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Funded Project

Funding Program: IPM Enhancement Grants

Project Title: A New IPM Working Group on Improving Biocontrol in Open-field Vegetables in the Southeast

Project Director (PD): Jason Schmidt [1]

Lead State: SC Lead Organization: Clemson University

Cooperating State(s): Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia

Undesignated Funding: $10,000

Start Date: Mar-01-2018 End Date: Feb-28-2019

No-Cost Extension Date: Jul-31-2019

Site/Commodity: Vegetables

Area of Emphasis: Biological control

Summary: Currently, there is limited information on both releasing and conserving natural enemies of pest insects in open-field vegetable crops in the southeast. Growers are not confident in their ability to identify common natural enemies in the field, despite substantial interest in biological control. We seek to create a new working group focusing on biological control in vegetables that contains industry stakeholders, researchers, and extension professionals. In the first year, the working group will hold several conference calls and one in-person annual meeting. The objectives of these meetings will be to 1) plan the annual meeting, 2) develop a vegetable biocontrol extension and research priorities list, 3) survey growers to ascertain current knowledge levels and potential future directions, and 4) to write a major national grant to fund the priorities determined in (2). We anticipate that the creation of the working group will lead to greater understanding and adoption of biological control by southeast vegetable growers, resulting in decreased pesticide use and increased sustainability. Objectives: Outputs: 1. Organize a multi-state meeting for biocontrol in southeast vegetables Set up Go-To-Meeting and Basecamp accounts at SIPMC Identify additional stakeholders to join the working group Arrange meeting space at 2019 SRFVC through GFVGA and send out invitations Draft list of biocontrol extension and research priorities Submit grant pre-application to SCRI Convene meeting at Savannah, GA Finalize priority documents for publication on SIPMC site 2. Develop an understanding of current southeast vegetable grower knowledge of and practices regarding biological control Develop a survey for biological control in southeast vegetables Send out survey electronically to state county agents Distribute paper copies of the survey at grower meetings Summarize initial survey results for use in grant application and presentation at in-person meeting Continue collecting additional survey results and complete final summary Outcomes: 1. Organize a multi-state meeting for biocontrol in southeast vegetables Submit SCRI pre-application for funding priorities indicated on draft priority list Complete 1st working group meeting on southeast vegetable biocontrol Complete research and extension priority list for southeast vegetable biocontrol 2. Develop an understanding of current southeast vegetable grower knowledge of and practices regarding biological control Southeastern vegetable biocontrol survey report

Final Report:

Outputs Summary of outputs: *Leading vegetable entomologists and biological control scientists, and vegetable extension specialists were assembled to begin bringing further biocontrol options to the southeastern vegetable industry. *New industry collaborations identified during meeting at the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference in Savannah, GA Jan. 10, 2019 *Survey deployed to gather information on biocontrol knowledge which received 93 responses over 6 states. Objectives: Outputs: 1. Organize a multi-state meeting for biocontrol in southeast vegetables Activity: Over the course of three video conference calls and numerous emails, we successfully scheduled a multi-state meeting at the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference (http://www.seregionalconference.com/), Savannah, GA – Dates: Jan. 10-13, 2019. The title of our symposium portion of the meeting was “Biocontrol frontiers in southeast vegetable production systems”, which was held on Jan. 11; 3:00-4:30pm. A total of 60 participants were estimated in attendance. Activity: During the Southeast Regional Fruit and Vegetable Conference, we also scheduled a working group meeting with growers, industry, and researchers. A total of 20 participants attended the working group meeting to discuss southern priorities for improving biological control. This included university researchers and extension specialists, vegetable growers, representatives from biopesticide companies, and commercial insectary representatives, We summarized the initial results of the survey and discussed the survey and ways forward for improving biocontrol in southeast vegetables. This meeting led to broadening the team, which was one of our short-term goals for outcomes of this project. From this meeting, we identified some priorities needed for future research and determined a follow up meeting was needed. We are still trying to schedule a follow up planning meeting, and will conduct a follow up this fall in preparation for grant submissions. 2. Develop an understanding of current southeast vegetable grower knowledge of and practices regarding biological control Activity: We developed and deployed a survey for biological control in southeast vegetables. This was deployed in paper format and in electronic form. We have received over 93 responses and acquired data from greater than 40 counties in GA, FL, NC, SC, TN, and VA. We will be stepping up one last effort on participation and summarizing all results for extension publication and for grant submission. Currently, the responses display clear need for biocontrol education and further identification skills for knowing which arthropods are biocontrol service providers as compared to pests. Outputs: Publications Catron, Katlyn A.; Chris Philips; Elizabeth Fread; and Tom Kuhar. 2019. Soldier Beetles (Leatherwings). Virginia Coop. Ext. Publ. No. ENTO-53NP (ENTO-327NP). https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/ENTO/ENTO-53/ENTO-53.html O’Rourke, Megan, Chris Philips, and Tom Kuhar. 2019. Improving Pest Management and Pollination with Farmscaping. Virginia Coop. Ext. Publ. No. ENTO-325NP. https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/ENTO/ENTO-325/ENTO-325.html Alford, Adam M., Heather Andrews, and Thomas P. Kuhar. 2019. The Minute Pirate Bug (Orius). Virginia Coop. Ext. Publ. No. 3002-1437. https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/3002/3002-1437/3002-1437.html Outputs: other products and services: -presentations from SERFVC are available online at the SERFVC website for our meeting -no research component, but our survey results will be compiled for an extension publication -designed a working group logo and also an acronym to summarize the group- SEVBioCon: SouthEast Vegetable Biological Control working group Outputs: secured funding for further projects: -SSARE, Incorporating natural, non-toxic arthropod resistant tomato varieties into southern production systems, Date of award-4/4/2019, $299,000, 3 year project; UGA PI-Schmidt, Lead PI-Clemson University-JC Chong -USDA NIFA ORG, Evaluation of integrated bacterial disease management options for organic onion production in southeastern and northcentral United States,  $ 498,793.00, 3 years, UGA PI lead – Dutta, Biocontrol, NCSU PI lead Walgenbach, and PD JC Chong replaced former PD Schmidt-Jeffris

Outcomes Summary of outcomes: *Responses to survey suggest knowledge needed on biological control and ways to successfully implement for sustainable and profitable solutions to pest management *Educational priorities revealed through survey responses to build biological control knowledge in our grower communities *Multiple grants funded, and plans to assemble large proposal to target research, education and extension of biological control to southeast production systems. In this first year of forming the working group, we collected baseline data using simple indicators initially proposed. Outcomes: -change in working group members pre-2018-post-2018: +5 additional industry partners very interested in collaborating and helping with the project -change in working group contact list and interest, pre-2018-post-2018: +20 -survey regarding grower biocontrol knowledge and practices, pre-2018-post-2018; 100% with a survey in place and 93 responses -remote meetings/attendance – 5 meetings, all PIs attended, and SERFVC-all PDs and 20 + participants in the workshop for the working group -list of research/extension priorities, post-2018, extension priorities identified, research priorities require further effort -grants submitted 2 grants from Schmidt submitted and funded. Outcomes: learning: The learning outcome here is that researchers and industry learned more about the needs of growers and what education and extension materials are desired. The other learning outcome is that industry groups focusing on biological control have further contacts with researchers at US affiliations.

Report Appendices Figure 1: Logo created for the working group, and summary of counties reached with initial outcome.. [PPTX] [PDF]

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