IPM News and Events Roundup 1/21/2022
A weekly collection of IPM news, webinars, employment and funding opportunities and more from the NE IPM Center. If you have IPM-related research, events or other IPM news you would like to have included, please email me at nec2@cornell.edu. If you would like to subscribe to the weekly Roundup, please email northeastipm@cornell.edu. Past Roundups are archived here.
Check out the revamped “What’s bugging You” page of The New York State IPM Program.
This is my go to page when I get requests for information, like last year’s Lymantria dispar outbreak in the northeast. They have made it easier to ID your pest problem, added pests and categories, and added photos and video. This is a terrific resource for the entire northeast.
New Jersey establishes Jersey Native Plants Program, bill signed into law
A certain group of plants will soon be standing out among the rest at garden centers and nurseries across the state, thanks to a new bill, signed by Gov. Murphy on Monday, that calls for the establishment of a “Jersey Native Plants Program.” The bill, first introduced by former Sen. Kip Bateman (R-Somerset) in 2020, will create a labeling system and marketing campaigns similar to the “Jersey Fresh” and “Jersey Grown” initiatives, to help boost consumer awareness of, and interest in, the state’s native plant species.
California’s New Law Requires residents to compost food scraps
The basic requirement is for people to add all manner of food scraps to a green bin that they likely already have for yard trimmings. CalRecycle says the list of valid items includes "food, green material, landscape and pruning waste, organic textiles and carpets, lumber, wood, paper products, printing and writing paper, manure, biosolids, digestate, and sludges." Read the bill here.
National Association of State Departments of Agriculture sets federal policy focus for 2022
NASDA members, the state commissioners, secretaries and directors of agriculture, hand-selected nine issues to serve as the organization’s primary policy focus for 2022. They include the 2023 Farm Bill, animal health, climate resiliency, food safety, the food and production supply chain, infrastructure, international trade, workforce development and defining “waters of the United States.”
Rabbit Hemorrhagic Disease discovered in New York…again
Similar to wasting disease in deer, it spreads directly from rabbit to rabbit, and through excrement. It can live on surfaces, like bedding and hay and the deceased body of an infected rabbit. It can be passed by insects, and through contaminated materials like clothing — which means humans can spread it, even though they cannot contract it. So far, any cases that have popped up in New York state have only affected domestic rabbits, but that doesn’t diminish the risk to wild rabbits here.
USDA confirms Pathogenic Avian influenza in wild birds in North and South Carolina
A duck killed by a hunter in South Carolina had a contagious and dangerous bird flu that has not been detected in the wild in the U.S. in five years, officials said. The flu poses a low risk to people but can spread quickly through chicken houses and other poultry businesses. The Eurasian H5 avian influenza was first detected by Clemson University scientists and confirmed by federal testing, the school said in a news release. APHIS pages: https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/newsroom/stakeholder-info/sa_by_date/sa-2022/hpai-sc and https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/animalhealth/animal-disease-information/avian/avian-influenza/2022-hpai
There are TWO NIFA updates this week,:
One is a special edition on accomplishments in Priority areas in 2021
The other is their usual weekly update, with articles on NIFA in 2022, Funding and webinar opportunities and more.
New York State Agriculture Commissioner Richard A. Ball today announced that applications are open for New York State’s 2022 Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM) Leopold Conservation Award. Presented by the Sand County Foundation, the award honors a farm and its nominating Soil and Water Conservation District for extraordinary achievement in environmental stewardship. The $10,000 award is provided by the Sand County Foundation, in partnership with the Department, American Farmland Trust (AFT), and Cornell Cooperative Extension. Deadlines vary by state.
EPA Proposes expansion of Crop Grouping Program, accepting comments
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is proposing revisions to its pesticide tolerance crop grouping regulations, which allow the establishment of tolerances for multiple related crops based on data from a representative set of crops. EPA is proposing amendments to Crop Group 6: Legume Vegetables; Crop Group 7: Foliage of Legume Vegetables; Crop Group 15: Cereal Grains; and Crop Group 16: Forage, Fodder and Straw of Cereal Grains. EPA is also proposing amendments to the associated commodity definitions. This is the sixth in a series of planned crop group updates expected to be prepared over the next several years.
Science has a Problem, From Letters From the Desert blogger Chris Clarke
“I thought of that exchange a few months back as I sat in a public meeting listening to one corporate shill after another describe me as a “science denialist.” Not just me: the appellation was aimed at a whole group of people opposed to a bogus study that any objective observer would consider suspect. The study is being entirely funded by a corporation that thinks its continued existence depends on the outcome. It is being run by a scientist who for the last decade has been a vocal supporter of the corporation. It is being billed as an objective and independent study.”
