Regional IPM Competitive Grants Program

The Regional IPM Competitive Grants Program is administered by the land grant university system's four regions (North Central, Northeastern, Southern, and Western), in partnership with USDA/CSREES.

Funded Projects


2005: Eight Grants Funded in Regional IPM Competitive Grants Program

Five research grants totaling $485,000 and three research/extension grants totaling $176,652 were funded in 2005:

Determining the Potential for Release of Lepidopteran Parasitoids from Pesticide Limitation to Enable Biologically Based IPM in Caneberries
Principal Investigators: Leonard Coop and Paul Jepson, Oregon State University

Problem and Project Summary: To remain economically viable, the $82 million Washington and Oregon caneberry industry (red raspberry, blackberry, and other Rubus spp.) needs new integrated pest management (IPM) approaches to control leafroller insect pests, and methods for timely dissemination of information to a wide group of growers.

The orange tortrix, Argyrotaenia franciscana, a leafrolling insect, is the major harvest contaminant in caneberry production. To meet near-zero insect contamination tolerances set by processors, growers have traditionally used multiple applications of broad-spectrum insecticides. These sprays induce resurgent leafroller populations due to natural enemy mortality, especially parasitoid wasps (families Braconidae and Ichneumonidae). They are also expensive, and are facing increased public concern and FQPA regulation.

The proposed program will address 13 research, regulatory, and educational needs listed in the recent pest management strategic plan (PMSP) for OR and WA caneberries. It will combine selective controls, conservation biological control, IPM, and direct grower participation. It will demonstrate the effectiveness of weekly on-farm scouting in conjunction with email and web updates to growers from pre-bloom through harvest. Project personnel will implement workshops, web sites, newsletters, and on-farm demonstrations. This integrated program will allow growers a safe transition pathway to reducing risk from leafroller contaminant losses, while demonstrating the value of biologically-based IPM that can then be transferred to a wider community of growers.

Objectives: 1) To determine the incidence, timing, and activity levels of the key leafroller natural enemies and the extent to which they are limited in the field by pesticide disturbance or by deficiencies in shelter, alternate hosts, and floral resources; and 2) to assist the design of improved management programs for leafrollers in caneberries.

Final Report (PDF*)

Spatially Explicit Approaches for Measuring and Implementing Higher Level, Multi-Crop, Multi-Pest IPM
P.I.s: Peter C. Ellsworth and Al Fournier, University of Arizona, Maricopa; Yves Carriére, University of Arizona, Tucson; John C. Palumbo, University of Arizona, Yuma

Problem: The investigators have developed IPM guidelines for cross-commodity management of whiteflies. These guidelines provide for sharing of important reduced-risk chemistries among major crops like cotton, vegetables, and melons to delay the development of resistance in pest populations. But adoption of these guidelines over large areas, often with multiple crops, will be required to ensure area-wide reduction in whitefly populations and to provide effective resistance management for major reduced-risk technologies.

Objectives: (1) Using newly developed spatially explicit analysis methods, quantitatively evaluate group adoption of the guidelines by Arizona growers; (2) through dialog with stakeholders, gain insight into the adoption of specific reduced-risk chemistries and other IPM behaviors in Arizona cropping systems; and (3) develop a better, more responsive approach to IPM guidelines generation, evaluation, and education.

Progress Report (PDF*, MS Word)

Mechanisms and Impacts of Integrated Pest Management for Sustainable Dalmatian Toadflax Control in the Western United States
P.I.s: Stephen Enloe, Tim Collier, and Paul Meiman, University of Wyoming; Andrew Norton, Colorado State University

Problem: Dalmatian toadflax is a highly invasive exotic forb (a nonwoody broadleaved plant other than a grass) that threatens rangelands throughout the western United States. It is classified as a noxious weed in every western state except Utah, Alaska, and Hawaii and is very difficult to control. Cultural control is largely ineffective and impractical on many invaded rangelands. Chemical control has shown promise, though herbicides can have detrimental effects on nontarget plants. Biological control with the Dalmatian toadflax stem mining weevil, Mecinus janthinus, has also shown promise, but suppression is slow or insufficient under some conditions. Very little is known about IPM of Dalmatian toadflax, though this approach is clearly warranted.

Objectives: To evaluate IPM strategies for Dalmatian toadflax control using combinations of reduced-rate applications of two herbicides currently used for toadflax control (imazapic and picloram) and releases of Mecinus janthinus. The overall goal of this approach is to minimize risk to nontarget species while achieving rapid, long-term, and economical Dalmatian toadflax management.

Progress Report 2006 (PDF*, MS Word)
Progress Report 2007 (PDF*, MS Word) - Photos (PDF*)
Final Report 2008 (PDF*, MS Word)

Development of an IPM Program for Arthropod Pests of Cool-Season Grass Hay Crops
P.I.s: Larry Godfrey, University of California, Davis; Doug Walsh, Washington State University

Problem: Hay from cool-season grasses, especially timothy (Phleum pretense) and orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata), is an important crop in several western states. As the crop acreage, market demands, and importance to local agricultural economies all increase, the needs for and scrutiny of sound IPM practices have also increased in the crop.

Objectives: To investigate sampling protocols, decision thresholds, the influence of cultural practices on pest populations, and the incidence of biological control on sites in California, Washington, and Nevada, and to develop the data needed to design a baseline IPM program for major arthropod pests of cool-season grass crops.

Progress Report 2006 (PDF*, MS Word)
Progress Report 2007 (PDF*, MS Word)
Final Report (PDF*, MS Word)

Developing Integrated Management Programs for Soilborne Potato Diseases Using Mycofumigation, Trichoderma sp., Pesticides, and Host Resistance
P.I.s: Barry Jacobsen and Nina Zidack, Montana State University

Problem and Project Summary: Potatoes are grown in every Western Region state with more than 749,000 acres of production equaling 57.3% of the total U.S. acreage. In Idaho, Washington, and Colorado more than 60 million pounds of Vapam (metam sodium) are used each year for control of early dying and nematodes. This proposal addresses potential replacement of the fumigant pesticides metam sodium (Vapam), metam potassium (K-pam), and 1,3 dichloropropene-1,3,3 trichloropropane (Telone) that are used to control potato early dying and nematodes. These fumigants are used on 30-55% of the potato acreage in the western region and are high-cost inputs economically, environmentally, and in terms of human health risks. Finding alternative management strategies for Rhizoctonia black scurf and canker, for the early dying complex that involves Verticillium dahliae or V. albo-atrum, Colletotrichum coccodes, and root lesion nematodes (Pratylenchus sp.), and for control of other nematodes including Meloidogyne chitwoodi have been identified as high priorities in the Pest Management Strategic Plan (PMSP) for Pacific Northwest Potato Production and in Potato Crop Profiles for ID, WA, and CO. The potential replacement involves mycofumigation. Mycofumigation is the use of antimicrobial volatile chemicals produced by certain fungi for the control of other microorganisms. In vitro tests with these fungi have shown that they effectively inhibit and kill many important plant pathogens but are neither phytotoxic nor pathogenic to any of the 8 plant families they have been tested on.

Objectives: 1) To study the potential of mycofumigation for control of soil-borne plant pathogens of potato with emphasis on Verticillium dahliae (Verticillium wilt), Colletotrichum coccodes (black dot root rot), and Rhizoctonia solani (Rhizoctonia black scurf and canker); 2) to examine the potential to integrate fungicide controls and Trichoderma harzianum Rafai (T-22) for Rhizoctonia and black dot root rot with mycofumigation for control of Verticillium dahliae, Colletotrichum coccodes, and Rhizoctonia solani (Rhizoctonia black scurf and canker) in greenhouse studies; 3) to examine the efficacy of mycofumigation for control of Pratylenchus penetrans and Meloidogyne chitwoodi in in vitro and greenhouse studies; and 4) to determine the resistance of cultivars commonly grown in the Pacific Northwest and other germplasm to black dot root rot.

Progress Progress Report (PDF*, MS Word)
Final Report (PDF*, MS Word)

Integrated Control of Spotted Knapweed: Utilizing Spotted Knapweed-Resistant Native Plants to Facilitate Revegetation
P.I.s: Mark Paschke, Jorge Vivanco, and Laura Perry, Colorado State University; Ragan Callaway, University of Montana

Problem: Invasive plants are recognized as having severe ecological and economic impacts. Affordable long-term management methods are lacking for many of the most destructive exotic invasive plants, including spotted knapweed. Research on weed invasions has primarily focused on aboveground processes. However, it is now known that plant roots are unparalleled factories of diverse chemicals, and that the secretion of a phytotoxin by the roots of knapweed is a possible mechanism for its success in replacing native species. Understanding this below-ground chemical warfare can suggest completely new approaches to managing and restoring invaded landscapes.

Objectives: (1) To determine if plants that excrete high concentrations of organic acids into the rhizosphere (the soil region around a plant’s roots) can be used to detoxify spotted knapweed soils and allow for the subsequent establishment of native vegetation. The native vegetation to be examined will include an arsenal of knapweed phytotoxin-resistant and knapweed phytotoxin-sensitive species that investigators have screened and characterized under previous funding; (2) to identify which of the knapweed phytotoxin-resistant plants identified under previous funding also produce high concentrations of knapweed phytotoxin-fighting organic acids.

Progress Report 2006 (PDF*, MS Word)
Progress Report 1 - 2007 (PDF*, MS Word)
Progress Report 2 - 2007 (with photos) (PDF*, MS Word)
Final Report 2008 (PDF*, MS Word)

Yield Losses for Western Bean Cutworm and European Corn Borer Among Site-Specific Management Zones of Field Corn
P.I.s: Frank Peairs and Rajiv Khosla, Colorado State University

Problem: Site-specific insect management has the potential to make pest management more efficient. Benefits of site specific management include a reduction in the amount and costs of insecticides applied, reduced environmental contamination, preservation of natural enemies, and better management of insecticide resistance. One method of implementing site-specific management would be to make decisions at the site-specific management zone level. Site-specific management zones (SSMZ) are areas within fields that have similar yield potential and are managed in a similar manner. The management zone concept is currently being used in numerous areas of crop production, such as water and fertilizer management; however, little research has been done that relates insect injury to SSMZs.

