Seven new projects, seven states

Since 1996, the Northeast Regional IPM Competitive Grants Program has funded 94 innovative IPM research, extension, and education projects. These projects have helped northeasterners reduce pesticide use in rural and urban areas, produce healthier plants and food, and improve farm profitability. Funded by USDA-CSREES through the Northeastern IPM Center, the program supports the work of our region’s land-grant institutions and helps us put our best scientific knowledge to use in the real world.

In 2008, the program has awarded $571,000 to support seven new projects. These projects address the pest management priorities of people in our region and show great promise for benefiting the environment and human health:

• Development of novel application technology for the control of the Asian tiger mosquito in urban environments (George Hamilton, Rutgers Univ.)
• Fungi, predatory mites, and habitat plants for thrips IPM in greenhouse ornamentals (Margaret Skinner, Univ. of Vermont)
• Development of enhanced, web-based New York and New England Tree Fruit Pest Management Guidelines (Harvey Reissig, Cornell Univ.)
• Winter grain and short-season corn double crop forage systems: An integrated weed management strategy (John Jemison, Univ. of Maine)
• Development and implementation of diagnostic tools to assess bee colony health (John Burand, Univ. of Massachusetts)
• Biological control of swallow-worts in the Northeast (Richard Casagrande, Univ. of Rhode Island)
• Combining a disease and weather monitoring network with measurements of inoculum potential for disease forecasting in vineyard IPM for southern New England (Francis Ferrandino, Connecticut Ag. Experiment Station)

Find out more about the Northeast Regional IPM Competitive Grants Program.