IPM News and Events Roundup 12/15/23
A weekly collection of IPM news, webinars, employment, funding opportunities, and more from the Northeastern IPM Center
If you have IPM-related research, events, or other IPM news you would like to have included, please email Jerrie Haines at jlh472@cornell.edu. If you would like to subscribe to the weekly Roundup, please email northeastipm@cornell.edu. Past Roundups are archived on our website.
I wish you a happy holiday season and the Roundup will return in the new year, January 5th, 2024.
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Northeastern IPM Center News
The Use of IPM in Beekeeping to Control Parasitic Varroa Mites
March 11, 2024 – 11:00 a.m.
Register at cornell.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_aG2wk8EKSXC2OTvB70BdrA
During this talk, you will learn about the parts of the IPM pyramid as they relate to controlling the parasitic varroa mite, widely the biggest problem in beekeeping. You will learn about breeding for mite resistance, cultural and mechanical controls, and chemical controls that are both organic-approved and synthetic. These items will be presented as a year in the life of a beekeeping operation.
Dr. Robyn Underwood received her BSc in Entomology and Applied Ecology from the University of Delaware and her PhD in Entomology from the University of Manitoba. As Penn State’s Extension Educator of Apiculture, she conducts scientific research projects to study beekeeper-applied questions and brings the results of the projects to the beekeepers through extension products that aim to make beekeeping a more successful venture.
The Northeast IPM Center Research Updates Conference webinars that were held on November 13th and 16th, recordings are available at the following links:
Day 1:
Day 2:
Research in the News
A volatilized pyrethroid insecticide from a mosquito repelling device does not impact honey bee foraging and recruitment (academic.oup.com | 11/2023)
Because nontarget, beneficials, like insect pollinators, may be exposed unintentionally to insecticides, it is important to evaluate the impact of chemical controls on the behaviors performed by insect pollinators in field trials. Here we examine the impact of a portable mosquito repeller, which emits prallethrin, a pyrethroid insecticide, on honey bee foraging and recruitment using a blinded, randomized, paired, parallel group trial. We found no significant effect of the volatilized insecticide on foraging frequency (our primary outcome), waggle dance propensity, waggle dance frequency, and feeder persistency (our secondary outcomes), even though an additional deposition study confirmed that the treatment device was performing appropriately. These results may be useful to consumers that are interested in repelling mosquitos, but also concerned about potential consequences to beneficial insects, such as honey bees.
Nesting cavity diameter has implications for management of the alfalfa leafcutting bee (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) (academic.oup.com | 11/2023)
Body size influences performance in many bee species and may be influenced by nesting cavity diameter in cavity-nesting bees. Megachile rotundata (Fabricius) (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae) is a commercially-managed, solitary cavity-nesting bee. In M. rotundata body size has low heritability and is strongly influenced by the size of the larval provision and the diameter of the nesting cavity. Commercial nesting boxes have cavities that are 7 mm in diameter. Our goal was to examine the effects that nesting cavity diameter has on M. rotundata body size and performance by manipulating the size of cavities that are available for nesting. We provided bees with nesting cavities that ranged in size from 4 to 9 millimeters in 1 mm increments. To assess body size we measured mass and intertitular span. To assess performance we measured wing area, wing loading, sex, overwintering survival, pollen ball occurrence, and diapause status in the offspring. We also examined the reproductive output from the different nest cavity diameters.
Biocontrol of invasive weeds under climate change: progress, challenges and management implications (sciencedirect.com)
Classical biocontrol of invasive plants, in which insect agents from the invasive plant’s native range are introduced to reduce the plant’s spread in the invaded range, can be effective in managing invasive plants. But understanding the impacts of biocontrol is key; its efficacy will likely be influenced by climate change. Sun and colleagues (2020) summarized recent literature in order to help researchers and managers make predictions on how invasive plants and biocontrol agents may respond to climate change. Elevated CO2 levels can change plant C:N ratios and increase herbivory, or cause an increase in phenolic production and reduce herbivory. Combined with increased temperature, it can also increase plant growth rates, increase the number of insect generations per year, and trigger the migration of both invasive plants and biocontrol agents. Predicting the strength of each effect is important, requiring studies on ecological and evolutionary responses to climate change. Ecological responses could be measured by predicting habitat and climate suitability for plants and agents with species-distribution models. Rapid-evolutionary responses can be understood by assessing the genetic variance of traits involved in plant-agent interactions, through tracking the response in traits when put under climate-change growing conditions.
