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Funded Project

Funding Program: Enhancement Grants - State Contacts/IPM Documents

Project Title: Southern Region IPM Network for Florida, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands and Related IPM Documents

Project Directors (PDs): Mark Mossler [1] Fred Fishel [1]

Lead State: Fl Lead Organization: University of Florida

Undesignated Funding: $39,988

Start Date: Mar-01-2008 End Date: Feb-28-2009

No-Cost Extension Date: Feb-28-2011

Area of Emphasis: tropical fruit

Summary: The Florida Pest Management Information Program (FPMIP) is proposing to represent the State of Florida as well as the territories of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands with regard to federal pest management inquiries. The FPMIP, through the UF/IFAS Pesticide Information Office, has cooperated with the Southern Region IPM Center since its inception. The FPMIP has consistently responded to federal requests in a timely and thorough manner, and maintains those items such as pest management stakeholder network and electronic and paper information delivery systems. The FPMIP has routinely provided the most numerous responses to federal queries to the SRIPMC. With regard to IPM documents such as crop profiles and strategic plans, the FPMIP has consistently posted the highest number of new crops and revisions submitted to the SRIPMC. Since Florida and other Caribbean locals may have tropical tempterature throughout the year, many minor and specialty crops are grown in this region. Pest pressures are also severe in these areas due to this reason. The profiles submitted by the FPMIP are some of the most detailed and timely in the crop profile library. The FPMIP in endeavoring to revise the tropical fruit cluster of profiles and strategic plans during the current funding period. The FPMIP is requesting less than one full-time equivalent in labor and minor travel funding to conduct state contact duties and revise the crop profiles in the current funding period. Objectives: Objective 1: Serve as primary contact for regulatory questions related to pest management and pesticides in Florida and the Caribbean. Objective 2: Serve to answer questions from any stakeholder regarding pesticide use and/or pest management in Florida and the Caribbean. Objective 3: Maintain stakeholder network for issues regarding pest management and pesticide regulation. Objective 4: Provide coordination and oversight for Florida crop profiles and PMSPs. Objective 5: Provide an annual assessment prioritizing crop profiles and PMSPs. Objective 6: Provide an annual list of Extension IPM-related experts for Florida. Objective 7: Maintain a project web site. Objective 8: Attend annual state contact meeting. Objective 9: Publish monthly newsletter (electronically and by hard copy) to advise stakeholders of issues of interest and other analyses that measure IPM impact. Objective 10: Update the tropical fruit crop profiles (atemoya/sugar apple, avocado, carambola, guava/wax jambu, minor citrus, lychee, longan, mango, papaya, mamey sapote, and sapodilla).

Final Report:

Impacts Serve as primary contact for federal regulatory inquiries The Florida Contact, who also covers the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, responded to requests for specific information over the report period that came directly from SRIPMC through the reporting system - but also from USDA OPMP and IR-4. Very few questions pertained to the Caribbean and few responses were obtained from this network. For Florida, the SRIPMC requests were circulated through the Florida Pest Management Information Program (FPMIP) network for response. The FPMIP responded to USDA direct inquiries that included topics such as general fumigant use in Florida, the fumigant cluster reassessment, laurel wilt, antibiotic use in Florida vegetables, and WTO maximum residue levels for endosulfan. The FPMIP also serves on the USDA OPMP's citrus vein chlorosis (CVC) and orange rust (in sugarcane) recovery plan working groups. The FPMIP responded to a multiple request from IR-4 on crop grouping. (See Appendix 1) Response of the FPMIP to other entities The state contact serves to provide information and input to entities other than those listed above. The state contact has frequent interactions with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS), the Farm Bureau, as well as associations such as the Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association. These stakeholders are consulted regarding pest management activities and regulatory issues that may affect them and their members. The greatest amount of effort is expended on interaction with the FDACS. During the reporting period, the FPMIP interacted with the FDACS on such topics as: methyl iodide use in Florida, abamectin use in residential settings to control Asian citrus psyllid in Murraya sp., ethoprop use in green bean, triclopyr use to kill stumps of citrus infected with greening, diquat use in aquatics, and diuron use in tropical fish ponds. The FPMIP works in a consultative manner with the FDACS on topics such as herbicides for biofuels and the endangered species aspect of pesticide registration. (See Appendix 1) The issues of greatest magnitude in Florida during the reporting period were citrus greening with associated vector control and orange rust in sugarcane. These two pest problems have the potential to impact nearly a million acres of Florida commodities. For citrus greening, the FPMIP has interacted with the FDACS with regard to salicylic acid use on citrus, fogging and aerial application of insecticides to control the psyllid vector, and registrations for the use of abamectin, cypermethrin, diflubenzuron, and spinetoram to control the vector. The most recent issue of great concern to Florida is the NPDES permitting process for pesticides applied to or over water. The FPMIP interacts with programs such as IPM Florida. The monthly newsletter (http://pested.ifas.ufl.edu/newsletter.html) circulated to over 1,300 subscribers reaches mostly Florida readers, but also regional and international stakeholders as well. The FPMIP facilitates registration review, promulgates educational content, and consults on technical questions regarding pesticide use and pest management. Establish and maintain stakeholder network The aforementioned responses largely describe the stakeholder network. The FPMIP routes information regarding actions by the federal government through the Caribbean or Florida networks to obtain input. These networks consist of IPM coordinators and other people that have pest management-related positions. The input is then forwarded back up to federal regulators who use it in their decisions. The FPMIP is housed in the Pesticide Information Office at UF. The state contact works in conjunction with the pesticide and PSEP coordinator for UF, Dr. Fred Fishel. The state contact also interacts with the UF IPM coordinator, Dr. Norm Leppla, in a team manner for deliverables as well as in a consultative manner regarding educational programming and extension activities.

Prioritization of Crop Profiles and PMSPs (State Contact only, required) The state contact oversees crop profiles and pest management strategic plans that have been promulgated over the years under the IPM Centers or NAPIAP. Caribbean profiles are relatively current. Florida profiles revised over the report period include tropical fruit. New profiles include pecan and cotton. The state contact is continually assessing those profiles for revision and creation. Funding has been secured to revise the eggplant, strawberry, and muskmelon profiles. In addition to revision date, economic benefit and new pests drive profile and PMSP production and revision. Funding has been secured for PMSP meetings for lettuce and sweet corn.

Outcomes In addition to the individual network contacts (phone calls and emails), information is supplied through the entire network by a monthly newsletter (Chemically Speaking) that is available in both hardcopy and electronic form. With a member list of over 1,400 individuals, the newsletter addresses Florida-specific questions and also examines national issues which have the potential to become state or regional issues. It summarizes all the regulatory decisions for the month regarding agricultural, non-agricultural, organic, or urban IPM, and provides updates regarding pests and pest management. The site which hosts the newsletter and FPMIP site receives over 600,000 hits per year, with over 300,000 pageviews (nearly 1,000 per day).

Web Site (State Contact only, required) The state contacts website is found at: http://www.pested.ifas.ufl.edu/sipm/flpmip.html The website confirms to those standards required by the SRIPMC for funding.

Report Appendices Appendix 1 [PDF]

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