Objectives and Anticipated Outcomes
The goal of establishing the IPM4Bees Working Group is to increase learning and collaboration as well as resources for researchers, extension agents, and other stakeholders that work in honey bees, native bees, and bee-related IPM. The primary areas of focus are pollinator-friendly agricultural IPM practices and IPM for honey bee pests.
This goal is supported by the project objectives.
Probable Duration
This proposal is for 12 months, with the primary outputs being completed by November 2019 and evaluation of outcomes completed in February 2020.
Resources, Expertise, and Leveraging
PD O’Neal is an applied entomologist who applies ecological principles to crop production, with a goal of preventing yield loss while delivering insect-derived ecosystem services (i.e. pest-suppression and pollination). To achieve these goals, he focuses on integrating pest management tools (insecticides, insect-resistant crops, biological control) and conservation practices that can complement each other. His short-term goals are to solve the immediate problems farmers have with insect pests that can significantly reduce crop productivity. To achieve these goals, his scholarship at ISU has explored how both pests and beneficial insects respond to various features of an agricultural landscape committed to annual crop production. This includes substantial work studying an invasive pest of soybean, the soybean aphid (Aphis glycines), first found in Iowa in 2000. This pest can reduce yield by as much as 40% when outbreaks are left untreated, and since its establishment in the US Midwest, insecticide use has increased 140%. In turn, the soybean aphid has become resistant to commonly used insecticides (i.e. pyrethroids). Complicating the management of insect pests, especially in flowering crops like soybeans, is the occurrence of pollinators, many of which are in decline within the US. With support from agribusiness and later the United Soybean Board (USB), O’Neal explored more basic questions regarding what community of pollinators reside in corn and soybean fields and what factors influence their abundance and diversity. As revealed in three peer-reviewed publications, O’Neal and his students tested various sampling protocols to account for pollinator diversity and abundance and showed that the pollinator community in these crops is comprised of at least 60 species of bees and flies, mostly wild, ground nesting bees. By studying the ecology of the target pest and the environment in which the crops are grown, there is the potential to integrate crop production with conservation practices that limit the pest’s potential to reach outbreak levels while also delivering other ecosystem services to the farm landscape. In this way, both an environmental and economically sustainable approach to managing pests can be developed.
Co-PD Cass is the first and only extension entomologist at Iowa State University focused solely on honey bee and native bee research and extension. His research and extension efforts focus primarily on a USDA/NIFA funded project that explores honey bee and native bee health in agricultural and prairie landscapes in Iowa. In addition to field research, Cass travels the state presenting his team’s findings to relevant stakeholders, including farmers, landowners, and beekeepers. In tandem with his extension presentations, he is conducting a state-wide survey to identify what “pollinator-friendly” practices, including IPM strategies and habitat restoration plans, farmers and landowners are interested in. The survey also targets beekeepers to identify their greatest challenges. Cass’ previous work includes extensive experience in Latin America (El Salvador, Guatemala, Ecuador, and Chile) working with small farmers and beekeepers. In those positions he managed agricultural development programs, provided technical advising, and conducted comprehensive surveys with stakeholders. Additionally, as an employee of ISU Extension and Outreach, Cass has access to multiple services that will be instrumental in achieving IPM4Bees goals. The proposed extension videos will be filmed, edited, and produced at no extra cost with the assistance of the ISU IPM Communications office videographer, Brandon Kleinke. Similarly, Cass will work with the graphic designers from the Agriculture and Natural Resources Communications office to develop and print the proposed varroa mite IPM guide.
Collaborator Wu-Smart leads the University of Nebraska Lincoln pollinator health research program. Her program aims to better understand the underlying stressors in bee health and their interactions with environmental toxicants. Her research explores different ways to promote sustainability and resilience in pollinator ecosystems in agricultural, natural, and urban landscapes. She also engages in outreach and extension programs to educate about the importance of conservation and biodiversity and promote practices that support healthy bee communities in agroecosystems. She is currently developing the Great Plains Regional Master Beekeeping Training Program and will be able to deliver extension materials and opportunities through this program. She also serves in several working groups including the Honey Bee Health Coalition (member), ESA Pollinator Education Committee (Chair), Multi-State Committees (NC1173: Sustainable Solutions to Problems Affecting Bee Health (Chair), NE1501: Harnessing Chemical Ecology to Address Agricultural Pest and Pollinator Priorities (member)), and the American Association of Professional Apiculturists (vice-president) from which expertise and potential collaborators may be reached. Resources, projects, and other educational materials may also be leveraged from these groups and existing programs. Coordination with other working groups will also allow the IPM4Bees group reduce redundancy, maximize resources, and focus on emerging or region-specific needs and challenges. Collaborator Wu-Smart will assist in the organization of the symposium and the workshop as well as provide input and feedback for extension videos and guides.