Objectives: This study is being conducted in a corn (Zea mays L.) agroecosystem with two pests: western bean cutworm (Richia albicosta [Smith]) and European corn borer (Ostrinia nubilalis [Hübner]). The objective is to determine how loss factors differ for these two pests among SSMZs. Artificial infestations will be used to create various levels of injury for each pest among SSMZs. Loss factors will be statistically determined using regression analysis. The determination of loss factors is necessary for the development of economic injury levels (EILs). The eventual use of EILs for separate SSMZs could greatly improve the efficiency of pest management for these pests.

Progress Report (PDF*, MS Word)
Final Report (PDF*, MS Word)

Reduced Fungicide Use for Hop Downy Mildew Management
P.I.s: Cynthia Ocamb and Leonard Coop, Oregon State University; David Gent, USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS)

Problem: Hop (Humulus lupulus) is an economically important crop in the western United States, producing nearly the entire U.S. supply and greater than 30% of the world supply of hops. Hop downy mildew, caused by Pseudoperonospora humuli, is one of the oldest and most devastating diseases of hop and remains a serious threat to sustainable and profitable hop production. Current management relies heavily upon chemical inputs, with some growers using as many as 10 applications per season to suppress disease. The need to develop multi-tactic strategies that reduce unnecessary pesticide use is underscored by increasing production costs and concerns over food safety and environmental quality.

Objective: The overall objective of this project is to improve hop grower profitability and sustainability with reduced-risk pest management tactics that will protect hop plants against downy mildew and conserve environmental quality.

Progress Report 2006 (PDF*, MS Word)
Progress Report 1 - 2007 (PDF*, MS Word)
Progress Report 2 - 2007 (PDF*, MS Word) - Photo (PDF*)
Final Report 2008 (PDF*, MS Word)


2006: Seven Grants Funded in Regional IPM Competitive Grants Program

Six research grants totaling $608,103 and one extension grant for $45,056 were funded in 2006:

Environment-Friendly Strategies for Management of Mealybugs, Ants, Ampeloviruses, and Mealybug Wilt of Pineapple
Principal Investigators: John S. Hu and Diane M. Sether, University of Hawaii, Honolulu

Problem and Project Summary: Pineapples are the state of Hawaii’s leading agricultural commodity. The most economically important insect pests of pineapple are pineapple mealybugs. The mealybugs are vectors of at least three pineapple mealybug wilt associated viruses (PMWaV) that correlate with yield reductions that can exceed 35% in pineapple. PMWaV-2 is also a factor in mealybug wilt of pineapple (MWP), one of the most devastating diseases of pineapple in Hawaii and worldwide. In the pursuit of mealybug control, the pineapple industry is currently the largest user of the restricted organophosphate insecticide, diazinon, in Hawaii. In 2003, the investigators began a field study to evaluate alternative, environmental-friendly approaches to control grey pineapple mealybugs, associated ant species, the spread of the PMWaVs, and subsequent MWP during the plant crop phase of the pineapple crop cycle. The pineapple crop cycle consists of the plant crop (17 – 20 months), ratoon crop (13 – 16 months; a ratoon is a shoot that grows from the plant’s roots), and a fallow period of at least six months. Investigators developed and utilized ant and mealybug detection systems to determine the timing and type of control necessary to prevent virus spread and MWP during the plant crop phase. In the case of grey mealybugs, investigators found that if they achieved control of two associated ant species, it was not necessary to apply diazinon to prevent development of MWP or the spread of PMWaVs. They accomplished ant control through the use of a hydramethylnon-based ant bait, Amdro®. Since the infrastructure of the pineapple field and canopy becomes more complex as the plant crop gives rise to the ratoon crop, control methodologies during the ratoon crop may require changes. The current project will extend the investigators’ evaluation of environment-friendly alternatives to diazinon through the ratoon crop phase and the fallow period, completing the crop cycle. Investigators believe the information they gain will have applicability to all pineapple producing tropical and subtropical regions and may also have applicability to other crops plagued by mealybugs, mealybug-transmitted viruses, and the associated ants.

Objective: To demonstrate and compare alternative control strategies for minimizing incidences of virus spread and mealybug wilt of pineapple in the ratoon and fallow periods of the pineapple crop.

Progress Report 2007 (with photos) (PDF*, MS Word)
Final Report (PDF*, MS Word)

Economic Analysis of Host-Based Poultry Ectoparasite Control
P.I.: Bradley Mullens, University of California, Riverside

Problem and Project Summary: Among caged laying hens in the United States, the northern fowl mite (Ornithonyssus sylviarum) and the chicken body louse (Menacanthus stramineus) are serious ectoparasites (parasites that live on the exterior of their hosts), affecting production and causing irritation for people who work with the hens. Currently, both pests are controlled solely through prevention and pesticide use. Once pests are established, control is exclusively chemical; there are no IPM strategies. Because of worker exposure concerns, pesticide resistance—a serious issue for poultry systems—and the discontinuation of malathion (preferred for lice), nonchemical controls are urgently needed for both traditional and organic laying hen producers. In addition, animal welfare issues have surfaced, such as concerns about beak trimming to prevent pecking damage and reduce feed consumption, and these are having an impact on laying hen husbandry. However, hens can be bred for docile behavior, and one popular strain (Hyline W-36) can be held successfully without beak trimming. Recent research shows that hens with intact beaks reduce ectoparasite populations by 90% compared to hens with trimmed beaks. Recent studies also show that unchecked mite populations on beak-trimmed hens cause loss in egg mass and feed conversion efficiency (how efficiently hens convert the food they eat into egg production). This project will examine hens with parasites, comparing hens with trimmed versus untrimmed beaks in a full economic analysis that includes parasite census, feed conversion efficiency, egg numbers and mass, and profitability. Grooming behavior will be documented to determine if higher parasite numbers on hens with trimmed beaks are due to reduced effort or reduced efficiency. If parasite numbers on hens with intact beaks are below economic damage levels, this will provide a powerful incentive to breed and use docile hens, and this single technique may eliminate worker pesticide exposure and the two major parasites as an economic concern. Anticipated outcomes include showing that, for parasite control, the age of trimmed beaks is a negligible factor compared to the presence or absence of an intact beak, and that under many circumstances the use of beak-intact hens will pay for itself in terms of overall profits.

Objectives: 1) To determine the economics of production for both beak-trimmed and beak-intact hens that have either northern fowl mites or chicken body lice, quantifying their egg number and mass, hen body weight, feed conversion efficiency, and parasite loads; 2) to determine the interaction of ectoparasite grooming behavior with the hens’ beak condition and the age of beak trimming; and 3) to inform the laying hen industry of the potential benefits of using beak-intact hens for eliminating worker pesticide exposure, reducing or eliminating worker nuisance concerns, eliminating the economic concerns of ectoparasite control, and perhaps reducing animal welfare issues and criticism.

Progress Report 2006 (PDF*, MS Word)
Progress Report 1 - 2007 (PDF*, MS Word)
Progress Report 2 - 2007 (PDF*, MS Word) - Photos (PDF*)
Progress Report 2008 (PDF*)
Final Report (PDF*) - Photos (PDF*)

Effect of Primary Tillage Sequence, Insecticides, and Weed Seed Placement on Seed Predator Conservation, Efficacy, and Weed Emergence
P.I.s: R. Edward Peachey and Carol Mallory Smith, Oregon State University; Dan McGrath, Oregon State University Extension Service; Rick Boydston, USDA Agricultural Research Service

Problem and Project Summary: Summer annual weeds continue to trouble row crop producers in the Pacific Northwest. Producers have been successful in using available weed management tools to prevent crop loss from weed competition, but they have not succeeded in reducing the need and level of intervention. The investigators point out the need to move beyond controlling weeds to controlling weed seed. The goal of their project is to suppress summer annual weed populations in vegetable row crops through the development of cropping systems that conserve seed predators and enhance weed seed predation. Specifically, using a split plot design, investigators will use tillage treatments (no-till versus conventional tillage methods) to test the hypothesis that reducing tillage disturbance in a crop rotation will increase the potential for seed predation. Reduced tillage is known to improve habitat for soil-dwelling seed predators, and when soil is not tilled weed seeds remain near the surface where seed predators are more likely to come in contact with them. Second, investigators will compare insecticide treated plots to untreated plots to test the hypothesis that insecticide use hinders seed predation because it reduces populations of soil-dwelling seed-eating invertebrates. Third, they will use weed seed burial depth treatments to test the hypothesis that weed seed predation is greater when seeds remain on the soil surface, whether in conventional or no-till systems. Fourth, they will use herbicide treated plots to provide a realistic assessment of seed predation effects on weed density, and they will use untreated control plots to assess actual weed seed mortality and survival. In addition, investigators will survey the species diversity and estimate the activity density and seed predation potential of adult ground beetle and seed bug populations in vegetable crop rotations (conventional and organic) in western Oregon and eastern Washington. Finally, they will conduct laboratory evaluations of the seed predation potential of millipedes common to agricultural systems, seed bugs, and other potentially key maritime Northwest seed predators. The investigators anticipate this project to generate knowledge about 1) the biological and economic impact of tillage/planting systems, insecticide use, and weed seed position on the efficacy of weed seed predators and on weed emergence; 2) the regional variations in predator species, activity density, and seed predation rates in both conventional and organic sites; and 3) the feeding preferences and expected predation rates for wild proso millet and Powell amaranth.

Objectives: 1) To determine the effect of tillage system and sequence, insecticide use, and weed seed position in the soil on weed seed predation, subsequent weed seedling recruitment or emergence, and weed seed mortality and dormancy; 2) to survey the species diversity and estimate the activity-density and seed predation potential of adult ground beetle and seed bug populations in vegetable crop rotations (conventional and organic) in western Oregon and eastern Washington; and 3) to evaluate the seed predation potential of the Julid millipedes (Julida: Julidae spp.), seed bugs (Heteroptera: Lygaeidae spp.), and other potentially key maritime Northwest seed predators in the laboratory.

Progress Report 2007 (PDF*, MS Word)
Progress Report 2008 (PDF*, MS Word)
Final Report (PDF*188K)
Assessment and Implementation of Insecticidal Nematodes: An Alternative for Control of Urban Pests
P.I.s: S. Patricia Stock and Dawn H. Gouge, University of Arizona, Tucson

Problem and Project Summary: With the overall goal of reducing human exposure to pests and the tactics used to control them in urban and suburban areas, investigators will assess Arizona-native nematodes as alternative tools for control of common urban arthropod pests in the western United States. They will evaluate the effectiveness of these insecticidal or entomopathogenic nematodes (EPNs) alone and in combination with chemical pesticides to help minimize current chemical pesticide practices. Like other natural enemies, entomopathogens can exert considerable control of target populations. EPNs are widespread in nature; specific to insects; safe to nontarget organisms including humans, other vertebrates, and plants; and do not pollute the environment. They can be mass-produced in large fermentation tanks, stored for long periods, and applied by conventional methods using standard spray equipment, making them a desirable commercial alternative. To effectively implement Arizona-native EPNs for the control of urban pests, basic research needs to be established. Data are available regarding scorpion, termite, and ant efficacy, but research has not focused on native EPN species. This project will assess the biological, ecological, and behavioral traits of native EPN species in laboratory-based tests to predict their efficacy in the field.

