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Funded Project |
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Funding Program:
IPM Enhancement Grants |
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Project Title:
Tools and Tactics to Enhance IPM Adoption by Small Vegetable Market Growers and Home Horticulturists |
Project Director (PD):
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Lead State: GA Lead Organization: University of Georgia |
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Cooperating State(s):
Tennessee |
| Undesignated Funding: $29,597 |
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Start Date: Jan-01-2014 End Date: Dec-31-2014 |
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Pests Involved: multiple |
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Site/Commodity: vegetables |
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Area of Emphasis: IPM |
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Summary:
Local food and direct marketing opportunities, including farmers markets, are one of the fastest growing segments of agriculture. According to the latest Census of Agriculture, direct sales of food products from farmers to individual consumers rose by nearly 50% between 2002 and 2007. Production and harvesting expenses remain limiting, however. Current producers as well as new growers seeking to enter the marketplace as current trends open new opportunities vary in degrees of experience in all aspects of production and marketing. The demand for educational opportunities has reached unprecedented levels as the public seeks to develop new farming ventures or current growers seek to adapt their existing operations. One of the areas that our County Faculty most often seek additional training is in the area of small farm, farmers market grower support.
Identification tools (identification guide and video) we previously produced which were partially supported by SRIPM have proven very valuable for diverse audiences in the Green Industry. We wish to build on these successful strategies for another audience: the small farmer and home horticulturist. Packaging information into compact, attractive and portable formats that encompass highly relevant management information in an at your finger tips design have been requested by end users and educators alike. Providing teaching tools in multiple electronic and hard copy formats appeals to broad audiences. Hands-on workshops have long been a favorite among growers where practical, technical management information is directly experienced by the workshop attendee. They participate in a process, learning is enhanced and practices have a greater likelihood of adoption. As demands for organic options increase and conventional methods also embrace conservation efforts, the need to help growers successfully identify beneficials in a production system becomes more immediate. This multistate, interdisciplinary project intends to increase IPM implementation among small vegetable market growers and home horticulturists by providing tools and tactics to improve recognition and best response options to 45 cultural and pest problems. Tools will be an ultimate troubleshooting guide to vegetable problems and a companion guide to the beneficial insects that includes conservation strategies. These will be designed to be very compact, portable and laminated intended to be carried and put into practice in the field on a daily basis. A series of hands-on workshops, introductory and advanced, a field day and in-service agent training are proposed. A how-to video will incorporate elements from the guides and workshop training to be readily available via utube. Objectives: 1. Develop a compact ultimate guide to Troubleshooting Local Vegetable Production Problems 2. Develop a compact ultimate guide to Beneficial Insects 3. Conduct a series of beginning and advanced experiential workshops 4. Produce an instructional video |
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Final Report: |
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Impacts Impacts include the intentions expressed by program participants of increased likelihood of use of these easily carried, attractive and well-designed IPM implementation guides. Better educated grower and home horticulturists were equipped with tools that can continue to assist in better decision making long after workshops and field days were conducted. Participants expressed a willingness to receive follow-up surveys this year to assess additional implementation of IPM principles in a variety of settings. Participants expressed increased confidence in identifying diseases, beneficial vs. harmful insects and a willingness to try conservation methods including trap cropping. |
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Outcomes Outcomes included successful state and regional workshops, agent and other educator training and field day activities that were highly hands-on, practical and interdisciplinary. 10 workshops were conducted statewide. They varied in attendance and attracted a total of 500 program participants. The interdisciplinary, hands-on training sessions received strong positive evaluations and introduced basic and advanced topics. Program participants learned how to best mange insect, disease and cultural problems on their farms and gardens, variety selection, equipment, marketing, and other business aspects. Participants included small-scale farmers, home horticulturists and Master Gardeners. Other educators were also trained in programs put on for FFA Teacher training and ANR program updates. Two regional guides; one for troubleshooting vegetable production problems and the other a guide to the beneficials that contribute to a healthy garden/farm were produced. Troubleshooting Vegetable Production Problems in the Southeast, UGA Circular 1054 is a refereed extension publication published in 2014. This multistate, interdisciplinary, full- color laminated guide dealing with 45 insect, disease or cultural problems was authored by Bob Westerfield, Kris Braman, Elizabeth Little, Frank Hale and Ayanava Majumbdar. This publication has been very well received! 3,000 were printed and split between GA/TN/AL. Already it needs reprinting- AL out and GA not far behind. Beneficial Insects, Spiders and Mites, authored by Kris Braman, Frank Hale and Ayanava Majumbdar, UGA Circular 1055 was published in 2014. It is a full-color, laminated fold out guide illustrating 15 beneficial arthropod categories. Tips to conserve and protect beneficials are also included. This guide has been highly requested across commodities and state lines! A video that captures tactics and strategies was produced and is available for continued review and new training. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db8yRCIXy20 IPM for Vegetable Gardens - YouTube Integrated pest management tips for vegetable growers from Extension experts in Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. |
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