Literature Cited
Goulson, D., Nicholls, E., Botias, C., & Rotheray, E., 2015. Bee declines driven by combined stress from parasites, pesticides, and lack of flowers. Science, 347(6229), N/a.
Koh, I., Lonsdorf, E.V., Williams, N.M., Brittain, C., Isaacs, R., Gibbs, J. and Ricketts, T.H., 2016. Modeling the status, trends, and impacts of wild bee abundance in the United States. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(1), pp.140-145.
Lark, T.J., Salmon, J.M., and Gibbs, H.K. 2015. Cropland expansion outpaces agricultural and biofuel policies in the United States. Environmental Research Letters. 10(4), p. 044003.
Le Conte, Y., Ellis, M., & Ritter, W. (2010). Varroa mites and honey bee health: can Varroa explain part of the colony losses? Apidologie, 41, 353-363. doi:10.1051/apido/2010017
Rashford, B.S., Walker, J.A., and Bastian, C.T. 2011. Economics of grassland conversion to cropland in the prairie pothole region. Conservation Biology. 25(2), pp. 276-284.
Seitz, N., Traynor, K. S., vanEngelsdorp, D., Steinhauer, N., Rennich, K., et al., 2016 A national survey of managed honey bee 2014–2015 annual colony losses in the USA. Journal of Apicultural Research. 54 (4), pp.292–304.
Van Engelsdorp, D., Hayes Jr., J., Underwood, R.M., and Pettis, J. 2008. A survey of honey bee colony losses in the U.S., fall 2007 to spring 2008. PLOS ONE 3, e4071.
Wright, C.K., and Wimberly, M.C. 2013. Recent land use changes in the Western Corn Belt threatens grasslands and wetlands. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA. 110(10), pp. 4134-4139.
Please see the proposal narrative document for more information including tables for Outputs, Milestones, and Evaluation Plans.
Project Director: Diana Cochran
Funding Amount: $17,136
For over 40 years the Midwest Fruit Workers have met annually in an unofficial capacity to provide commercial fruit growers with up-to-date integrated pest management (IPM) recommendations. Our IPM approach is to provide a spray schedule based on phenology, recommend reduced risk pesticides, and mitigate pesticide resistance by including the FRAC/IRAC/HRAC codes for every pesticide recommended. If a grower follows our recommendations, they will maximize the effectiveness of pesticide applications without jeopardizing fruit quality (yield, nutrition, profit), reduce human health risks, and mitigate pesticide resistance. If our proposal is successful, we will provide an affordable mobile-friendly guide ($15 print copy; FREE download), serve online and offline communities (i.e. Amish and Mennonites), and recommend integrated pest management practices that promote fruit stewardship.
Project Director: Thomas Green
Funding Amount: $20,000
The IPM Institute of North America, a rapidly growing non-profit formed in 1998 to improve sustainability in agriculture and communities through market-based mechanisms based in Integrated Pest Management (IPM), respectfully requests support in the amount of $20,000 over one year from the North Central Integrated Pest Management Center (NCIPM) to build upon successes of the Midwest Grows Green (MGG) Lawn & Land Forum. This 2017 and 2018 NCIPM funded working group intends to create an interconnected policymaking system to protect land, water, wildlife, and people by fostering peer-to-peer learning of best Integrated Pest Management and Natural Lawn Care practices, policies and practices at park districts, school districts, and local governments in the Midwest and nationwide.
Representatives from the University of Wisconsin (UW), Illinois Sports Turf Managers Association (ILSTMA), University of Chicago, University of Illinois Extension, University of Missouri, Natural Grass Advisory Group, Park Ridge Park District, North Shore Country Club, IL-IN Sea Grant, and University of Minnesota will participate in this Working Group by planning sessions, participating in working group calls, and reviewing Forum resources.
Project Director: Ryan Anderson
Funding Amount: $20,000
The IPM Institute of North America, a rapidly growing non-profit formed in 1998 to improve sustainability in agriculture and communities through market-based mechanisms based in Integrated Pest Management (IPM), respectfully requests support in the amount of $20,000 over one year from the North Central Integrated Pest Management Center (NCIPM) to build upon successes of the Midwest Grows Green (MGG) Lawn & Land Forum. This 2017 and 2018 NCIPM funded working group intends to create an interconnected policymaking system to protect land, water, wildlife, and people by fostering peer-to-peer learning of best Integrated Pest Management and Natural Lawn Care practices, policies and practices at park districts, school districts, and local governments in the Midwest and nationwide.
