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Funded Project

Funding Program: Enhancement Grants - State Contacts/IPM Documents

Project Title: Texas State Contact for SRIPMC and IPM Documents

Project Director (PD): Don L Renchie [1]

Lead State: TX Lead Organization: Texas Cooperative Extension

Undesignated Funding: $37,726

Start Date: Jul-01-2007 End Date: Jun-30-2008

Summary: The objective of this proposal is to maintain the Texas State Contact (TSC) project to serve as the primary contact for information requests related to pest management and pesticides in Texas. As a member of the communication network of the Southern Region IPM Center, the TSC works closely with the Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP), IR-4 representatives, the IPM Coordinator, research and extension specialists across the state, and commodity organizations to maintain a stakeholder network and to respond to information requests. Texas has the largest area of cultivated crops and agricultural enterprises in the United States. Stakeholders and other interested parties generate hundreds of requests annually for information on pest management, pesticide regulations, pesticide use, and pesticide storage and disposal. The development and maintenance of a primary contact source to serve stakeholders is necessary to support information requests by agricultural producers, other stakeholders and the citizens of Texas. Stakeholder networks are derived from participation in numerous meetings both statewide and local. TSC specialists travel across the state every week delivering educational programs to IPM stakeholders at county and district-based meetings. In the last year, TSC personnel participated in no less than 75 of these meetings. By interacting with clientele in person, TSC specialists are better able to identify and address IPM concerns of agricultural producers, urban clientele, commodity organizations, and others involved with IPM on a regular basis. This interaction allows AES specialists' grass-roots level access to information provided directly by IPM stakeholders. The AES Unit has also established and maintained a multi-state advisory committee that confers regularly to assess pesticide needs and priorities for minor use and ornamental crops. The Minor Use Pesticide Advisory Committee (MUPAC) is comprised of university research and extension personnel, commodity organization representatives, regulatory personnel, and grower representatives from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. TSC has developed and maintained a Texas IPM State Contact web site. Additionally, the TSC proposes to develop two IPM documents for the Southern Region IPM Center. A crop profile for grain sorghum for grain, which is an EPA BEAD priority, and a Pest Management Strategic Plan for spinach will be developed. Texas ranks second and third nationally in grain sorghum and spinach production, respectively. To date, a crop profile for grain sorghum in Texas has not been developed. All IPM aspects of grain sorghum grown for grain in Texas need to documented in a crop profile to insure that the information is available to federal agencies and others. In 2003, revisions were made to the Texas spinach crop profile. However, a PMSP for spinach in Texas is needed in order to document the IPM priorities identified by spinach growers. In light of recent events pertaining to the safety of fresh spinach, a PMSP for spinach from the nation's third leading spinach-producing state would be prudent and beneficial to the growers, researchers, and governmental agencies involved. Objectives: 1. To serve as Texas primary contact for information requests and inquiries from SRIPMC and other federal and state agencies regarding pesticide use, pest management, and IPM activities. The timely and accurate response to information requests will be the primary focus of this objective. 2. To provide an assessment prioritizing Texas IPM documents by need and provide a list of Texas A&M University experts in IPM-related issues. 3. Maintain and improve stakeholder network primarily in Texas, with coordination from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and New Mexico including IR-4 representatives, PSEP personnel, and state IPM coordinators. 4. Attend and participate at the annual state contact meeting arranged by the Center and report on activities. 5. Maintain the Texas IPM State Contact web site with current links and information on IPM in the Southern Region and Texas. 6. Provide oversight in the development and completion of IPM documents, including Crop Profiles and Pest Management Strategic Plans and other SRIPM projects in the state. 7. To develop a crop profile for grain sorghum for grain in Texas that will provide the necessary base information for a pest management strategic plan. The TSC for the Southern Region IPM Center will coordinate and oversee the production of this crop profile, by working closely with TAMU Extension and research specialists, and Texas grain sorghum producers. 8. To develop a Pest Management Strategic Plan for spinach in Texas. The TSC for the Southern Region IPM Center will coordinate and oversee the production of this PMSP, by working closely with TAMU Extension and research specialists, Texas spinach growers, and the Texas Wintergarden Spinach Producers Board.