Objectives: 1) To determine the optimum nematode species and strain (in relation to pest species) and optimum dosage for the management of selected urban pests in Arizona; 2) to evaluate repellency as a management strategy for target pests; 3) to study the effect of abiotic (temperature, soil moisture, and UV tolerance) and biotic (foraging behavior) parameters on nematode efficacy (virulence and reproductive capacity); 4) to evaluate EPN efficacy in combination with chemical insecticides; and 5) to conduct small-scale field trials in different urban and suburban settings with those EPN species, strains, and concentrations that have been demonstrated to be effective in controlling selected arthropod pests in the laboratory tests.

Progress Report 2007 (PDF*) - Photos (PDF*)
Progress Report 2008 (PDF*, MS Word)

Integration of a Modified Strain of BlightBan® A506 with Conventional Fire Blight Management
P.I.s: Virginia O. Stockwell and Kenneth B. Johnson, Oregon State University; Joyce E. Loper, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Horticultural Crops Research Laboratory

Problem and Project Summary: Streptomycin-resistant populations of Erwinia amylovora, the bacterium that causes fire blight, a serious disease of pear and apple, are widespread in the western United States. Oxytetracycline (Mycoshield®) is currently the conventional, chemical standard for fire blight control, and two biopesticides, Serenade® (Bacillus subtilis) and BlightBan® A506 (Pseudomonas fluorescens strain A506), are registered for fire blight suppression. Seeking more effective management of streptomycin-resistant fire blight, the investigators have developed a modified strain of the biopesticide BlightBan® A506 (called A506 AprX-) that they will test in an integrated strategy with conventional control methods in pathogen-inoculated, small-scale orchard trials. At mid-bloom, they will apply their modified strain (in combination with another new biopesticide product, BlightBan® C9-1) and follow this with an application of oxytetracycline (Mycoshield®) at full bloom. These integrated treatments will be compared to two applications of antibiotic and biopesticide standards and to a water-treated control. The investigators will also evaluate the effect of different combinations of biopesticide and antibiotic applications on the population dynamics of Erwinia amylovor and the effect of oxytetracycline application on the population dynamics of biopesticide strains.

Objectives: 1) To evaluate in pathogen-inoculated, small-scale orchard trials, the integrated strategy for control of fire blight with the new biopesticide products, BlightBan® C9-1 combined with BlightBan® A506 and BlightBan® C9-1 combined with the protease-deficient mutant of A506 (A506 AprX-). The integrated strategy will consist of one biopesticide application to pear/apple trees at mid-bloom followed by one application of oxytetracycline (Mycoshield®) at full bloom. Integrated treatments will be compared to two applications of antibiotic and biopesticide standards and to a water-treated control; and 2) to evaluate the effect of biopesticide and antibiotic applications (singly and in combination) on population dynamics of the pathogen Erwinia amylovora. A secondary objective is to evaluate the effect of oxytetracycline application on the population dynamics of biopesticide strains.

Progress Report 2007 (PDF*, MS Word) - Photos (PDF*)
Progress Report 2008 (PDF*, MS Word)

Wheat Seed Quality Effects on Competitive Ability with Wild Oat
P.I.s: Robert Stougaard and Qingwu Xue, Montana State University, Bozeman; Joe Yenish and John Burns, Washington State University, Pullman

Problem and Project Summary: The overall goal of the project is to improve crop competitiveness against weeds, giving specific consideration to the relationship between crop seed quality and seedling vigor. The project focuses specifically on spring wheat and its most important weed pest, wild oat. Producers currently rely on herbicides to the virtual exclusion of all other strategies to control wild oat, and there is now a widespread occurrence of herbicide resistant biotypes. The project evaluates the interactive effects of seed size, seed protein content, and gibberellic acid (GA) seed treatments on spring wheat’s ability to compete against wild oat. All three factors contribute to enhanced wheat emergence, seedling vigor, and developmental rates, and investigators hypothesize that their integration will enhance their individual attributes, stabilize their cumulative impact on wild oat, and provide for a more durable weed management system. Investigators will add suppressive rates of herbicides to enhance the cumulative effect on the weed.

Tralkoxydim is a widely used postemergence wild oat herbicide. For objective one, investigators will use a factorial treatment arrangement consisting of two protein levels, two seed size classes, two GA concentrations, and two wild oat densities. They will measure crop emergence, growth rates, yield, and yield components to quantify treatment effects. For objective two, the factorial treatment arrangement will consist of five tralkoxydim rates superimposed on four cropping systems that vary in competitive abilities. Investigators will measure yield and yield components and perform an economic analysis. Although wild oat and spring wheat serve as the initial indicator species, investigators believe the results should be transferable to other weeds that infest small grains.

Objectives: 1) To determine the interactive effects of seed size, protein content, and GA seed treatments on spring wheat competitive ability for the suppression of wild oat; and (2) to determine to what extent seed quality factors influence the effects of variable tralkoxydim rates on wild oat control, wheat yield, and economic returns.

Progress Report 2007 (PDF*, MS Word)
Progress Report 2008 (PDF*, MS Word)
Final Report (PDF* 184K)

Development of an Electronic, Multi-Entry Key for Diagnosing Arthropod, Disease, and Abiotic Problems of Small Grains
P.I.s: Ned Tisserat and Ronda Koski, Colorado State University; William Lanier, Montana State University, Bozeman

Problem and Project Summary: The first step in a successful IPM program is rapid and accurate identification of the cause of the plant problem. Inaccurate diagnosis can result in pesticide misapplication, whereas a delayed diagnosis may allow pests to develop to population levels that are not easily controlled by IPM practices. For many crops, information about symptoms and other elements associated with the various causes of crop disorders are published in separate publications, making it difficult for pest control decision makers to track down relevant, integrated information that can be efficiently and effectively used for diagnostic purposes. Investigators saw the need for an easily accessible, integrated diagnostic resource that was linked to current IPM recommendations; that brought together all the relevant information about crop disorders, including diseases, arthropods, and abiotic problems; and that provided assistance and resources for diagnosing unidentified problems. The overall goal of this project is to provide growers, crop advisers, extension agents, diagnosticians, and others associated with crop production with multi-entry, multi-media, commodity-based electronic keys to aid in the diagnosis and management of crop problems.

Objectives: 1) To create a general framework for integrating field diagnostics of insects, diseases, and abiotic disorders into an electronic, multi-entry diagnostic key; (2) to validate the usefulness of the general framework by developing a diagnostic key specifically for pest and abiotic problems of small grains of the High Plains region of the United States; and (3) to release free copies of the small grains diagnostic key to stakeholders and provide student-driven, self-paced training in its use.

Progress Report 2007 (PDF*, MS Word)
Final Report 2008 (PDF*, MS Word)


2007: Seven Grants Funded in Regional IPM Competitive Grants Program

Four research grants totaling $391,748 and three research/extension grants totaling $277,732, were funded in 2007:

Developing a Monitoring Program for Thrips-Iris Yellow Spot Virus Complex: Adding a Novel Management Component to the IPM Program in Bulb and Seed Onion Crops
P.I.s: Hanu Pappu, Washington State University, Pullman; Silvia Rondon, Oregon State University

Problem and Project Summary: Onion is an economically important crop in the United States. Several western states have recently experienced the introduction and subsequent rapid spread of a viral disease of onion caused by Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV). The virus is transmitted by onion thrips (Thrips tabaci) in a persistent (circulative and propagative) manner. First reported in Idaho in the 1990s, the virus has suddenly and rapidly spread to several other western states including Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Washington, and instances of near total crop loss in seed crops were reported in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Thrips-mediated spread is the primary means leading to virus outbreaks. Weed hosts, and susceptible and overlapping bulb and seed onion crops are considered to provide the bridge for the survival of both virus and thrips vectors from season to season. For these reasons, IPM efforts should include management of viruliferous thrips populations and weed hosts, and use of resistant cultivars.

The overall goal of the research is to identify factors that contribute to the survival and spread of the thrips-virus complex and utilize the information in developing an integrated disease management program. A specific goal is to develop and apply tools that could be used in a monitoring program for the virus-thrips complex and integrate this approach as a management tactic in onion IPM.

Objectives: 1) Determine the seasonal dynamics of thrips vectors in onion bulb and seed crops; 2) develop sensitive and rapid detection tools for virus detection in thrips and apply this technology for developing a monitoring program for viruliferous thrips populations; and 3) identify crops and weeds that are important reservoirs for the virus.

Progress Report 2008 (PDF*, MS Word)
Final Report (PDF* 187K)

Seasonal Phenology of the Beet Leafhopper in Relation to its Weed Hosts and Beet Curly Top Virus Infection
P.I.s: Rebecca Creamer, C. Scott Bundy, Jill Schroeder, and Leigh Murray, New Mexico State University

Problem and Project Summary: This research project addresses management of beet curly top virus (BCTV) and related curtovirus species transmitted by the beet leafhopper, Circulifer tenellus, which cause economic damage throughout the western United States, affecting tomato, pepper, melon, bean, sugar beet, and spinach. Management of BCTV and its vector has proven difficult due to the wide host range of virus and vector. We found that London rocket (Sisymbrium irio) may be a primary overwintering host for the beet leafhopper and curly top in New Mexico in years when fall precipitation occurs to stimulate emergence of the weed. Chile growers are using this information to evaluate the risk for curly top in their next season’s crop. Removal of weed hosts of the virus and vector would be an effective management tool; however, information on when and how the leafhopper vector interacts with its weed hosts is necessary for optimal weed removal to control disease spread. The goal of this proposed research is to determine the seasonal phenology of the beet leafhopper in southern New Mexico in relation to weed host phenology and habitat.

Objectives: 1) Establish the phenology of the beet leafhopper on London rocket and Kochia scoparia as key winter and summer hosts and assess the effect of habitat of these weeds on suitability for beet leafhoppers using field surveys; 2) determine the natural incidence of curly top on London rocket in different months of the year using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis; and 3) refine management recommendations for curly top.