EPA News
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released final guidance to pesticide registrants to improve the efficiency of EPA’s Endangered Species Act (ESA) analyses for new outdoor uses of existing conventional pesticides and biopesticide active ingredients. This guidance fulfills requirements outlined in the Pesticide Registration Improvement Act of 2022 (PRIA 5) and furthers goals outlined in EPA’s 2022 ESA Workplan to protect listed species from exposure to pesticides.
Among other requirements, PRIA 5 mandates that EPA develop and issue guidance to registrants regarding analyses necessary to support the evaluation of potential adverse effects from new outdoor uses of pesticide products on listed species and their designated critical habitats. The guidance must cover new outdoor uses of conventional pesticides and biopesticides. PRIA 5 specifies that the final guidance be available for public comment and be finalized within 12 months of PRIA 5 issuance.
The information contained in this guidance is largely the same as that contained in the PRIA 5 guidance for new active ingredients and registration review. The reason is that even though a new active ingredient application and a new outdoor use application are different actions, the underlying ESA analyses are similar.
From September 21st to October 16th, EPA took public comment on the draft guidance and received eight comments from stakeholders including pesticide registrants, commodity groups, and environmental organizations. EPA considered these public comments before finalizing the guidance, but no significant changes were made.
Although this document does not create new requirements for applicants, its recommendations will help applicants address potential effects to listed species for new outdoor uses of existing pesticide active ingredients. In particular, the recommendations focus on actions that applicants can voluntarily pursue to inform their proposed mitigation measures for listed species. These actions include identifying where a pesticide will be used, how species may be exposed to the pesticide, and how to select mitigation to reduce the exposure. If followed, these recommendations should expedite the review for new outdoor uses of existing conventional pesticides and biopesticide active ingredients under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) and improve the efficiency of the overall ESA-FIFRA process.
EPA is prioritizing ESA assessments for new uses that involve genetically modified seeds and registered pesticides for which EPA has already met some or all of its ESA obligations for another use, but the Agency recognizes that the requirement to complete an ESA assessment applies to all new use submissions.
The guidance is available in docket EPA-HQ-OPP-2023-0281 and on EPA’s website.
News
Pest Talks (growertalks.com | 12/11/23)
Interpreting Cold Hardiness
OHP-Certis Partnership
MSU's Lighting Workshop
LED Impacts on Bugs
New Study Expands Knowledge of Kissing Bug Range in U.S. (entomologytoday.org | 12/14/23)
As we continue to experience consequences of climate change, a common question in my world of vector-borne disease epidemiology is whether vectors, pathogens, and subsequently human disease incidence will expand northward in the United States. To answer this question, however, we need a baseline measurement of distribution before we can start to measure potential movement or expansion.
In a new study published last week in the Journal of Medical Entomology, a team of fellow researchers and I sought to describe all historical and current observations of one kind of disease vector, kissing bugs, in two U.S. states: Illinois and Missouri.
HPAI Confirmed in Backyard Flock of Non-Commercial Birds in Orleans County, VT (morningagclips.com | 12/11/2023)
The Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets (VAAFM) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) have confirmed the presence of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), also known as avian influenza, in a non-commercial backyard (non-poultry) flock in Orleans County. Samples taken by VAAFM and USDA officials last Monday were tested and confirmed for HPAI by the National Veterinary Services Laboratories (NVSL) in Ames, Iowa.
Ancient Mummies’ Lousy View of the Past (the-scientist.com)
When researchers first discovered a louse egg on an ancient human hair, they realized that head lice have itched human scalps for more than 10,000 years.1 Alejandra Perotti, senior lecturer in the biological sciences department at the University of Reading, recently discovered an unexpected benefit of these pesky insects. In a study published in Molecular Biology and Evolution, Perotti showed that the glue that attaches louse eggs, or nits, to hair preserved human DNA for more than 2,000 years, enabling her team to analyze mummies’ genetics without disturbing their remains.2 She used this nondestructive technique to track the migratory paths of ancient humans through South America.