Final Report:

Outcomes 2008 Texas State Contact Report 1. Outcomes A. State Contacts 1. Serve as primary contact for federal regulatory inquiries During the time period from June 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008 the Texas State Contact received approximately ten information requests from the SRIPMC. Of these requests, responses from Texas were submitted into the online system for three requests. Several of the requests did not include crop and/or pesticides that are commonly used in Texas. For example, the request for information on malathion use in gooseberries is not a use utilized in Texas. Also, some of the information requests that were sent to Texas experts received a response at a date that was well past the deadline indicated in the online monitoring system. The most useful response was logged by a Texas entomologist for the request regarding DDVP use in livestock. Each and every information request received by the TSC is reviewed and evaluated carefully. Subject-matter experts are contacted and requested to provide information pertinent to the request. If no subject-metter expert exists for a given information request, the Texas State Contact researches the matter to determine whether or not a response from Texas is warranted. In some cases it is challenging to locate the appropriate subject-matter expert and/or to determine if or when that expert responded to the request. 2. Document responses to other entities The Texas State Contact receives numerous inquiries regarding pesticides and pest management from state governmental entities as well as non-governmental groups each year. For the 2007-2008 period, the TSC responded to roughly 180 such requests on a broad range of subjects. These requests dealt with a broad range of topics and organizations such as: information on pest management tools for sesame production from the American Sesame Growers Association, the Structural Pest Control Service regarding pest management products for IPM in schools, a large grocery retailer regarding using IPM to improve food safety of fresh produce. 3. Establish and maintain a stakeholder network (State Contact only, required) The Texas State Contact regularly confers with the Texas PSEP coordinator, the Texas IPM Coordinator, IR-4 representatives, school IPM personnel, and the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) to ensure that questions and concerns regarding pesticide use and IPM in Texas are addressed quickly and accurately. In 2007-2008, there were 4 meetings between the TSC, TDA, Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS), Structural Pest Control Service (SPCS), and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). These meetings allow AES to remain up-to-date on IPM-related issues facing agriculture, structural pest control, and public health in Texas as well as communicating to other Texas agencies current issues regarding IPM in the Southern Region. The Ag & Environmental Safety Unit has established and maintained a multi-state advisory committee that confers regularly to assess pesticide needs and priorities for minor use and ornamental crops. The Minor Use Pesticide Advisory Committee (MUPAC) is comprised of university research and extension personnel, commodity organization representatives, regulatory personnel, and grower representatives from Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana. In 2007-2008 MUPAC met two times to discuss pesticide needs and priorities for fruits, vegetables, ornamentals, pastures, and numerous other minor crops. In 2007-2008, the TSC participated in numerous stakeholder-based meetings. Statewide meetings include: Texas Pest Control Association, Texas Plant Protection Conference, Texas Turfgrass Association, Texas A&M Pest Management Conference, the Texas Farm Bureau state meeting, Texas Nursery Landscape Association, Texas Cattlemen Association, Beef Cattle Short Course, South Texas Turf Management Conference, and Texas Vegetation Management Association. 4. Coordination and oversight of IPM Documents in the state IPM documents in development during this time period for Texas were being developed by the Texas State Contact and are discussed in Section B. Prioritization of IPM documents is discussed in Section 2. 5. Expertise List Update The file containing updated IPM expertise for the Texas A&M University System was corrected by a communication with SRIPMC staff on November 13, 2008. 6. Annual Meeting The Texas State Contact, represented by Dr. Mark Matocha, attended the State Contact meeting, held for this cycle in Roanoke, VA on November 12-13, 2007. 7. Additional Activities The TSC distributed two issues of its electronic newsletter titled The Chemogram in December 2007 and February 2008. This newsletter addresses several IPM and pesticide-related issues important to Texas. The distribution for the newsletter reaches across some 250 counties across the state. B. IPM Documents 1. Type of document: Crop Profile 2. Title: Crop Profile for Sorghum in Texas 3. Status: Submitted http://www.ipmcenters.org/CropProfiles/docs/TXsorghum.pdf) 1. Type of document: PMSP 2. Title: Spinach 3. Status: Completed This IPM document will be submitted in a matter of days. The delay in completion was due to extended period of time for stakeholder review. 4. Process for PMSP: The Spinach PMSP for Texas was largely developed as a result of a PMSP Workshop held in August of 2007 in the Wintergarden region of Texas. This region accounts for the majority of spinach production in the state. Workshop participants included the Texas State Contact, spinach commodity group representatives, Texas A&M Extension Specialists, the Texas IR-4 Liaison, producers, and private consultants. Stakeholder and workshop participant input was sought at each step during the development process.

