IPM Evaluation Tools for Fruit and Field Crops

Peter WertsProject Assistant

IPM Institute of North AmericaNRCS & IPM Working Group: Grower Incentives for

IPMpwerts@ipminstitute.org

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IPM Reduces Pesticide Risk and Exposure

IPM is a systems-based approach:– Reduces environmental, health and economic

risks. – Implemented as an ongoing series of

science-based, pest management evaluations, decisions and interventions.

Conventional pesticide sales down 3% per year between 1999 and 2006. (Crop Life, 2007)

Long road ahead… 94% of fish, 94% of surface water and 33% of

ground water samples collected from 1992 and 2001 showed contamination with one or more pesticides. (2006 U.S. Geological Survey)

Bald eagle nesting pairs increase from 417 to 5,748 after DDT ban.

- Fish & Wildlife Service, 2003

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Presentation Overview

NRCS & IPM working group IPM Tool background Use in 595 Practice Standard IPM Tool demo Additional Resources Questions?

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Funded by North Central IPM Center since 2006; additional support from Northeastern IPM Center for IPM CAPs work in 2009-2010.

128 members from within and outside of region.

Goal: Increase grower awareness and participation in NRCS programs including EQIP for IPM.

Outputs include: Field crop, vegetable and fruit IPM guidelines; Compiled EQIP financial assistance contract numbers;

http://www.nrcs.ipm.msu.edu/nrcs/state_resources Mini-grants and outreach to engage NRCS and create new 595 options in:

IN, OH, IA, KS and MN; Networking, resource sharing other working groups and national NRCS

staff.

North Central Working Group: Grower Incentives for IPM

http://www.nrcs.ipm.msu.edu/

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IPM Tool Background

NE Vegetable IPM Tool developed 2008– Kathy Murray, Maine Department of Ag.– Alice Begin and Autumn Birt, NRCS.

Adapted to North Central Region, 2009.– Fruit and field crops.– Funded by North Central IPM Center.

Current revisions in-progress to adapt vegetable tool for North Central Region.

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Why IPM Tools?

Help IPM planning become:– Site specific;– Crop specific.

Catalogue of IPM practices Compliment production guides

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How do they help NRCS?

Identify IPM Strategies for 595 Practice Standard:– PAMS (Prevention, Avoidance, Monitoring,

Suppression). Qualify producers for cost-share and technical

assistance programs. Assess and identify IPM and other conservation

practices. Identify practices with low adoption. Template for local IPM Elements and Guidelines.

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IPM Planning for NRCS

The foundation of all NRCS pest management planning is based on utilizing environmentally sensitive prevention, avoidance, monitoringand suppression (PAMS) strategies to manage weeds, insects, diseases, animals and other organisms that directly or indirectly cause damage or annoyance to agricultural crops.

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North Central IPM Tools Format

MS Word: – Fruit and field crops.

MS Excel with macros:– Fruit crop only.

Contents:– Guide Sheet;– PAMS strategies;– Resource list.

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Field and Fruit Crop Tool: MS Word

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Fruit Crop Tool: MS Excel

Click Here

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Accessing the IPM Tools

Available for down from NRCS & IPM Working Group website:

12http://www.nrcs.ipm.msu.edu/

Additional Resources

Guide to IPM Elements and Guide lines– Tom Green, IPM Institute of North America and Curt

Petzoldt, Cornell University, 2009.

http://www.ipm.msu.edu/work-group/pdf/IPMElementsGuidelines09.pdf

Ohio IPM Elements and Guidelines– http://www.ipm.osu.edu/default.asp

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Thank You…Questions?

Thanks to: North Central and North East IPM Centers NRCS & IPM Working Group: Grower Incentives for

IPM The following working group members provided comments

on the tools: Bill Kuenstler, Dave Epstein, Bryan Jensen, Tom Green, Kathy Murray.

Additional comments: Patty McManus, UW Madison Plant pathology.

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