Surveys
Farmland Prices and Soil Health
Have you or are you considering buying farmland or working with people who are? We would be interested to hear from you as a farmland owner about your preferences when purchasing or leasing farmland. If you work with farmland owners or tenants, we would greatly appreciate your forwarding our survey to them. The survey is part of a research project focusing on the (potential) relationship between soil health and farmland prices. Through this research, we aim to explore whether farmland owners are incentivized to build healthy soils when planning to sell their farmland. Additionally, we want to explore if there is a theoretical business model of buying degraded farmland, regenerating it, and selling it for a profit. If there is no relationship between soil health and farmland prices, we will look at policy solutions that incentivize farmland owners to build healthy soils. Ultimately, we hope this research helps farmers and landowners who are good farmland stewards to be rewarded for their soil health-building efforts. Through this, we hope to move our agricultural system toward greater resilience, long-term profitability, and sustainability. Please contact Maximilian Bucher-Melcer (mbb266@cornell.edu) for any questions.
Survey link: https://cornell.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6kS2mTbjF1aIKvY
Survey on Annual Bedding Plants Supply Chain analysis in the USA (eIRB # 25951)
This project is assessing the U.S. annual bedding plant industry to better understand the supply chain flow patterns and sustainability efforts being conducted throughout the chain. The outcomes of this research will include articles in industry magazines, extension publications, and presentations on usable information at Cultivate and other industry events.
Your response matters! If you participate in the annual bedding plant industry, like growing, buying, selling, or supporting businesses. Your participation is completely anonymous and voluntary. The survey will only take around 10-15 minutes. Please click on the link below to start the survey.
Follow this link to the survey:
Take the survey
Webinars, Seminars, Meetings, and More
What’s Bugging You First Friday is a monthly virtual series that explores timely topics to help you use integrated pest management (IPM) to avoid pest problems and promote a healthy environment where you live, work, learn and play. IPM is a wholistic approach that uses different tools and practices to not only reduce pest problems, but to also address the reasons why pests are there in the first place. Each month, our speakers will share practical information about how you can use IPM.
The 2024 What’s Bugging You First Friday schedule is now available on the program’s website, and you can register for multiple events using our registration form. We look forward to seeing you in 2024!
January 5th: Winter Tree & Shrub Pruning | 2023 First Friday Recap
February 2nd: NYS Plant Regulations | Choosing Native Plants
March 1st: Changes to Home Garden Insecticide in NY | Tick Blitz
April 5th: Weed ID | Rats in Vegetable Gardens
May 3rd: No-Mow May | What to do with Grass Clippings
June 7th: Tick & Mosquito Yard Treatments | Myth: Mosquito Repellent Plants
July 5th: Japanese Beetle Management | Aphid-Eating Insects
August 2nd: Spotted Lanternfly Update | Box Tree Moth Update
September 6th: Back to School: Bed Bugs | Head Lice
October 4th: Identifying Pests in Your Home
November 1st: 2024 Tick Blitz Results | No Spray Needed
December 6th: Feed the Birds | Repurposing a Holiday Tree
NOFA-NY's 2024 Winter Conference
NOFA-NY’s Annual Winter Conference draws hundreds of farmers, food system professionals, educators, advocates, researchers, homesteaders, and gardeners who are passionate about building a better food system.
Saturday, January 20 – Sunday, January 21, 2024
at the Marriott Syracuse Downtown
Classical Weed Biological Control 101 Short Course
The North American Invasive Species Management Association (NAISMA) Classical Weed Biological Control 101 Short Course is an asynchronous, professional, online short course that was created to provide you with knowledge about the science, application, and regulation of classical weed biological control. Experts from NAISMA have created this content just for you!
This asynchronous course consists of six sequenced video presentations, along with supplemental materials for in-depth learning and assessment. It takes approximately three hours to complete this online short course. This class was developed by professionals with real world experience managing invasive plants.
