IPM Success Stories: Agriculture

An integrated pest management program running since the 1980s has led to fresh insights about a new invader. Scientists are deploying maps to aid the fight.

When Sysco began developing environmental guidelines 6 years ago, they turned to IPM specialists for advice. Now thousands of Sysco growers are using IPM, and Sysco reports a cumulative reduction of 3 million pounds of pesticide.

In New Jersey, a major center of blueberry and cranberry production, entomologists are using pheromones to lure weevils so growers can time their sprays for greatest effectiveness.

Penn State adapts early warning system for key pests, new crops. Pest forecasting models are a powerful tool, but high-tech early-warning systems require significant investment and expertise. To save costs, PA IPM researchers have adapted an existing online system.

Fresh ideas and strong relationships keep farm vibrant. Family farmer Don Dzen is convinced that expanding his use of IPM was a smart decision: “Each year there’s been something that paid for itself, something we were missing before.”

Five years ago, bacterial canker was a growing threat to New Jersey’s $28 million fresh market tomato industry. IPM researchers have introduced growers to a seed heat treatment that eliminates seed as the primary inoculum source.

Researchers, educators, consultants, and growers are working to synthesize current knowledge and create an advanced IPM system that could enhance profits and sustainability.

... especially when locally grown. Rice production is alluring both to locavores and to growers seeking ways to get production from marginal lands.