Invasive Species:
Spotted Lanternfly News
Additional Spotted Lanternfly population detected in Worcester MA
The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR) announced that a small stand of trees was found to be infested in Shrewsbury, MA (Worcester County) with the invasive spotted lanternfly (Lycorma delicatula; SLF) earlier in January by MDAR surveyors. This is the second detection of a population of this insect in Massachusetts, following confirmation of SLF in the city of Fitchburg, MA in 2021.
Maryland Dept of Agriculture Expands quarantine zone
The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) today expanded its spotted lanternfly quarantine to include the following counties: Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Cecil, Frederick, Harford, Howard, Kent, Montgomery and Washington, as well as Baltimore City. This quarantine is effective immediately, and restricts the movement of regulated articles that might contain the spotted lanternfly in any of its life stages, including egg masses, nymphs, and adults.
Spotted Lanternfly Field Observations and Biological Control webinar is now available for viewing
The webinar featuring Eric Clifton of Cornell University and recorded on December 9, 2021 is on entomopathogenic fungi for Spotted Lanternfly is up for viewing
Customs and Border Patrol Top 10 Agriculture Seizures of 2021
In Fiscal Year 2021 alone, CBP issued 73,917 emergency action notifications for restricted and prohibited plant and animal products entering the United States, conducted 630,150 positive passenger inspections, and issued 7,190 civil penalties and/or violations to the traveling public for failing to declare prohibited agriculture items. These finds can range from the ordinary to the outrageous. (if you want to read about all the things CBP seizes, check out their page.)
Forest Protectors: Prioritizing Hemlocks, Toolkits now available
With HWA spreading across New York state and along the east coast, having a hemlock conservation plan in place, before your hemlocks are infested with this invasive pest, will allow you to put your resources towards the protection of the hemlocks you value the most. The New York State Hemlock Initiative has developed Hemlock Prioritization Tool Kits that generate a ranking system to help you prioritize your hemlock stands to make an informed decision on where to focus your hemlock conservation efforts if HWA has invaded, or were to spread to your forest.
Ticks:
A recently published study describes the infection prevalence of Peromyscus spp. mice and questing and partially engorged nymphal ticks collected at 6 sites in 5 counties in Maryland from May—August 2020. Questing nymph infection prevalence was 14%. Older and male mice were more likely to be infested. The proportion of attached Ixodes and the prevalence of B. burgdorferi infected Peromyscus mice varied between locations, with the highest prevalence in locations where Ixodes were the most commonly found ticks. B. burgdorferi infection prevalence in partially engorged I. scapularis nymphs collected from Peromyscus spp. was ~36%. These are important factors to consider when planning interventions to reduce Lyme disease risk.
Vector Specificity of Arborvirus Transmission
Mosquitoes and ticks are the primary vectors of arboviruses, but not all tick or mosquito species can transmit all viruses. Unlike mosquito-borne viruses, tick-borne viruses do not need to induce a high viremia in their vertebrate hosts to ensure vector infection, which is counterbalanced by long blood feeding lasting for hours to weeks and a longer life span measured in years rather than the weeks or months for mosquitoes. Both mosquitoes and ticks are sensitive to temperature, humidity, and photoperiod, but tick movements are more dictated by vertebrate host movements than mosquitoes' because most (except Hyalomma) ticks passively wait for hosts, while mosquitoes actively search for hosts.
Infographic on the Asian Longhorned Tick in the US: Hosts and Disease -Causing Bacteria Interactions, from the NE Vector-Borne Diseases Center
The Asian longhorned tick was first discovered in the U.S. in 2017 and has since then spread across northeastern and southeastern regions of the U.S. This infographic summarizes NEVBD-supported research on Asian longhorned tick feeding habits and ability to transmit diseases in Staten Island, New York, U.S.
Research:
Reversing insecticide resistance with allelic-drive in Drosophila melanogaster
University of California San Diego biologists have now developed a method that reverses insecticide resistance using CRISPR/Cas9 technology. As described in Nature Communications, researchers Bhagyashree Kaduskar, Raja Kushwah and Professor Ethan Bier with the Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS) and their colleagues used the genetic editing tool to replace an insecticide-resistant gene in fruit flies with the normal insecticide-susceptible form, an achievement that could significantly reduce the amount of insecticides used. Article here.