Registration Fee:
Free for all thanks to funding from the USDA Forest Service.
Get Outdoors this Winter! SLELO PRISM in collaboration with partners, will hold our annual Virtual Hike Challenge (VHC) happening November 2023, through March 2024. This challenge encourages community members to get outdoors and provides simple instructions to help you keep an eye out for hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA). HWA is an invasive forest pest that kills hemlock trees which play an important role in water quality and provide many ecoservices for nature and people. HWA is confirmed to be present in Oswego County and is spreading along the Eastern Lake Ontario shoreline. Participating in the VHC is easy, all you have to do is sign-up, visit your favorite hiking trail (or visit one of our suggested survey sites), look for HWA, report your observations to iMapInvasives, and share your experience on social media! Not only will you have an excuse to get outside this winter, but you’ll be protecting your forests and will win a prize for your efforts!
If you’re interested in a more “hands-on” experience, SLELO PRISM and the Tug Hill Tomorrow Land Trust are hosting guided walk and talks to train volunteers to survey for HWA. Participants will learn to identify hemlock trees, recognize the signs of HWA, and report observations using a free community science mobile app called iMapInvasives. Below is a list of upcoming hikes occurring November through March (registration is required).
2023-2024 Walk & Talk Schedule (held from 10 AM- 12 PM) Click to Register
- 1/10/24 Trenton Greenbelt, Holland Patent
- 2/14/24 Forest Park, Camden
- 3/13/24 Great Bear Rec. Area, Fulton
Take the Pledge to Protect: Are you looking for an easy and fun way to protect your favorite outdoor spaces now and for generations to come? Take the Pledge to Protect and learn simple and fun ways you can protect your favorite hiking trails, paddle-ways, forests, garden and community from invasive species.
The Pledge to Protect was developed by SLELO PRISM as a resource intended to educate and inspire you to protect your lands and waters from the impacts of invasive species. Upon taking the Pledge, you become a “Protector” and are sent monthly email blogs that provide simple actions you can take to protect your favorite outdoor spaces from invasive species and chances to win prizes by taking the suggested actions. In addition, the Pledge to Protect offers a social media toolbox, and virtual toolboxes themed for 5 pledge categories including: gardens, communities, waters, forests, and lands & trails. Each toolbox provides you with resources relevant to the environmental category and includes, invasives you may encounter, best management practices, regional and state-wide community science opportunities, prevention methods, and many links to helpful apps and other resources. To sign up to take the pledge visit iPledgeToProtect.org.
30-HOUR PESTICIDE CERTIFICATION COURSE AND DEC EXAM - ELMSFORD NY
This program is designed and approved by the DEC to meet the requirements to become a Commercial Pesticide Technician in category 3a or 3b. To become a fully and finally licensed pesticide applicator, after completing this 30-hour course and passing the exam, you will then only need to either have:
• one year of verifiable experience as a
technician with an additional 12 hours of category
• specific recertification training; or
two years of verifiable experience as a technician
(Without the additional recertification training)
Several Classes offered dates ranging from January 22, 2024 – February 1, 2024
Click here to view flyer and see details
What’s all the Buzz about IPM?
Integrated pest management (IPM) has been around for over 50 years and yet overall adoption and implementation is lagging. At the same time, the recent changes to the Food Modernization Safety Act (FMSA), the Endangered Species Act (ESA) which resulted in changes towards the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) have brought back the emphasis on IPM. However, is the public ready for this concept or are they still willing to make choices based on speed not knowledge? How do we reframe IPM so that its more widely accepted by our audiences.
Speaker: Janet A. Hurley, ACE, MPA
Senior Extension Program Specialist IPM, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
Date: December 20, 2023 Time: 11:15 am - 12:15 pm
Location: Zoom Register to attend
The Dilemma for Control of Invasive Species: Incorrect Terms Limit Our Capacity to Respond
December 20, 2023 @ 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm CDT
Presented by Neil Anderson, B.S., M.S., Ph.D.