Representatives from the University of Wisconsin (UW), Illinois Sports Turf Managers Association (ILSTMA), University of Chicago, University of Illinois Extension, University of Missouri, Natural Grass Advisory Group, Park Ridge Park District, North Shore Country Club, IL-IN Sea Grant, and University of Minnesota will participate in this Working Group by planning sessions, participating in working group calls, and reviewing Forum resources.
Project Director: Thomas Green
Funding Amount: $13,446
Organic and IPM proponents share many concerns and interests in improving impacts of food production on environmental and human health. Despite these common goals, IPM and organic leaders have few occasions to share thoughts, ideas and resources. The Organic and IPM working group’s goal is to synergize the efforts of these two communities by building partnerships, fostering dialogue between diverse stakeholders, exchanging information and knowledge, and collaboratively identifying and working towards shared priorities. We aim to achieve our goal by maintaining a curated and facilitated platform that encourages participation across disciplines, organizations and geographies. Funding for the Organic and IPM working group will enable us to host bimonthly webinar presentations with guest speakers, promote the webinars with eOrganic and Certified Crop Advisors, host an in-person meeting at MOSES Organic Farming Conference 2020 and maintain a website and listserv to share resources and information. Our outputs will support the North Central IPM Center’s goals of improving understanding of current and emerging IPM and organic management issues, as well as increasing collaboration among diverse stakeholders, scientists and professionals working to address priorities common to organic and IPM in the North Central region and nationally. If funded, our working group will continue its mission of strengthening the alliance between organic and IPM communities to promote adoption of IPM practices and enhance food stability and environmental stewardship in the North Central region and nationally.
Project Director: Kurt Dreisilker
Funding Amount: $13,125
In March of 2018, The Morton Arboretum in partnership with the Midwest Invasive Plant Network received funding from the North Central Integrated Pest Management Center to establish a working group to address invasive plant issues at public gardens and arboreta. This working group, now formed, is called the Public Gardens as Sentinels against Invasive Plants Working Group (PGSIP Working Group). This name captures the desire of project participants for the public garden sector to lead on invasive plant issues and help prevent future invasions by tracking ornamental plants within their plant collections which are escaping cultivation on their grounds. These are often obscure species which are not widely recognized as invasive, not widely available within the nursery trade, and are not found on invasive species lists from region to region. However, spread from planting sites within the plant collections of public gardens is a possible indicator of a future invasive species. This proposal for PGSIP Working Group continuation and associated project work builds on the momentum of the last year. Our work will continue to engage constituents in the public garden sector on this issue, provide guidance to gardens that are just in the beginning stages of engaging on this issue, and will build a database and communication platform that public gardens and arboreta in the U.S. and Canada can use to share information about plant species spreading from cultivation.
Project Director: Thomas Green
Funding Amount: $10,000
Ticks and the diseases they vector pose a major public health concern to people, pets and livestock in the North Central region. In 2016, Lyme disease was the most commonly reported vector-borne disease and the number of counties in the Northeastern and Midwestern states with a high incidence continues to grow. With ten tick-borne diseases and six species of ticks already firmly established in the North Central region, collaboration on a regional and national level is needed to adequately address the health problems that tick-borne diseases are causing.
The Public Tick IPM Working Group seeks to organize and expand the network reducing the risk of exposure to infected ticks by collaborating on Integrated Tick Management (ITM) related activities, exchanging knowledge and sharing resources effectively. To meet this goal, the working groups shares and critically reviews information on ITM, creates fact sheets such as the Tick Pest Alert and strategizes on activities and needed investments.
The Public Tick Working Group will work towards this goal in 2018-2019 by hosting regular conference calls with experts, sharing news and opportunities through a listserv and keeping updated stakeholder priorities on its webpage. The group will also host the first annual Tick Academy to provide a comprehensive education on the biology and management of ticks for researchers, pest-management professionals, public health officials and other stakeholders.