Progress Report 2008 (PDF*, MS Word)
Progress Report 2009 (PDF* 183K) - Photos (PDF* 201K)
Final Report (PDF* 187K)

Development of a Female-Produced Sex Pheromone for Managing Prionus californicus in Hop
P.I.: James Barbour, University of Idaho

Problem and Project Summary: Prionus californicus (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) is a serious root-feeding pest of hop in the Pacific Northwest. At present there are no host-plant resistance or biological control alternatives available to control this pest, and no insecticides have been registered for its control. The only effective method available for managing infestations of this pest in hop is the complete removal of hop rootstock from infested fields followed by soil fumigation or by a 2- to 3-year period in which the field is left fallow or planted to a non-host crop. All of these alternatives are very expensive and disruptive to hop growers. Our recent research has confirmed that female P. californicus produce a sex pheromone that is highly attractive to males, and we have narrowed the pheromone structure down to one of only eight possible compounds. This project will confirm the structure of the pheromone, develop synthetic routes to produce the pheromone in quantities sufficient for large-scale field trials, and explore the potential for incorporating pheromone-based monitoring and control of P. californicus into IPM programs for hop. We will also test the efficacy of pheromone-based sampling of P. californicus in orchard crops and landscape settings in Utah and California and determine whether the pheromone is attractive to the congeners P. imbricornis and P. laticollis in Texas and the eastern United States.

Objectives: 1) Complete the identification and synthesis of the pheromone; 2) verify activity of the pheromone in laboratory and field bioassays; 3) test the pheromone of P. californicus, and related homologs and isomers synthesized as part of this project, as attractants for P. californicus in other regions of the western United States, and for P. imbricornus and P. laticollis in the south-central and eastern United States; and 4) transfer the pheromone synthesis technology to companies manufacturing pheromone products and transfer the operational methods to grower clientele.

Progress Report 2008 (PDF*, MS Word)
Progress Report 2009 (PDF* 187K)

Integrated Pest Management to Reduce Vole Damage to Crops
P.I.: Jennifer Gervais, Oregon State University

Problem and Project Summary: The overall goal of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of predator habitat enhancement on vole population control in conjunction with crop residue management strategies. A replicated field experiment will be carried out in the grass seed fields of the Willamette Valley, Oregon to test the hypothesis that avian predation can effectively limit the extent and severity of vole population outbreaks that have led to severe economic damage in the past in a number of western states. The investigators hypothesize that avian predators such as barn owls are much less numerous now than formerly, due to altered landscapes, particularly the loss of large trees with cavities for nesting and perches from which other raptor species may hunt. Field residue management will be evaluated simultaneously to evaluate the effects of farming practices on the efficacy of natural pest control. Specifically, investigators propose to deploy barn owl nest boxes and generalized raptor perches around grass seed fields that are subjected to either removal of residue following harvest or chopping and scattering of residue without removal. Grass seed will be the focal crop because of the major damage inflicted by voles in the past and because it represents a high-quality habitat for this pest species. Although leaving crop residue on the field has been associated with increased yield and decreased soil erosion, residue may also shield voles from predation and facilitate the buildup of greater densities as a result. Agricultural producers currently have no solid information upon which to base decisions weighing the relative costs and benefits of different residue management strategies with regard to this pest.

Objectives: 1) Create a system of barn owl nest boxes and raptor perches along field boundaries; 2) survey vole populations in fields with and without raptor habitat enhancement treatments; 3) evaluate the effects of both raptor habitat enhancement and field residue management on vole population dynamics over the anticipated population increase phase.

Progress Report 2008 (PDF*, MS Word) - Photo (PDF*)
Progress Report 2009 (PDF* 182K) - Photos (PDF*)
Final Report (PDF* 314K)

Integrated Management of Mite Pests and Powdery Mildew Diseases on Perennial Hosts
PIs: Glenn Fisher, Vaughn Walton, and Amy Dreves, Oregon State University; David Gent, USDA-Agricultural Research Service; David James, Washington State University

Problem and Project Summary: This Research and Extension project seeks to improve IPM of spider mites, eriophyid mites, and powdery mildew diseases on perennial crops by enhancing understanding of how sulfur applications for powdery mildew control influence suppression and disruption of conservation biocontrol of mites. Integration of powdery mildew control on hops and grapevine with biocontrol of spider mite pests on these crops (Tetranchus urticae and Eotetranychus willamettei) is difficult because sulfur fungicides are toxic to certain predatory mites and enhance dispersal of spider mites. Developing IPM strategies for these pests is further complicated by the recent discovery of two new eriophyid mites species in the Pacific Northwest, the grape leaf rust mite (Calepitrimerus vitis) and the grape bud mite (Colomerus vitis), that require carefully timed sulfur applications for successful control. It may be possible to enhance biocontrol for these mite pests by limiting sulfur applications during critical periods of predator colonization, reproduction, and/or dispersal, but little information is available on predatory mite fauna in hops and grapevine and their population dynamics in relation to sulfur applications. This research seeks to advance IPM for these pests. Successful completion of this research should enable effective management of powdery mildew diseases and enhance the reliability of biocontrol for mite pests.

Objectives: 1) Identify predatory mites associated with mite pests on grapevines and hops; 2) quantify the effects of direct and indirect exposure to sulfur residues on mortality, fecundity, and longevity of phytoseiid mites that regulate eriophyid and spider mite pests on grapevine and hops; 3) identify the phenology of predatory and pest mite population dynamics in vineyards and hop yards in relation to the number and timing of sulfur applications; and 4) transfer knowledge and IPM systems developed in this project to stakeholders through established public-private partnerships by extension bulletins, electronic formats, trade publications, and annual meetings.

Progress Report 2008 (PDF*, MS Word)
Progress Report 2009 (PDF* 198K) - Photos (PDF* 1,343K)

Development and Demonstration of Integrated Systems for Control of Soilborne, Foliar, and Viral Diseases of Potato
PI: Barry Jacobsen, Montana State University

Problem and Project Summary: The Pest Management Strategic Plan for Pacific Northwest (PNW) Potato Production, and the Potato Crop Profiles for Idaho, Washington, and Colorado all identify management of early blight, Rhizoctonia and black dot as high priorities. As a seed producing state, Montana has a particular interest in control of these tuber-borne diseases, as well as scab (Streptomyces scabies) and the potato viruses such as PVX and PVY. Alternative disease management strategies including biological control, pesticide resistance management—specifically for azoxystrobin and early blight (Alternaria solani)—control of black dot (Colletotrichum coccodes) in seed, and optimization of treatment schemes for Rhizoctonia black scurf and canker (Rhizoctonia solani), have been specifically identified as high research priorities in the strategic plan and state potato crop profiles. Virus diseases are not identified in the production state profiles because these diseases are controlled by planting certified seed.

This research will investigate whether systemic acquired resistance induced by two Bacillus sp. biopesticide candidates can reduce transmission of Potato Virus PVX and PVYo by mechanical means or PVYo by aphid transmission. The investigators will assess the potential for biologically-based or integrated biological/chemical systems using biopesticides and chemicals that have individually shown potential in previous research for control of scab, Rhizoctonia, black dot, and early blight. Field meetings will be conducted covering research results, disease identification, and methods for incorporating these techniques into grower practices. Montana State University will facilitate adoption of biological controls by key producers by providing individual consultation during the growing season, field grower meetings at demonstration plot sites, and Potato IPM workshops. These workshops will present this and other potato research in the IPM context, and will educate growers on how to incorporate biological controls into their disease management programs. There will be specific education on handling biological formulations, calibration, compatibility with pesticides, storage and other factors that influence the efficacy of biological and chemical controls.

Objectives: 1) Evaluate the potential of foliar applications of Bacillus mycoides isolate BmJ and Bacillus mojaviensis 203-7 for control of the potato viruses PVX and PVY; 2) assess biological and integrated biological and chemical treatment regimes for control of foliar and soilborne potato diseases in the field; 3) demonstrate relative effectiveness of biological and integrated disease management systems to potato growers in on-farm field trials; and 4) facilitate adoption of biological controls by key producers, develop an updated MT Potato Crop Profile, and determine grower attitudes regarding the outputs of this project.

Final Report (PDF* 183K) - Photos (PDF* 194K)

Cultivar Resistance to IYSV and Thrips in Bulb Onion in the Western United States
PIs: Howard Schwartz, Whitney Cranshaw, and Michael Bartolo, Colorado State University

Problem and Project Summary: Iris yellow spot virus (IYSV) and its onion thrips (Thrips tabaci) vector are immediate and serious threats to sustainable and profitable onion production in the western United States. In the absence of sound management strategies, growers have implemented more intensive thrips insecticide programs, with little effective reduction in IYSV. Identification of thrips damage levels has never been conducted among existent onion cultivars. The goal of this study is to accelerate the establishment of host plant resistance to thrips and IYSV. Through annual grower education meetings, field days, publications, and electronic dissemination to stakeholders, the investigators anticipate changes in onion cultivar selection by growers and a potential reduction in the use of high-risk insecticides for thrips and IYSV management on less susceptible cultivar alternatives by at least 25% in Colorado. This information will also be shared freely with other onion producing states and personnel, and should provide the basis for incorporating resistance to thrips and IYSV in development of future onion cultivars.

Objectives: 1) Develop methods to identify cultivars that have resistance to thrips and determine the nature of this resistance; 2) develop methods to identify cultivars that have resistance to IYSV; and 3) disseminate this information to breeders who can then incorporate resistance or tolerance to thrips and IYSV into breeding lines, and to growers for selection of less susceptible cultivars.

Progress Report 2008 (PDF*)
Final Report (PDF* 183K)


2008: Seven Grants Funded in Regional IPM Competitive Grants Program

Three research grants totaling $400,887, three research/extension grants totaling $180,000, and one extension grant for $54,262, were funded in 2008:

Non-Chemical Postharvest Insect Control in Lentils Using Radio Frequency Energy
PIs: Shaojin Wang and Juming Tang, Washington State University; Judy Johnson, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Parlier, California

Problem and Project Summary: There is an urgent need to develop technically effective and environmentally sound phytosanitary and quarantine treatments for the pulse crop industry to replace chemical fumigation and maintain the competitiveness of U.S. agriculture in international markets. The goal of this multi-state, multi-disciplinary project is to develop practical, integrated treatments for postharvest pest control in pulse crops using radio frequency (RF) energy. The investigators’ preliminary research has determined that RF heating uniformity in lentils is acceptable for controlling pests without causing adverse effects on product quality. The general objective of this research is to conduct a systematic study to develop successful phytosanitary RF treatments for pulse crops using well-established research strategy and state-of-the-art equipment. This project provides long-term, sustainable, and environmentally-friendly postharvest pest management solutions to the challenges facing export marketing of western pulse crops.