In a perfect world, definitions of plant responses in the environment are treated as absolutes. Yet we acknowledge the genetic and environmental responses that phenotypes have during evolution, namely plasticity, pose difficulties in decision-making for land managers. Our terminology needs to follow suit to avoid presumptive jargon creating misfits in our understanding for land management. We will examine sets of absolutist, oppositional terminology that obstruct invasive species research, using a native yet invasive species as a framework (Phalaris arundinacea): native/exotic and invasive/non-invasive, etc. By refocusing our lenses, a taxon should be regarded in terms of its capacity to establish and spread and the potential threat(s) it poses to natural and/or managed landscapes. In other words, view each taxon as a species, rather than associated labels that divert its potential to drain resources for potential control. Re-examination for potential control (yes/no) requires that each land-holding interest group (federal, state or provincial; Tribal; local authorities; private landowners) differentially shift their land managers’ perspectives and approaches for control. Regulatory agents will, likewise, need to reformulate particular legislation for control of a native invasive species that had been previously assumed as exotic or foreign in origin.
The objective of the Food Processing Pest Management Workshop and post-workshop sessions is to provide information to enable structural and food industry pest control operators and their clientele to improve their pest management skills.
Recertification credits have been assigned for applicators certified in New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.
Date: February 6, 2024 - February 7, 2024
Time: 7:15 am - 11:30 am
Location
RIT Inn & Conference Center, Henrietta, NY
Vegetable Seed Production Course and Mentorship Available to Growers Throughout the Northeast
To increase the number of growers able to produce high quality regionally adapted vegetable, herb, and flower seed in the northeast a group of educators, experienced seed producers, and regional seed companies is working together to offer a training in seed production and connect participants to markets for their seed. Last year 65 commercial growers participated in the course, and we are inviting another 65 to participate this season. The course is free through generous support of a Northeast SARE Research and Education grant, but we expect participants to fully engage in the course and to share their experiences with us at the end of the course.
The online course, which starts January 10thand runs for 10 weeks, is designed to help growers determine whether seed production is a good choice for their farm and then to guide them in selecting an initial seed crop to grow for sale, on-farm, or community use. Each week will feature guest speakers with expertise in seed production, plant pathology, seed economics, and more. During the course participants will form learning cohorts and will work with a mentor throughout the 2024 growing season to successfully produce a quality seed crop. The cohorts will have monthly group check-ins via Zoom and one-on-one access to a grower mentor experienced in producing their chosen seed crop. At the end of the season, participants can sell their marketable seed crops back to the companies that provided stock seed.
Here Today, Gone Tomorrow: What to do if neonicotinoids are banned in New York State
Wednesday, February 7, 2024, 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM
The Birds and Bees Protection Act bill (A. 7640/ S. 1856-A) has been introduced in the New York State Senate and Assembly. If passed, this bill will ban use of these products for non-agricultural, turf and landscape purposes by 2027. Join us to learn about the current use of neonicotinoids; the pests they are suitable for, potential impacts to beneficial organisms and optimal use of neonics. Current alternatives to neonics will also be discussed with emphasis on preventative management strategies and curative management. We will also dive into the challenges of finding alternatives to these products and will address where these alternatives may be lacking compared to the neonics.
To register: Webinar Registration - Zoom
Technical Assistance Webinar: FY 2024 RFA Crop Protection and Pest Management Program
This is the technical assistance webinar for the FY 2024 Crop Protection and Pest Management Program. This year, both the Applied Research and Development Program (ARDP) and the Extension Implementation Program (EIP) are competed. This webinar is open to all who are already awarded, previous and new applicants of the program or interested in learning the full coverage of the CPPM (eligibility, objectives, how to apply, evaluation criteria and more.) The FY 2024 request for Applications (RFA) incorporates a few changes, so if you are interested in learning more, please join us.