By contrast, despite much lower propagule pressure and shorter history of releases, we detected multiple established populations of S. galinae at release sites and at sites up to 90 km from the nearest release point approximately 3 yr after its most current release. Our findings show that S. galinae has established and spread rapidly following field releases whereas its congener, S. agrili has not. Although it may still be too early to evaluate the level of population control and ash protection afforded by S. galinae, these findings indicate the need for continued investment in S. galinae for emerald ash borer classical biological control efforts.
Webinars, Conferences, Meetings and more:
A Regional Imperative: Making the Case for Regional Food Systems, Jan 26, 1pm ET
Although the term “regional food system” is used more frequently these days, regional food systems are inadequately understood and valued. "A Regional Imperative: Making the Case for Regional Food Systems", a new Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG) report by Kathy Ruhf and Kate Clancy, takes a comprehensive look at regional food systems and makes a compelling case for their importance in food systems change work. Clancy and Ruhf are not new to this topic. This report greatly expands their 2010 NESAWG working paper: "It Takes a Region". As two of NESAWG’s founders, they have championed regionalism and regional food systems as core to NESAWG’s work for over three decades.
Greenhouse Growers Day in PA, January 27, 8am-3pm East Earl, PA
An annual one-day event for greenhouse growers and allied industries. Top quality speakers from industry and academia present current topics and critical information for successful greenhouse production and management, and excellent networking opportunities occur during the event for attendees.
Blood-Feeding Flies and Mosquitos, Feb 1, 11am MT, part of the National Park Service IPM series
Dr. Kimsey will cover the biology of blood-feeding flies in general but focus on the free-living blood-feeding mosquitoes, black flies, sand flies, and biting midges. He will introduce the order Diptera and its two suborders, the morphology and fundamental life history of this order, and then dive into specific examples of mosquitoes and black flies. He will also talk briefly about sandflies and biting midges. In each of these groups he will discuss larval habitats, biting behavior, and reproductive biology.
An Update on the Mitigation of the Spotted Lanternfly, Feb 3, 1pm ET
There has been a considerable amount of field and laboratory research and practice on how to control and eliminate the spotted lanternfly, an invasive species of insect that is a grave threat to Pennsylvania’s and the region’s fruit industry. This session summarizes some of that work with a panel led by Fred Strathmeyer, PA Department of Agriculture, and including Dana Rhodes, Dr. Julie Urban, and representatives from USDA.
Organic Confluences Conference: Equity and Access in AgTech, Feb 10, 9am-5:30pm ET
The Organic Center is collaborating with the USDA ERS and Purdue University on a virtual conference series examining agricultural technology (AgTech) in organic. The conferences will examine potential opportunities for technology to support the organic sector, pitfalls when it comes to access and equity in AgTech, historical and current examples of AgTech exacerbating the pre-existing structures of racism in the food system, and methods for analyzing AgTech’s fit within organic ideals.
NOFA VT Winter Conference, Feb 17-March 5, virtual
The 40th annual Winter Conference, Dream Into Being, is an invitation to pause, collectively dream the agricultural future longed for, and learn together about seeds to plant today to grow the fruits of tomorrow. Each year, the NOFA-VT Winter Conference provides a valuable opportunity for farmers, homesteaders, gardeners, land managers, educators, students, producers, policy-makers, and other food-system activists to participate in our vibrant community event by sharing ideas, resources, and skills. It is a time to celebrate, gather, and connect over the winter.
International IPM Symposium has some deadlines coming up. Feb 28-March 3, Denver, CO
Early Bird Registration Ends February 4, Hotel Room block release date also February 4; Sponsor and Exhibit Opportunities are still available.
For Registration and program info: https://ipmsymposium.org/2022/index.html
NOFA RI Winter Conference: Regenerative Agriculture, March 6, virtual
Regenerative Agriculture claims to offer the solutions to our agricultural and landcare problems, such as soil erosion and depletion, weed and pest abundance and pesticide tolerance, nutrient supply and availability, proper ecological roles for farm animals and so on. Through these regenerative methods Regenerative Ag also offers solutions to our wider, global crises such as climate change and ocean acidification through carbon sequestration into soils, less reliance on chemicals and mined minerals, and less fossil fuel consumption.
Northeast Cover Crops Council Conference, March 10-11, virtual
The Northeast Cover Crops Council, the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), and University of Vermont Extension invite you the fifth annual Northeast Cover Crops Council Conference. The conference will be held virtually on Thursday, March 10, 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and Friday, March 11, 9:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Each day of the conference will include a morning plenary session and graduate student lightning talks that all can access. Concurrent sessions you choose to attend follow, as well as networking opportunities!