Objectives: To prepare for commercial implementations, investigators will 1) determine the dielectric properties of insects and pulse crops as a function of moisture content and temperature; 2) study the RF heating uniformity in pulse crops; 3) conduct efficacy tests to determine the effective temperature-time combination using pilot-scale RF systems; and 4) evaluate the thermal responses of pulse crops to RF heating.

Progress Report (PDF* 185K)
Integrated Management and Regional GIS Mapping of the Cucurbit Yellow Stunting Disorder Virus-Vector Complex in the Desert Southwest
PI: Judith Brown, University of Arizona

Problem and Project Summary: This is a research project involving mixed melon, watermelon, and squash, all major agricultural commodities in the Sonoran Desert, an agricultural region that encompasses the Imperial Valley of California, southwestern and central Arizona, and Sonora, Mexico. During the fall 2006, the whitefly-transmitted Cucurbit yellow stunting disorder virus (CYSDV) (genus Crinivirus, family Closteroviridae) reached pandemic proportions in cucurbit crops in the region. CYSDV has its origin in the Mediterranean/Middle East and was first reported in the US in Texas during 2001. This exotic virus now poses a serious threat to sustainable and profitable cucurbit production in the entire region, which produces cantaloupe, cucumbers, specialty melons, watermelon, and, five types of squash for the U.S. market. Virus infection results in 30–100% yield loss and decreases fruit sugar content by 2–4%.

Objectives: 1) Determine the distribution of CYDSV in (a) cucurbit and non-cucurbit crops and (b) desert weeds to clarify the disease cycle and identify over-seasoning hosts in local production areas; 2) determine the experimental host range of CYSDV among desert crop and weed species; 3) develop chemical and cultural control management practices that reduce regional whitefly and CYSDV pressures; 4) screen melon germplasm for CYSDV resistance and introgress resistance sources into commercial-type melon; and 5) establish a regional education and management program for Arizona and California producers to encourage implementation of “best” practices, including a possible host-free summer period to abate early season fall CYSDV outbreaks and subsequent virus overwintering.

Development of a Rapid Detection Protocol for the Fire Blight Pathogen of Pear and Apple
PIs: Kenneth Johnson and Virginia Stockwell, Oregon State University

Problem and Project Summary: This project will develop an on-farm rapid detection protocol for the fire blight pathogen (Erwinia amylovora) in pear and apple orchards. For this destructive disease, early pathogen detection would greatly improve the prediction of significant outbreaks and, correspondingly, increase the efficiency of protective sprays. Current methods for detection of E. amylovora are lacking because of the time needed for results and expense of testing. The investigators’ novel protocol uses loop-mediated isothermal amplification of DNA (termed ‘LAMP’). Similar to polymerase chain reaction (PCR), LAMP utilizes primers to amplify unique DNA sequences, which we have successfully developed for E. amylovora. Unlike PCR, LAMP can be done under field conditions in 60 minutes without fragile equipment; a positive or negative result is observed within a plastic reaction tube. Fire blight management will improve with an early detection system because chemicals are most effective during the critical pre-infection multiplication (epiphytic) phase of the pathogen on flowers. Fire blight disease warning systems predict risk based on weather conditions but frequently overestimate risk by assuming presence of the pathogen. Coupled with risk models, a detection system for the pathogen would be a valuable tool to guide growers on when (or if) to spray.

Objectives: 1) Quantify the sensitivity of LAMP for detection of E. amylovora on flower samples, and 2) evaluate and optimize sampling protocols for detection of E. amylovora in commercial pear and apple orchards.

Optimizing Lettuce Drop Control Caused by Sclerotinia minor Using Contans, a Biopesticide
PIs: Krishna Subbarao and Bo Wu, University of California, Davis

Problem and Project Summary: Lettuce drop caused by Sclerotinia minor is one of the most destructive diseases on lettuce in the major U.S. lettuce production areas in California and Arizona, and managing this disease is a priority for growers in the both states. Due to lack of resistant lettuce cultivars and the ineffectiveness of fungicides Botran, Ronilan, and Rovral, which were applied widely in the past, lettuce growers currently rely on Endura, the lone effective fungicide for managing this disease. Control failures have occurred despite the application of Endura in some fields in recent years. Although C. minitans consistently outperformed chemical fungicides (Ronilan, Rovral, and Endura) in the Imperial Valley in controlling lettuce drop caused by S. sclerotiorum, C. minitans has had a limited effect against S. minor in previous studies. However, studies over the past two years in Salinas involving modifications to the application of Contans to enhance interaction between the biocontrol agent and the pathogen significantly reduced the number of sclerotia in soil relative to untreated control, and incidence of lettuce drop and disease incidence was equivalent to that achieved with the chemical fungicide, Endura. However, before a recommendation for adaptation of this treatment can be made, optimizing the Contans treatment is necessary to make it as economical as using Endura. The outcome of this research will immediately benefit the lettuce industry in the United States, especially the industry in California and Arizona. It will reduce the dependence on fungicide application and improve the sustainability of lettuce production, and therefore, enhance the competitive advantage of U.S lettuce production.

Objectives: 1) Determine the optimal stage for applying C. minitans; 2) optimize the application to achieve maximum efficacy against lettuce drop caused by S. minor; 3) understand the long term benefits of using C. minitans by monitoring the dynamics of sclerotia of S. minor in the soil over multiple lettuce crops.

Progress Report (PDF* 189K) - Photos (PDF* 177K)

Using Intercrops and Alternative Prey to Boost Predatory Flies in Lettuce
PI: Kent Daane, University of California Cooperative Extension

Problem and Project Summary: Aphids are major pests of lettuce. They feed in the plant interior and damage crops, primarily through contamination. Because it is difficult to achieve direct contact with insecticides, conventional lettuce production routinely employs systemic pesticides. Organic lettuce production is unable to use these synthetic compounds and instead relies on biological control. The most important biological control agents are naturally-occuring syrphid flies. However, because syrphid populations lag behind aphid populations, control outcomes are often uncertain. In an effort to reduce the time lag of the syrphid populations, most growers intercrop with flowering plants, which provide nectar and pollen to adult syrphids, attracting them to their fields. However, the flowering plants provide no food for syrphid larvae, and the in-field syrphid population remains unable to increase reproductively until pest aphids have colonized the crop. A second strategy for reducing the time lag of the syrphids and improving their reliability is to plant intercrops that will host non-pest aphids. The non-pest aphids in the intercrop would serve as alternative prey for syrphid flies and would support their larval development prior to the appearance of the pest aphids. The long-range goal of this project is to assess the feasibility of using intercrops and alternative prey to enhance in-field syrphid populations and suppress pest aphids. In previous research, funded by the California Lettuce Research Board and conducted in 2007, nine potential intercrops were screened for their ability to provide food for syrphid larvae. The research proposed here will further test the three most promising intercrops in large scale field experiments.

Objectives: 1) Test the ability of intercrops bearing non-pest aphids to increase syrphid populations and reduce aphid populations in lettuce fields; 2) integrate an intercrop bearing non-pest aphids with existing grower practices; 3) test for negative effects of intercrops on pest management.

Progress Report (PDF* 181K) - Photos (PDF* 401K)

Using Sheep in Grain Fallow Management to Control Weeds and Insect Pests and Reduce Use of Pesticides and Fossil Fuels
PI: Patrick Hatfield, Montana State University

Problem and Project Summary: 15.5 million acres of farmland in the western United States are rotated into summer fallow annually with up to four applications of herbicides annually for weed control. IR-4 priority settings, crop profiles, and pest management strategic plans are not available for summer fallow. As reduced tillage practices become more common, herbicide use will continue to increase. Currently, mechanical tillage is the only practical alternative to chemical fallow. However, tillage decreases residue cover and may increase soil erosion. Herbicide use in Montana’s grain production systems represents the single largest use of pesticides in the state. Strategic grazing of grain stubble and weeds on the western U S’s 15.5 million acres of summer fallow by sheep may offer an alternative to traditional stubble and weed management systems with the added benefit of not negatively influencing soil nutrient cycling or increasing erosion potential. In addition, sheep grazing summer fallow may significantly reduce use and thus selection pressure for glyphosate-resistant weeds by precluding the need to control weeds with glyphosate. The project’s goal is to reduce pesticide use in grain farming operations while maintaining or improving profitability.

Objective: To compare strategically managed sheep grazing to chemical and mechanical fallow on a) weed and volunteer grain biomass reduction, and weed and weed seedbank composition and density, b) soil nutrients and soil bulk density, c) insect populations (including pest, beneficial, and benign, and d) grain production and quality.

Progress Report (PDF* 177K)

An Electronic, Multi-Entry Key for Identifying Weedy Plant Species in Small Grain Fields
PI: Fabian Menalled and Will Lanier, Montana State University; Ned Tisserat and Ronda Koski, Colorado State University

Problem and Project Summary: Weed management requires rapid and accurate identification of weedy plants. Improper identification can result in misapplication of herbicides or failure to adequately control the weedy plant species at the time that it is most vulnerable to IPM practices. Taxonomists with the knowledge to identify non-crop plant species and the number of identification services available to crop producers and crop management advisors have decreased. This project seeks to enhance an electronic, multi-entry diagnostic key previously developed to aid in the diagnosis of diseases, abiotic problems, and arthropod pests of small grains with weedy plant identification information. Commercially available software (Lucid Builder™), specifically developed for construction of electronic, multi-entry keys, will be used for the development of this key. Field-based characters will include the time of year of weed appearance, sequential descriptions of the growth stages of all the weedy plant species included in the key, and the environmental parameters that favor growth of these weeds. As an aid to identification, investigators will populate the key with images of weedy plant species and link to fact sheets hosted on the High Plains Integrated Pest Management (HPIPM) Guide. Illustrated fact sheets will provide detailed descriptions of the weeds featured in the key, along with sequential descriptions of their growth, development, and chemical and non-chemical management methods. Investigators will conduct training sessions to demonstrate how to use this key. These training sessions will be targeted toward extension specialists, diagnosticians, crop advisors, and growers. Because traditional training sessions can impose restrictions on potential participants that may reduce attendance, retention, and adoption of the subject material, investigators will also provide a self-paced training video with the online key.

