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Funded Project

Funding Program: Enhancement Grants - State Contacts/IPM Documents

Project Title: State Contact and IPM Documents for Texas

Project Directors (PDs): Mark Matocha [1] Don L Renchie [2]

Lead State: TX Lead Organization: Texas AgriLife Extension Service

Undesignated Funding: $34,784

Start Date: Mar-01-2009 End Date: Feb-28-2010

No-Cost Extension Date: Feb-28-2011

Summary: The objective of this proposal is to maintain the Texas State Contact (TSC) component of the Southern Region IPM network 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 90 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. The TSC has developed and maintained a Texas IPM State Contact web site. Additionally, the TSC proposes to develop a Pest Management Strategic Plan for Onions in Texas for the Southern Region IPM Center. The need for an onion PMSP for Texas has been identified as High Priority by the TSC. In 2007, Texas ranked 2nd in the nation in onion production and the development of this PMSP would allow the onion industry in Texas to document and communicate its priorities for pest management of this important crop. 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 PMSP for onion production in Texas. The TSC for the Southern Region IPM Center will coordinate and oversee the development of this PMSP by working closely with onion growers, commodity groups as well as TAMU Extension and research specialists.

Final Report:

Impacts The Southern Region IPM Center funded Texas State Contact Project had a sizeable impact upon IPM stakeholders across the state. Timely and insightful responses to EPA generated information requests were coordinated through the Texas State Contact. Another important impact was the broad communication with IPM stakeholders across numerous row crops, vegetables, turf and ornamental settings.

Outcomes The Texas State Contact's primary responsibility is to respond to federal pesticide information requests. Due to the nature of the pesticide reregistration schedule, the flow of information requests is not always consistent. The Texas Contact always responds to these requests in a prompt manner while ensuring the quality of responses remains at a very high level. In addition to EPA requests, the Texas Contact responds to numerous pesticide information requests from state, local, and NGO entities. State agencies include the Texas Department of Agriculture, Texas COmmission on Environemntal Quality, and Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. The Texas State Contact also maintains a stakeholder network comprised of growers, university faculty and staff, commodity groups, chemcial manufacturer representatives, IR-4 program staff, and others involved in IPM. The Texas Contact participated in approximately 80 meeting during the contract period at which IPM priorities and principles were discussed, evaluated, and considered. These meetings ranged in scale from international, national, state-wide, regional, county, and local. Additionally, the Texas State Contact participated in the State Project Leaders Meeting in Arlington, VA in November 2009. This was an excellent meeting that allowed state project leaders to intereact with USDA OPMP, EPA, and industry representatives and discuss critical issues for IPM in the Southern Region.

Outputs During the contract period, more than 30 programs were conducted that specifically focused on Texas IPM activities. Specific topics addressed included urban IPM for homeowners, lawn and ornamnetal IPM for professionals, and horticultural crop IPM practices for minor crop producers. Additionally, in 2009 the Texas Contact distributed a newsletter to more than 300 recipients. Newsletter articles covered numerous IPM-related issues including the phase-out of the organic arsenical herbicides MSMA and DSMA. The potential loss of these herbicides in Texas will have a substantial impact upon turfgrass maintenance at the residnetial and commercial levels.

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