Employment Opportunities:
Certification Specialist, Pennsylvania Certified Organic
The Certification Specialist serves as the primary contact between PCO and our certified organic clients. This position focuses on assessing and determining compliance of the operation’s organic system plan with organic regulations; conducting inspections, as assigned; evaluating inspection reports and writing/issuing reports to our clients; providing customer service and working collaboratively within the Certification Review Team. This position is primarily remote office-based with some minimal travel exceptions. The ideal candidate will have education and or experience in the following areas: familiarity with regulatory compliance and organic certification, knowledge of organic standards, agriculture and/or food science/processing, and organic/regulatory inspections. We are looking for a well-organized and self-motivated person to join our team-oriented environment at PCO. This is a full telecommuting position. Closing date Feb 18.
Assistant or Associate Professor of Sustainable Weed Management, CALS, Cornell University, tenure-track position, Ithaca, NY
The incumbent will embrace innovative approaches to both applied research and extension to address emerging threats and strengthen agriculture in New York State. Using a systems approach that combines insights from field trials with landscape-scale observational studies, the incumbent will devise sustainable weed management strategies that enhance productivity while minimizing environmental impacts. Responsibilities include devising integrated weed management strategies, with a specific emphasis on managing herbicide resistance, overcoming tradeoffs with sustainable intensification technologies such as reduced tillage, and adapting to a changing climate. Research will incorporate novel cultural, biological, physical, and chemical control practices that draw on advances in engineering, big data, digital agriculture, and genomics. Examples include weeding robots, thermal and electric weed control, harnessing fungi and bacteria to manage weeds, identifying synergies between new and existing control tactics, using cover crops for multifunctional weed control, enhancing crop competitiveness against weeds, and developing transgenic approaches that enable crops to access nutrients that are unavailable to weeds. Research may also focus on the ecosystem services provided by weeds, including soil carbon sequestration, water quality protection, and conservation of pollinators and other desirable wildlife, as well as metrics for valuing these services. Closing date March 4.
Biological Science Technician, US Fish & Wildlife, Seneca Falls, NY
The Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge is advertising for a temporary (up to two years) GS-06 bio tech position. The announcement is only open for five days - you have to apply by Tuesday, January 25. The position will require invasive species mapping and control, wildlife surveys, heavy equipment operation, work with volunteers, and general refuge work as assigned.
Catskill Regional Invasive Species Partnership has two positions open
Aquatic Invasive Species Manager: The AIS Manager leads aquatic invasive species prevention and management efforts and provides technical expertise and support to partners, volunteers and subcontractors. The AIS Manager will supervise the seasonal Aquatic Strike Team. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator: CRIPS is seeking an engaging, motivated and reliable full-time Volunteer & Outreach Coordinator to recruit, train, and retain volunteers to support the Catskill Center’s mission. This position will devote 50% of their time to CRISP and 50% supporting the Catskill Visitors Center, the Catskill Fire Tower Project, the Catskill Center’s land trust program, and other Catskill Center initiatives. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
Funding Opportunities:
USDA-NIFA New Beginnings for Tribal Students Program
New Beginning for Tribal Students makes competitive grants to land-grant colleges and universities to provide identifiable support specifically targeted for Tribal students. A land-grant college or university that receives this grant shall use funds for, but not limited to, recruiting; tuition and related fees; experiential learning; student services, including tutoring; counseling; academic advising; and other student services that would increase the retention and graduation rate of Tribal students enrolled at the land-grant college or university. The maximum one state can receive is $500,000 per year. Proposals due March 30.
USDA-NIFA Tribal Colleges Education Equity Grants Program
The TCEG program focuses on development of culturally responsive students and faculty who use students’ backgrounds and identities to create a dynamic and engaging learning environment. The purpose is to prepare students for roles in Tribal leadership, traditional knowledge, and other qualities of one’s culture that are necessary to prepare students for agricultural and related careers in the private sector, for work with Tribal and non-Tribal government, and in academia. TCEG teaching applications must demonstrably incorporate a Tribal leadership development component to equip students with technical and leadership abilities upon graduation.
USDA-NIFA Federally Recognized Tribes Extension Program
The purpose of this program is to establish an Extension presence and support Extension outreach on Federally Recognized Indian Reservations and Tribal jurisdictions of Federally-Recognized Tribes. This program seeks to continue the Land Grants mission of inclusion - providing education and research-based knowledge to those who might not otherwise receive it.