Objectives: 1) Develop a multi-entry key to aid the in the identification of weedy plant species that occur in small grain production fields; 2) integrate the multi-entry weed identification key with Web-based weed management information; and 3) conduct training sessions to train extension specialists, diagnosticians, crop advisors, and growers to use the multi-entry weed identification key.

Progress Report (PDF* 180K) - Image (PDF* 79K)
Final Report (PDF* 192K)

2009: Seven Grants Funded in Regional IPM Competitive Grants Program

Five research grants totaling $424,934, one research/extension grant for $179,227, and one extension grant for $58,355, were funded in 2009:

Mitigating the Threat of Potato Virus Y (PVY): Understanding and Exploiting the Biological and Epidemiological Factors Behind the Increasing Incidence of PVY in Potato
PIs: Juan Alvarez, University of Idaho; Hanu Pappu, Washington State University, Pullman; Jonathan Whitworth, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Aberdeen, Idaho

Problem and Project Summary: Potato virus Y (PVY), the most economically important potato virus in North America, causes severe economic losses to growers due to yield and tuber quality reduction. Seed growers have suffered rejection of more than 50 percent of seed lots that are used as stock to recertify the following year. New PVY strains that cause tuber necrotic rings have increased the economic losses. Seed certification programs base cultural virus management on roguing (disposing of) diseased plants showing symptoms. However, some preferred cultivars in the United States display mild symptoms when infected with PVY necrotic strains, thus nullifying the effectiveness of roguing as a management strategy. Currently-available insecticides are not effective, since the aphid vectors require only a few seconds of probing for acquisition and transmission of PVY. This Research Project applies a multidisciplinary approach toward developing an IPM program to mitigate PVY's negative impact in potato by determining the vector-virus strains relations and developing a symptom reaction list of cultivars for the U.S. potato industry. A list of cultivar-PVY reactions (foliar and tuber) determined by this research will be provided to the U.S. potato industry to help in choosing cultivars that are resistant and/or have good foliar symptom expression allowing them to be rogued effectively. This list will be integrated into an improved, multidimensional IPM program to reduce PVY in the Pacific Northwest and consequently to improve profitability for all potato growers.

Objectives: 1) Study the biological and epidemiological basis for the increased incidence of PVY necrotic strains in the PNW potato cropping systems, and 2) determine the effect of PVY necrotic strains in mechanically- and aphid-inoculated new or soon-to-be-released potato cultivars, including recording the degree of foliar symptoms and any presence of necrotic rings in susceptible cultivars.

Creation of Online Urban IPM Resources for the High Plains and Intermountain Region
PIs: Mary Burrows, Montana State University; Ned Tisserat, Whitney Cranshaw, Ronda Koski, and Robert Hammon, Colorado State University

Problem and Project Summary: The first step in a successful IPM program is rapid and accurate identification of the cause of an observed problem. Diseases and arthropod pests of plants must be correctly identified before effective measures for control can be put in place. Diagnosis of a problem may be complicated by a number of factors, including a diagnostician's unfamiliarity with the crop and its pests as well as variability in symptom expression based on plant genotype, plant growth stage, and environmental conditions. In addition, for many plants, particularly in the home landscape, information about symptoms and causes of problems is discipline-based and usually published in numerous and separate publications. It can be difficult for homeowners, landscape consultants, and extension agents to track down relevant information about some problems associated with ornamental plants, and often the available information has not been integrated with other information required for diagnostic purposes. The primary objective of this project is to develop and deploy IPM educational materials to support regional IPM efforts. Researchers will translate diagnostic keys for woody ornamentals into a multi-access key to be made available on the High Plains IPM Web site and upload additional ornamental pest fact sheets relevant to the High Plains region.

Objectives: 1) Integrate multi-entry diagnostic keys, pest fact sheets, and recommendations for woody ornamental disorders from Intermountain states into the High Plains IPM Web site using the Bugwood Wiki and image database; 2) validate the keys and evaluate the usage of the High Plains IPM guide by homeowners (master gardeners) and urban landscape professionals; and 3) promote the existence of the woody ornamental diagnostic keys to a wide audience.

Final Report (PDF* 181K)
IPM Disease Risk Forecasts and Virtual Weather for Western States
PIs: Leonard Coop and Paul Jepson, Oregon State University; David Gent, USDA-Agricultural Research Service; Gary Grove, Washington State University

Problem and Project Summary: The project's overall goal is to enhance the utility and adoption of weather-driven pest risk analysis models by developing, refining, and delivering site-specific weather forecasts and estimates of "virtual" weather data without on-site sensors. Many pest risk assessment systems are under-utilized as components of IPM systems at the farm level due to a number of barriers, including difficulties obtaining quality weather data, costs associated with maintaining weather stations, lack of lead-time to respond to pest model recommendations, and the fact that most plant disease models are not predictive in nature. Disease risk assessment tools that have truly predictive abilities and that forecast when conditions will be favorable, rather than when conditions were favorable, may help to overcome these barriers to greater adoption. Project researchers propose to better develop, validate, and deliver forecast and virtual weather data out to 7.5 days to enhance the utility and value of pest risk assessment models for IPM for grapes, hops, and tree fruit crops in the Pacific Northwest. Researchers will also deliver weather and model forecasts as text messages directly to growers' mobile phones and personal digital assistants (PDAs) to further encourage greater use of disease risk models as IPM tools.

Objectives: 1) Develop, enhance, and deliver virtual weather station data and site-specific forecasts and disease model outputs to achieve greater adoption of disease forecasting as an IPM tool; 2) conduct field scale assessments and validation of weather analysis and forecasts on a regional basis with multiple crops in the Pacific Northwest; and 3) document the impact of this project on stakeholder adoption of IPM.

Increasing the Capacity for Spinach Seed Production in the U.S. by Promoting Soil Suppression of Fusarium Wilt
PI: Lindsey du Toit, Washington State University, Northwestern Washington Research and Extension Center, Mount Vernon, Washington

Problem and Project Summary: This project addresses a non-pesticidal, integrated management program for spinach Fusarium wilt in the maritime coastal Pacific Northwest (PNW), which is the only region of the United States suitable for producing spinach seed. Fusarium wilt, caused by the soilborne fungus Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. spinaciae, is the limiting factor for spinach seed production in the PNW. Losses to Fusarium wilt necessitate rotation intervals of 6 - 10 years for spinach lines with partial resistance and 12 - 15 years for susceptible lines. Fields that meet these constraints and the required pollen isolation distances for seed crops are increasingly difficult to find. With support from stakeholders, researchers have generated three years of field data demonstrating the potential for limestone applications to render naturally-conducive soils of the PNW more suppressive to spinach Fusarium wilt. The overall goal of this project is to assess the mechanisms of suppression in order to optimize and integrate this strategy with other cultural practices. The research is expected to increase the capacity for spinach seed production in the United States.

Objectives: 1) Investigate soil chemical properties that affect host-pathogen interactions; 2) use spinach resistance levels and soil chemical and microbial properties to develop a soil bioassay as a risk assessment tool for growers to select fields for seed production; and 3) establish a field trial to assess the level of Fusarium wilt suppression induced by annual applications of limestone and other cultural practices that potentially lower the carrying capacity of PNW soils for this pathogen.

Management of Virus Disease Epidemics in Lentils via Prescribed Conditional Pea Aphid Control: Evaluation of Economic Effectiveness and Feasibility
PI: Levan Elbakidze, University of Idaho

Problem and Project Summary: This project is for the Palouse region, which covers Eastern Washington and adjoining Idaho and is one of the leading areas in pea and lentil production in the United States. The viability of this industry in the Palouse is threatened by periodic outbreaks of pea enation mosaic virus (PEMV) and bean leaf roll virus (BLRV), both of which are vectored virtually exclusively by the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum. Control of PEMV and BLRV could be achieved by strategic conditional management of pea aphid outbreaks. If producers knew in advance when severe epidemics of PEMV and BLRV were likely to occur, and whether their particular fields were susceptible to infection, they could be forewarned of the need to apply recommended vector control measures. On the other hand, if risks of virus outbreaks were known to be low, growers could manage the aphids as direct pests, reducing pesticide use and concomitant environmental and economic impacts. The purpose of this project is to quantify the economic benefits of conditional virus-forecast-based pea aphid control strategies.

Objectives: 1) Formulate BLRV and PEMV risk assessment mechanisms to be used in the economic optimization model; 2) evaluate the economic costs of the PEMV and BLRV spread in the Palouse region; 3) quantify and compare economic effectiveness of available PEMV and BLRV management strategies; 4) quantify monetary value of PEMV and BLRV forecasts for managing the viruses via conditional control of pea aphid populations; 5) evaluate the individual producer incentives associated with pea aphid control and investigate whether the individual incentives are compatible with cooperative action; and 6) evaluate the options to design a coordinated conditional pea aphid control plan compatible with individual producer incentives.

Using Sheep in No-Till Wheat-Pea/Hay Barley-Fallow Rotation to Control Weeds; Comparisons with Minimum Tillage and Complete Tillage Systems
PI: Patrick Hatfield, Montana State University

Problem and Project Summary: In 2002, 15.5 million acres of farmland in 15 western states (North Dakota south to Texas and all states to the west) were rotated into summer fallow, with up to four applications of herbicides annually for weed control. IR-4 priority settings, crop profiles, and Pest Management Strategic Plans are not available for summer fallow. As zero tillage practices become more common, herbicide use will continue to increase. Currently, mechanical tillage is the only practical alternative to chemical fallow. However, tillage decreases residue cover, resulting in increased soil erosion. Strategic grazing of grain stubble and weeds by sheep offers an alternative to traditional stubble and weed management as well as no-till biomass reduction for seed bed preparation, and it has the added benefit of not negatively influencing soil nutrient cycling or increasing erosion potential. In addition, sheep grazing summer fallow may significantly reduce use of glyphosate and thus selection pressure for glyphosate-resistant weeds by precluding the need to control weeds with this product. The project's goal is the profitable incorporation of sheep into grain production systems to reduce pesticide and fossil fuel use in fallow and stubble management.

