The Northeast Working Group on IPM for Golf is a network of stakeholders interested in Integrated Pest Management for golf IPM in the Northeastern Region of the United States. This network is a direct result of the project "Comprehensive IPM Principles for Golf Turf in the Northeast Region New" funded by the NSF Center for IPM. At a workshop on golf IPM held in New Brunswick, NJ on January 25 - 26, 2001, participants agreed to continue to work together in this network and also developed the lists of research and extension priorities listed below.
The participant roster of the New Brunswick workshop included 15 golf course superintendents, 18 Land Grant University researchers and/or educators, 2 U.S. Dept. of Defense researchers, 3 USGA staffers, and single representatives of US EPA, the New York City Dept. of Environmental Protection, New York Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides, and the New Jersey Environmental Federation. The complete roster will be available at this site soon. In addition to these we have approximately a dozen who could not attend the workshop but desire to be a part of future deliberations.
The Northeast Working Group on IPM has designated the following research and extension priorities that must be addressed in order to improve and expand implementation of IPM on golf courses in the Northeast region (** indicates particularly high ranking):Research
o Documentation of IPM impacts (economics, environmental, water quality) **
o Development of a "pesticide impact quotient" or comparable tool that managers can use to select pesticides appropriate for the local situation. **
o Forecast and sampling protocols for all important pests of golf turf. **
o Alternatives to current pesticides including new (non-pesticide) IPM techniques **
o Documentation of costs incurred (damage and cost of control) for specific pests.
o Impacts of GMOs, particularly herbicide-resistant turf varieties, on turf
o Development and demonstrations of systems approaches to IPM
Extension
o Aids for improved implementation of IPM for course superintendents, including **
- training for superintendents local mentoring teams seminars focused on specific components of the IPM protocols
- "train the trainers" programs
- user-friendly ways to implement latest research
- comprehensive WWW treatment of golf turf IPM
- timely IPM updates via a variety of media (email, fax, etc.)
o Educate & communicate with others: **
- Information about the benefits of golf turf IPM for public policy makers, golfers, course owners / superintendent employers
o Demonstrations of full-scale IPM
o Water quality measurement methodologies
o Development of site specific appendices to accompany current IPM protocols
o Directories of key people (USGA, research, extension, public officials)