9th International IPM Symposium – Seeking Session Proposals

Posted on March 6, 2017 by rhallberg

Are you working on your concurrent session proposal for the 9th International IPM Symposium? Sessions may address any aspect of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) including research, extension, regulatory, policy and IPM in practice. For this event, the committee especially encourages proposals that address our theme, and include IPM user perspectives in agriculture and communities, including growers, facility managers, consultants and others.

The Symposium is your premier global event for professional development, networking with colleagues and leading scientists, and learning the latest research and strategies for effectively managing pests in agriculture, communities, and natural areas, with the least impact on health and environment. The 9th International IPM Symposium will be held March 19–22, 2018 in Baltimore, Maryland at Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel. Continue reading →

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Moving forward to a New Integrated Pest Management

Posted on March 6, 2017 by rhallberg

Integrated pest management funding has seen its share of threats in the past several years. A concept that was officially introduced in the 1950 as a set of strategies for managing insect pest populations, IPM has evolved over time. The development of new combinations of chemicals, introduction of resistant crops and scientific evidence about the effectiveness of certain tactics over others have all played a part in how IPM has developed over the decades.

However, IPM is still a concept that seems to be elusive in the public eye. Although university specialists have started marking progress with IPM in schools and in urban settings, IPM is best known among agricultural professionals and farmers. Even then, definitions of what IPM is can vary widely. Because management tactics can differ depending on what the science says, defining IPM is complicated. IPM has traditionally lacked a “champion” to lobby policymakers for more money. Continue reading →

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West Texas bees doubt groundhog’s extended winter prediction

Posted on March 6, 2017 by rhallberg

by Steve Byrnes, Texas A&M AgriLife

SPLAT! West Texas honey bees are on the move, so motorists shouldn’t be surprised if their windshields are strafed by a hapless swarm in coming weeks, said a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service entomologist.

Dr. Charles Allen, of San Angelo, said the unusually warm February, touted as the warmest on record here, has put honey bees in the mood to travel. Continue reading →

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Introduction to Insect Identification: The Good, the Bad, and the Buggy

Posted on March 6, 2017 by rhallberg

Speaker: John Meyer, Ph.D., Emeritus Professor, Department of Entomology, NC State University

When: Tuesdays, March 14 through April 11, 2017 – 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM

What’s on the leaf of your azalea? Are you curious about those grubs in your compost bin? Is there a striped caterpillar eating your parsley? Learning to recognize and identify the insects in your garden can be a daunting task-there are over a million described species and at least that many undescribed ones! This course will help you sort out all that diversity. It will focus on the major orders and families of garden insects, show you how to recognize members of the common groups, and help you distinguish between the good bugs and the bad bugs. Knowing what it is opens the door to a whole world of information about what it does and what to do about it. As an old Chinese proverb says, “The beginning of knowledge is getting things by their right name.”

Click here for more information. Continue reading →

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Help fight SWD by answering survey online

Posted on March 6, 2017 by rhallberg

in Growing Produce

by David Eddy

Leaders of a nationwide project, Sustainable Spotted Wing Drosophila Management for U.S. Fruit Crops, are asking growers to complete an online survey about the pest.

An important part of the project, which was funded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA Specialty Crops Research Initiative, is measuring the impact SWD has had on affected crops, said Hannah Burrack, Associate Professor of Entomology and Extension Specialist at North Carolina State University. Continue reading →

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Repellent emitted by redbay may be key to fighting beetles

Posted on March 6, 2017 by rhallberg

in Growing Produce

by Paul Rusnak, Growing Produce

UF/IFAS scientists might have just tracked down the right scents to help deter a beetle that’s been delivering disease and devastation to Florida avocado growers.

According to a recently published study, UF/IFAS researchers found when infected with the laurel wilt fungus, redbay trees (a close cousin to the avocado) emit methyl salicylate to repel redbay ambrosia beetles, the vector of the deadly pathogen. Continue reading →

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Researchers discover protein that aids in spreading citrus greening

Posted on March 6, 2017 by rhallberg

In Southwest Farm Press

Since the introduction of Huánglóngbìng (HLB—yellow dragon disease—better known as citrus greening disease) onto U.S. soil in a Florida citrus grove in 2005, the disease has been a major threat to commercial citrus production across the country.

Before arriving in North America, HLB had already carved a path of destruction across the Far East, Africa, the Indian subcontinent and the Arabian Peninsula, and was discovered in July 2004 in Brazil. In its wake it left citrus growers around the world astounded at the inevitable and long-lasting risks the disease poses to the global citrus industry. Continue reading →

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