Objectives: 1) Compare two crop rotations and three management systems on a) above ground and seed bank weed and volunteer crop community composition, b) demography of wild oat and use of this information to determine critical points in the weed life cycle, c) grain and forage production, d) soil nutrient availability and bulk density, and e) insect populations (including pest, beneficial, and benign); and 2) using long-term production and input data, compare profitability and cash flow of the two crop rotations and three management systems using the decision support tool developed during previous research.

Improving IPM Of Mosquitoes By Addressing Scientific Uncertainty And Public Concerns
PIs: Robert Peterson and David Weaver, Montana State University

Problem and Project Summary: The emergence of West Nile virus in the western United States has irrevocably altered IPM for mosquitoes and has drawn considerable attention to the science of mosquito control and the safety of management tactics, especially in areas where insecticides traditionally have not been used. In many locations in the West, mosquito control follows sound IPM principles, including thresholds for larvae and adults (including infected adults) and multiple management tactics such as source reduction, larviciding with biological control agents, and adulticiding with insecticides. Although IPM programs are advanced in many of these areas, uncertainties about adulticiding need to be explored empirically to address technical and public concerns. Project researchers will address this by conducting detailed field research so that more precise assessments of risk and effectiveness can be used by stakeholders to improve IPM programs.

Objectives: 1) Experimentally derive actual environmental concentrations of ULV insecticides that will be used to develop a model relevant to ULV applications; 2) share results and model with all relevant stakeholders so those interested can know the likely environmental concentrations and fate in the event of urban applications, thus improving risk communication with the public; 3) develop a novel lower cost method that mosquito management districts can use to quantify environmental concentrations of insecticides. This can be used in the future when stakeholders need to generate actual environmental concentrations to address public concern or legal mandates; and 4) evaluate the efficacy of the insecticides sprayed from ULV with respect to structures and vegetation, which then can generate an IPM program to minimize the amount of insecticide sprayed while achieving maximum efficacy of those insecticides that are sprayed.


2010: Seven Grants Funded in Regional IPM Competitive Grants Program

Four research grants totaling $400,192, one research/extension grant for $179,168, and two extension grants for $78,706, were funded in 2010:

Alaska Potato IPM Scouting Manual: A Pocket Guide in English and Russian
PIs: Ronda Hirnyck, University of Idaho and Thomas Jahns, University of Alaska

Problem and Project Summary: Project researchers will develop a potato IPM field guide pocket manual for Alaska in English and Russian that will outline a scouting plan for potatoes according to crop stage and target economically damaging pests at each crop stage. Included will be photos identifying the pest and the damage it causes and giving a brief explanation of how to determine whether the pest has reached economically damaging levels. Also included will be photos of beneficial insects common in potato fields, blank pages for inventory notes, and a scouting map. This field guide would be one tool in an overall IPM strategy. There are no Alaskan IPM field guides specifically directed for field scouting, nor are there any such pocket manuals in Russian, the language of Alaska's primary labor force. The model for this field guide will be derived from the existing Idaho Field Guide to Potato Pests in English and Spanish. Field training on use of the field guide will be provided, and users will be asked to evaluate the field guide.

Objectives: 1) Develop an Alaska potato IPM field guide pocket manual that will fill unmet pest management needs in Alaska's potato production; 2) design and publish the Alaska potato IPM field guide pocket manual as a pocket guide in English and Russian; and 3) provide training on the use of the field guide to Extension personnel, growers, and state lead agencies who will subsequently train farm laborers.

Sampling Plan Development and Spiral Analysis for Persea Mites in Avocados: A Model System for Crop Pests in the Western Region
PIs: Mark Hoddle and Daniel Jeske, University of California, Riverside

Problem and Project Summary: Persea mite, an invasive pest, is the most serious foliar pest of avocados in California. Feeding by approximately 100 mites per leaf initiates leaf drop (economic injury level), and beyond this density fruit yields decline by approximately 20 percent. The action threshold for this pest is approximately 50 mites per leaf, and it is controlled primarily by pesticides. Three new miticides are in the registration pipeline, and availability is expected in 1 to 2 years. There are no reliable sampling plans for estimating mite densities, and this is a major shortcoming for the IPM of this pest. Project researchers have completed preliminary analyses of a very large multi-year, multi-site dataset that suggests that the development of a presence-absence sampling plan is feasible. They plan to complete development of a presence-absence sampling plan for persea mite, derive tree selection rules for examination and use with the sampling plan, and field test and refine the entire sampling protocol.

Objectives: 1) Develop the relationship between the mean number of persea mites on a sampling unit (i.e., avocado leaf) and the probability it has more than zero mites. This objective will utilize persea mite counts from pre-existing datasets; 2) conduct additional field surveys in multiple orchards across counties through time to check the robustness of the conjectured model for spatial correlations, and in particular, include orchards that are not planted on rectangular grids. These additional surveys will resolve the question about the importance of sampling cardinal quadrants; 3) use the results of spatial analyses in Objective 2 to develop tree and leaf selection rules, and combine these results with Objective 1 to develop presence-absence sampling plans for persea mites; and 4) evaluate in the field the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed sampling plans relative to the present assessment methods of persea mite densities employed by pest managers and growers.

Integrated Approaches for Management of Giant Reed and Restoration of Riparian Habitats
PI: Jodie Holt, University of California, Riverside

Problem and Project Summary: This is a research project on Arundo donax, giant reed, an invasive perennial plant that has established itself and spread widely in coastal and riparian freshwaters of North America. Once established, giant reed displaces native vegetation and forms extensive monocultures that alter site characteristics, including soil stabilization, water chemistry, fire regime, native vegetation, and wildlife habitat. Giant reed removal is difficult and costly due to fragility of riparian communities and proximity to water, yet no published information is available on methods of control or habitat restoration. The goal of this research is to determine the mechanism by which giant reed invades and outcompetes native riparian species and to use results to develop IPM approaches for sustainable habitat restoration following giant reed removal. Field and greenhouse experiments will address the project's objectives.

Objectives: 1) Determine the relationship of riparian canopy structure and giant reed invasion; 2) investigate competition of giant reed with native riparian species; 3) compare photosynthesis and growth of giant reed and native riparian species; and 4) use research results to design native restoration communities to resist giant reed invasion.

Demonstration and Implementation of Integrated Pest Management in the Production of Bedding and Container Color Plants
PI: Michael Parrella, University of California, Davis

Problem and Project Summary: The bedding and container color plant market produces plants year round for outdoor planting in flower beds and indoor and outdoor decoration in pots. These plants are subject to heavy pesticide use in production because of the market's high aesthetic standards. This sector is unique in that the crop cycle is only 8 to 10 weeks, resulting in the perception among growers that IPM is not feasible. Typically at least three pesticide applications are made weekly during the entire crop cycle. Many bedding plant IPM tools exist and have been shown to work for individual pests. The project researchers feel that IPM can be successful for the entire suite of crop pests if growers are shown how to use these tools, along with some novel methods, in a short cropping cycle. Water quality and availability are key issues in western agriculture and reducing water use to positively impact pest levels and pesticide use is a central component of the project researchers' IPM program. The project's specific goals are to achieve a 30 percent reduction in the total number of pesticide applications and to reduce applications of carbamates, pyrethroids, and organophosphates to fewer than 15 percent of total applications.

Objectives: 1) Form a collaborative, interdisciplinary team that will use a systems approach to develop more effective pest management solutions for bedding and color plant production; 2) enhance pest identification and monitoring skills as well as understanding of pest thresholds and tolerances among collaborating growers; 3) promote wider use of arthropod biological control through the release of natural enemies and the use of entomopathenogenic fungi; and 4) introduce chlorine dioxide as a novel pest control tactic to the bedding and color plant industry.

Development of a Macroarray for Rapid Detection and Differentiation of Onion Bulb Rot Pathogens
PI: Brenda Schroeder and Lindsey du Toit, Washington State University

Problem and Project Summary: This project addresses the fact that there are currently limited effective management recommendations for onion (Allium cepa) bulb rots that develop during storage. Currently, 11 bacteria, 14 fungi, and one yeast are known to cause onion bulb rots in storage, typically without visual symptoms of infection evident in the crop at harvest. This means growers may unknowingly be at risk for substantial losses during storage after an entire season of expenses. The overall goal of this project is to develop a robust, sensitive, and rapid DNA macroarray to detect and differentiate bulb rot pathogens before bulbs are placed in storage. The project's research is expected to provide stakeholders with access to a practical tool to assess which pathogens are present in individual bulb lots before storage. A macroarray that readily detects latent infections by bulb rot pathogens at harvest will fill an existing knowledge gap so stakeholders can make informed storage management decisions based on a better ability to predict the risk of storage rots. This knowledge will be used to assess which bulb lots to ship to markets soon after harvest, and which to store for medium to long-term durations for higher market prices. This will decrease losses to onion bulb rots in storage and increase onion production efficiency and profitability.

Objectives: 1) Develop a DNA macroarray for detecting and differentiating pathogens that can cause onion bulb rots in storage, and 2) evaluate and optimize the DNA macroarray for testing onion bulbs.

IPM Adoption: Motivations, Barriers, and Subjective Risk Assessments in Contract Agriculture
PIs: Douglas Walsh, Thomas Marsh, and Jennifer Sherman, Washington State University; David Gent, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Corvallis, Oregon

Problem and Project Summary: Agricultural production involves some level of risk of quantity and quality crop loss due to pest attack. IPM systems, when designed intelligently, are expected to provide greater biological stability and reduce long-term economic and environmental risks. However, the pace of IPM implementation at the farm level has been slow in many instances, due in part to grower perceptions of economic risk, uncertainty, lack of trust, and other fundamentally social and cultural barriers. These are critical barriers to greater adoption of IPM that have not been addressed adequately in many biological research endeavors. In this research, investigators seek to understand and quantify how growers' subjective perceptions of risk and risk aversion within the context of crop marketing agreements influence their pest management decision-making and trust of IPM. Investigators will utilize powdery mildew and two-spotted spider mite of hop as representative host-pest systems where market factors may drive risk avoidance and perhaps IPM implementation.

Objectives: 1) 1) Identify major barriers to, and motivations for, adoption of certain IPM approaches under varying market contract agreements, and quantify their socio-economic determinates; 2) elicit grower probabilities of crop loss and economic damage due to spider mites and powdery mildew, and contrast these subjective assessments with empirical measurements of crop loss; and 3) disseminate results to stakeholders, extension personnel, and research scientists in the Western United States through multi-modal outreach methodologies utilizing established public-private partnerships.