Prioritization of Crop Profiles and PMSPs (State Contact only, required) 2. Annual assessment prioritizing Crop Profiles and PMSPs Crop Profiles for Texas Up to Date Sorghum 09/2008 Medium Priority Beans (Green) 10/2003 Cabbage 06/2003 Carrots 06/2003 Corn 10/2003 Cotton (Gin By-products) 11/2001 Honey Bees 06/2003 Onions 06/2003 Peaches 06/2003 Spinach 05/2003 Sugarcane 07/2003 Sweetpotatoes 06/2003 Watermelons 07/2003 High Priority Cantaloupes 10/2000 (currently under revision) Cotton 09/1999 (currently under revision) Honeydew melons 10/2000 (currently under revision) Potatoes 10/1999 (currently under revision) Peanuts 07/2002 Pecans 06/2002 Pumpkins 06/2002 Alfalfa 06/2002 High Priority  not available beef cattle, small grains, hay, pasture and rangeland. Priorities based on date and/or changes in production/pest management practices. PMSPs for Texas Up to Date Spinach submission imminent Low priority Cotton 08/2005 Turfgrass in Southern US 10/2004 Pecans in Southeastern US 08/2006 Medium Priority Citrus 10/2003 Peanuts (Stored) 09/2003 High Priority  not available Grain sorghum, corn, small grains, onions, watermelons, leafy greens, pasture and rangeland.

Web Site (State Contact only, required) 3. Web Site (State Contact only, required) This project's website is found at (http://www-aes.tamu.edu/IPM_State_Contact/Texas_IPM_State_Contact.htm). The site: " addresses regional priorities established by the Southern Region IPM Center " to the best of our knowledge is compatible with regional and national IPM Center sites to the extent that information on the SNP sites can contribute seamlessly to the larger information databases maintained regionally and nationally. " includes contact information for the program and the project leader " includes (http://www-aes.tamu.edu/IPM_State_Contact/objectives.htm) a project description for the State Contact Project. " includes all annual progress reports (http://www-aes.tamu.edu/IPM_State_Contact/Texas_IPM_State_Contact.htm) for the State Contact Project. " We are unsure whether the site complies with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments to the Workforce Investment Act of 1998. This stipulation is slightly outside the technical expertise of our staff but we have no reason to believe that the site is out of compliance. " includes links to the Southern IPM Center and other appropriate entities The home page: " prominently displays, near the project or site heading, the phrase "The Texas component of the Southern Region IPM Center." " include the statement "This site is supported, in part, with funding from the Southern Region IPM Center." All pages: " include the phrase "The Texas component of the Southern Region IPM Center," with the words "Southern IPM Center" hyperlinked to the Center web site. " include an indication of the most recent update and the name of a person responsible for maintaining the page.

Impacts 4. Impact The impacts of the Texas State Contact project as a component of the Southern Region IPM Center to stakeholders in Texas are significant. This project has facilitated stakeholder input into federal research and regulatory entities. The identification of IPM priorities, the input of usage information, and the dissemination of information has allowed stakeholders across the state to remain better informed and/or become a part of the decision-making process regarding pest management tools.

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