Project Director: Julie Pasche
Funding Amount: $19,957
Pulse crops (dry edible pea, lentil, chickpea and dry bean) are healthful food choices that are also vital components of cropping systems in semi-arid regions in the North Central (NC) US. They are high-value crops that require no additional nitrogen fertilization and provide a nitrogen credit to the following crop due to biological nitrogen fixation. Pulse crops require little moisture, and are well suited to reduced tillage systems. The addition of pulse crops into traditional wheat-fallow cropping systems has been an economic boon to rural communities. However, including these crops into rotations has led to new and challenging disease and pests problems. Chickpea requires frequent scouting and multiple fungicide applications for the control of Ascochyta blight, a devastating foliar fungal disease of this crop. Pea and lentils face challenges from root rot pathogens that build up in the soil and significantly reduce yield if long rotations are not implemented. All of these challenges, and many others, have been addressed collaboratively by the Pulse Crop Working Group members who also work closely with industry stakeholders and government regulators. The approach has been to 1) meet biannually to share and coordinate IPM research and outreach 2) meet annually with grower stakeholders to effectively target IPM research and outreach and 3) produce IPM educational materials for growers and stakeholders. PCWG members have been extremely successful in obtaining funds to support collaborative research and outreach. In 2018, 16 collaborative grants were funded totaling over $4.3 million. Additionally, nine peer reviewed articles and four extension publications were collectively produced in 2018. The PCWG has developed fourth field-ready diagnostic card set produced over the last few years. These grower-friendly, pocket-sized card sets with large color photographs card sets are printed on water and bend-proof fabric. Approximately 4,000 cards sets for field pea and dry bean diseases as well as insect pests of peas, lentils and chickpeas have been distributed worldwide in three languages. Among North Dakota growers surveyed, 96% favored the development of a similar series for lentil disease identification which will be available in January 2019. The approach in FY2019 – FY2020 will be to continue these efforts by conducting two researcher meetings, one coordinated stakeholder – researcher meeting, produce new IPM outreach educational materials based on grower needs and complete the revised Compendium of Pea Diseases and Pests. Furthermore, an evaluation specialist will work with researchers to assist in the development of surveys and evaluation materials so that PCWG members can better measure outputs of educational efforts. We expect these efforts to result in new collaborative grants to support research efforts, the development of new IPM management strategies through research and greater adoption of IPM approaches among growers. The end result of this work will be more efficient and sustainable disease and pest management in pulse crops, resulting in increased economic sustainability of rural communities in the NC US.
Project Director: Samuel Markell
Funding Amount: $20,000
THE PROBLEM. Approximately 85-90% of the 2.0 M acres of sunflower planted annually in the U.S. are in the North Central States. According the National Sunflower Association, diseases are the most significant biological yield-limiting factor for sunflower production. Despite this, few pathologists work on sunflower and limited reference and Extension literature on sunflower diseases exist. Consequently, disease identification is challenging for growers and a near-total lack of IPM recommendations has resulted in a ‘spray and pray’ approach to disease management.
OUR APPROACH To address these problems, the Sunflower Pathology Working Group (SPWG) was established in 2013 with the specific mission of increasing IPM awareness by creating new academic reference and Extension materials. Our approach is deliberate, with stakeholder surveys and focus groups playing a crucial role. All activities are consistent with the mission of the North-Central IPM Center and designed to increase knowledge among stakeholders and collaboration among professionals, ultimately leading to positive economic and environmental impacts by limiting needless fungicide applications.
Major outputs to date include a Feature Article in the APS journal Plant Disease (in press), a ‘Diagnostic Guide’ in the APS journal Plant Health Progress (2018), an APS ‘Plant Disease Lesson’ (2018), a disease identification article in the National Sunflower Association Sunflower Magazine (2018), a press release and two associated newspaper articles (2018), the first American Phytopathological Society (APS) Compendium of Sunflower Diseases (2016), a 20-disease diagnostic card set (2015, rev. 2017), two disease chapters in major monographs/books (2015, 2018), a diagnostic card-deck (2016), additional manuscripts (Extension and academic) that are in various pre-publication stages (2019) and over a dozen funded grant proposals.
Four/seven members are from North Central states (consistent with the RFP). We have recruited experts from overseas to actively support the mission of the working group, including Sue Thompson (USQ, UQ) and Malcolm Ryley (UQ, AAPS fellow).
ANTICIPATED IMPACT. We believe the impacts of this material is very high, and use history as a guide. Additionally, we make a very concerted effort to publicly credit the NCIPM center for support. As very recent examples of credit and impact, the SPWG was highlighted in a press release by the University of Nebraska on 11/15/18; within days it was picked up by Crop Watch (published 11/15/18), on 11/18/18 will be published in Scottsbluff Star Herald (est. readership 20,000), anticipated to be published in Nebraska Farmer, and Bob Harveson had conducted three media interviews with local radio stations in Western Nebraska. Nationally, a section of the Plant Disease Feature article highlighted the role of the SPWG. Nationally and internationally, usage of the Extension material (diagnostic cards) is documented by a Chinese translation, and reproduction under ‘common use’ by at least one company. Similarly, Sunflower Compendium sales are at 353, very high for a small acreage field crop, and printings paid for by corporate partners.
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