Assessing Long-Term Impacts of Yellow Toadflax Invasion
PIs: Sarah Ward, Colorado State University; Sharlene Sing, U.S. Forest Service

Problem and Project Summary: This project's goal is to improve integrated management of yellow toadflax by identifying and prioritizing for control those invasive toadflax populations at highest risk of causing damaging environmental impacts. The research objective supporting this goal is to measure at the landscape scale a) changes in the extent of yellow toadflax invasion, and b) changes in plant community composition within native vegetation invaded by yellow toadflax. Investigators will achieve this by intensive resampling of vegetation in areas of western Colorado previously surveyed in 1999 and 2000. Results will be used to develop a rating system enabling weed managers to target control measures to areas of yellow toadflax invasion of greatest concern, reducing herbicide use and management costs and limiting collateral damage to native vegetation.

Objective: 1) Determine the long-term environmental impacts of yellow toadflax invasion on public lands managed for timber and forage production.

2011: Seven Grants Funded in Regional IPM Competitive Grants Program

Four research grants totaling $409,996, two research/extension grants totaling $187,594, and one extension grant for $59,976, were funded in 2011:

Minimizing Impacts to Urban, Agricultural, and Natural Water Systems: Evaluating Biocontrol Agents for Invasive Eurasian Mussels
PI: Carolynn Culver, University of California, Santa Barbara

Problem and Project Summary: This research project addresses IPM for invasive quagga (Dreissena bugensis), and potentially zebra (D. polymorpha), mussels that impact agricultural, urban, and natural freshwater systems throughout the western region. The project’s goal is to evaluate the feasibility of fish predators as site-specific (not system-wide) biological control agents for quagga mussels. Commonly-used mussel control methods (mechanical removal, chemical applications) are problematic for systems in the western region that largely serve as water sources for humans and/or are open systems. Biocontrol agents offer an ecologically sound solution for minimizing pesticide use as well as human contact required to remove mussels mechanically.

Objectives: 1) Determine whether the planktivorous threadfin shad, Dorosoma petenense, can minimize mussel infestations through predation of larval mussels and 2) evaluate whether the carnivorous redear sunfish, Lepomis microlophus, can reduce mussel infestations through predation of juvenile and adult mussels.

Development of an IPM Program for the Invasive Bagrada Bug in Southwest Desert Vegetable Production Systems
PI: Thomas Perring, University of California, Riverside

Problem and Project Summary: Currently addressed on farms with multiple applications of a battery of chemicals, a new invasive insect, the painted bug (or bagrada bug), Bagrada hilaris Burmeister (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae), is a highly destructive pest of economically important cruciferous plants. This research project’s goal is to develop an environmentally responsible and economically feasible IPM program for effective management of this pest.

Objectives: 1) Identify plant-derived attractants used by B. hilaris to locate their cruciferous hosts, and identify insect-produced chemicals that attract individuals (sex or aggregation pheromones); 2) understand the population dynamics and seasonal movement of B. hilaris as it moves among vegetable fields and native vegetation; 3) elucidate the relationship between temperature and B. hilaris development, and develop a degree-day model; 4) learn the phenological stages in Brassica crop plant growth that can tolerate or compensate for B. hilaris feeding damage without suffering economic reductions in yield, quality, and harvest maturity; and 5) characterize the temporal and residual activity of currently available insecticides under field conditions, and screen new and alternative insecticides for effective B. hilaris control.

Life History and Refined Management of Cucumber Beetles in Central California Melons
PIs: Larry Godfrey, University of California, Davis; Rachel Long, University of California Cooperative Extension; James McCreight, USDA-Agricultural Research Service

Problem and Project Summary: Cucumber beetles are serious pests of melons and other crops in the upper San Joaquin/lower Sacramento Valleys. The two species, Western Striped Cucumber Beetle and Western Spotted Cucumber Beetle, are not exotic pests; however, the agroecosystem has changed in some way, resulting in their increasing pest status. Adults feed on melon flowers, fruit, and foliage, while larvae feed on roots and on fruit contacting the soil. Insecticide usage for these pests has been high, and results have not been acceptable, especially for export markets. The overall goal of this research is to design and refine management programs for cucumber beetle pests in melons so as to protect the economic sustainability and reduce the environmental footprint of the industry.

Objective: 1) Establish a treatment threshold for fruit damage and a cucumber beetle monitoring plan (presently growers often treat at first sign); 2) investigate nonchemical management methods, including host plant resistance (comparison of cultivars) and biological control (a fly parasite of the adult); 3) study the biology of the two cucumber beetle species (overwintering sites, alternative hosts, movement patterns) to design alternative cultural management methods; and 4) investigate the efficacy of cucurbitacin semiochemical (kairomone) products for management of cucumber beetles in melons.

Development of Integrated Approaches for Clover Crown Borer Management
PI: Sujaya Rao, Oregon State University

Problem and Project Summary: Red clover, Trifolium pretense L. (Fabaceae) is a cool season perennial legume widely grown in temperate regions worldwide for pasturage, silage, hay, and green manure, and it is considered to be excellent forage and feed for livestock. Western Oregon contributes 70 percent of the domestic market and is ranked first for red clover seed production. A key pest for which no control options are available is a bark beetle, the clover crown borer (CCB), Hylastinus obscurus (Marsham) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). It is the sole factor limiting crop growth beyond 2 years, and in severely infested fields it can also cause large stand losses in the first crop year. In the West it is a pest in red clover raised for seed in Idaho and Oregon. The only known natural enemy is the fungal pathogen Beauveria sp., yet no research has been conducted on evaluation of this pathogen in management of the pest. However, insect pathogens, including entomopathogenic nematodes, have been documented to be effective against other beetle pests.

Objective: Build on research conducted in the past to develop IPM approaches for CCB management by conducting two studies: 1) evaluation of entomopathogenic nematodes for management of CCB and 2) evaluation of plant volatiles for adult attractivity and their use in autoinoculation as a strategy for suppression of adult CCB.

Integrating Biological Control of White Mold into Conventional and Organic Vegetable Rotations
PI: Alexandra Stone, Oregon State University

Problem and Project Summary: White mold (caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum) is a serious foliar and pod disease of snap beans grown for processing in western Oregon (20,000 acres) as well as in all major snap bean production regions in the United States (115,000 acres). Fields with greater than 6 percent infected bean pods are rejected by the processor, resulting in a complete crop failure. A highly effective fungicide used through 2005 for the control of both white and gray mold (Botrytis cinerea) is no longer available to conventional bean growers. The research goal of this joint research-extension project is to evaluate the impact and economics of serial Contans (fungal biocontrol agent, Coniothyrium minitans, Cm) applications on white mold severity in a vegetable rotation, both alone and in combination with resistant varieties and fungicides. The extension goal is to demonstrate Contans’ efficacy to regional farmers and to extend information on how to integrate biological control into mold management plans to a broad group of farmers and professionals.

Objectives: Research: 1) Evaluate the cumulative impact on disease severity of applying low rate Contans applications to each of four crops in a 2-year double-crop vegetable rotation; 2) evaluate the impact on white mold disease severity of low rate Contans applications combined with a moderately resistant bean cultivar; 3) evaluate the impact on white mold disease severity and sclerotial Cm infection of applying Contans through the irrigation system during snap bean bloom, with and without at-bloom conventional foliar fungicide applications; and 4) evaluate the economics of Contans use in snap bean and vegetable rotations. Extension: 1) demonstrate biological control of white mold with and to growers to facilitate adoption; 2) disseminate project results to a wider audience of farmers and agricultural professionals; and 3) train farmers and extension professionals in strategies for integrating Contans into systems management of white mold in vegetable rotations.

An integrated Disease Management Program for Banana Industries in the Pacific Islands
PI: Koon-Hui Wang and Jari Sugano, University of Hawaii; Cerruti Hooks, University of Maryland

Problem and Project Summary: Banana yields in Hawaii declined from 29 million pounds of fresh market bananas in 2000 to only 19.8 million pounds in 2007. Although this continual decline is largely attributed to Banana bunchy top virus (BBTV, Nanoviridae) transmitted by the banana aphid, Pentalonia nigronervosa, recent evidence suggests that plant-parasitic nematodes may also play a role in this decline. This joint research-extension project will develop an IPM program targeting BBTV, its aphid vector, and plant-parasitic nematodes that plague banana plantings in Hawaii and other underserved U.S. territories in the Pacific Islands.

Objectives: Research: 1)Develop a cultural control tactic for suppressing nematodes on banana; 2) evaluate a reduced insecticidal spray strategy by integration with bananacide injection. Extension: 1) Demonstrate the use of disease-free banana planting material with an integrated disease management (IDM) program, followed by economic analysis; 2) disseminate creditable facts to banana growers and extension personnel in the Pacific Islands regarding BBTV and nematodes; and 3) produce a layman publication on IPM of BBTV and nematodes on banana.

Developing a Statewide Invasive Plant Early Detection and Rapid Response (EDRR) Program: The Foundation of Effective Integrated Pest Management
PI: Jane Mangold, Montana State University

Problem and Project Summary: Invasion of agricultural and natural systems by non-indigenous plant species has been associated with a multitude of economic and ecological impacts. The objective of this extension project is to train, motivate, and provide support for invasive plant managers and volunteers to participate in a statewide invasive plant early detection and rapid response (EDRR) program. Early detection and rapid response to newly invading weeds is arguably the most important component of an IPM plan, because it proactively manages invasive plants while virtually eliminating unreasonable adverse environmental effects from the pest and its associated management practices. A coordinated, statewide EDRR program will reduce the risk of landscape level infestations, thereby reducing the widespread use of herbicides and the economic and ecological risks associated with invasive plants.

Objectives: 1) Conduct three workshops per year (six total) in Montana that provide training on the importance/rationale of EDRR as part of IPM, invasive plant identification, and using INVADERS Database (a comprehensive database of exotic plant names and weed distribution records for five states in the northwestern United States) for EDRR; 2) hold a contest among county weed coordinators to recruit and train volunteer invasive plant detectors; 3) hold volunteer weed monitoring days for specific high-priority species (e.g., yellow starthistle); 4) develop a webinar covering all materials in the workshops so other states within the INVADERS Database system (Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Wyoming) and people not able to attend local workshops within Montana still have access to the material; and 5) make all training materials available for use by states within the INVADERS Database system so similar programs can be implemented with little initial investment by relevant entities (i.e. university Extension, county weed coordinators/superintendents, state departments of agriculture).

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