Funding page: Crop Protection and Pest Management Program funding and RFA page
Program page: Crop Protection and Pest Management Program
Start Date: Tuesday, 12/19/2023 - 1:00pm - - 2:30pm EST
Event Type: Technical Assistance
Extension Master Gardener Program
The UVM Extension Master Gardener program is currently accepting registrations for their 16-week online signature course starting on January 19. The course covers a wide array of topics, including vegetable, fruit, and ornamental gardening; integrated pest management of insects and diseases; soils; tree care; sustainable landscaping; and more. Two tracks are available: Track 1 for those aiming to become certified UVM Extension Master Gardener Volunteers, with a 40-hour internship requirement, and Track 2 for non-residents and Vermont gardeners interested in home horticulture study without certification. The registration deadline is January 12, with a $400 fee for Vermont residents, $550 for non-residents. Vermont residents can apply for scholarships until December 15. To learn more and register, visit http://go.uvm.edu/mastergardener.
Technical Assistance Webinar: Methyl Bromide Transition Program RFA
The FY 2024 Request for Applications (RFA) for the USDA NIFA Methyl Bromide Transition (MBT) Program was published on November 27, 2023.
- Please visit the MBT Funding Opportunity page for more information: Methyl Bromide Transition Program | National Institute of Food and Agriculture (usda.gov)
- Closing Date: February 13, 2024 5:00pm ET
A Technical Assistance Webinar about this RFA/ Funding Opportunity is scheduled on December 21, 2023 from 12:30-1:45pm ET. Preregistration is required.
The webinar will be recorded and posted on the NIFA YouTube channel soon after.
Register NOW for the 2024 Tristate Greenhouse IPM Workshops!
Tristate Greenhouse IPM Online Workshop 2024
Description: Annual greenhouse and high tunnel pest management workshop for growers across ME, NH and VT.
Course Dates: This is a two-part workshop: January 18, 2024, from 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM EST and January 25, 2024, from 1:00 PM to 3:30 PM EST.
Group Registration (IMPORTANT): You will also have the ability during this registration process to register multiple individuals. If registering as a "group," please provide the complete contact information for EACH attendee to ensure pesticide applicator re-certification credits are awarded!
Price: $50 per person and covers attendance at one or both sessions.
Payment Terms: All payments are final. No refunds will be issued.
For questions, please contact Cheryl Sullivan, Department of Plant and Soil Science, via email at cfrank@uvm.edu or call (802) 656-5434.
Episode: Breeding Squash for Disease Resistance and ‘Eating Quality’
This series of episodes of Voices from the Field is part of a series co-produced by ATTRA and SARE that explores the different ways farmers are working to create new local markets for specialty and niche crops. Each partner episode will address a different production system or crop–from endives to small-grain value chains–and will feature farmers sharing their production and marketing strategies, challenges and successes along the way.
In this episode, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Justin Duncan talks with Edmund Frost at the Twin Oaks Intentional Community in Virginia. Edmund is the managing director of Common Wealth Seed Growers, a cooperative of seed growers producing farmer-grown, regionally trialed seeds in the Southeast.
Research Topic “Focus on Spotted Lanternfly” edited by Drs Houping Liu, Xiaoyi Wang, and Miriam Cooperband has been published as an eBook by Frontiers of Insect Science. It addresses current knowledge gaps in biology, ecology, and management of SLF through the collection of 20 outstanding articles generated by various research groups in the forefront of the struggle from the United States and China. Follow the link (https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/35779/focus-on-spotted-lanternfly) for a FREE copy (PDF/EPUB) of this 245-page eBook if interested.
Save the Date!
2024 Spotted Lanternfly Summit
Date: February 27th – March 1st
Location: Central Pennsylvania
Key Highlights:
New research findings
Outreach and management discussions
Strategic plan updates
Fellowship Opportunities
USFS Fellowship in Climate and Forest Management
The ORISE Fellow will conduct research contributing to the Forest Climate Indicators project, and will engage in product co-production, outreach, and training at every stage of the project.
Research Project: The ORISE Fellow will engage in research, collaboration, and outreach with the Northeast and Midwest Climate Hubs and partners at Cornell University’s Northeast Region Climate Center on a project called “Using the Applied Climate Information System (ACIS) to Support Adaptation Management and Planning in Forestry Across Multiple Time Scales” (herein called the “Forest Climate Indicators” project). The aim of the project is to align climate change indicators with the needs of forestry stakeholders. Tracking trends in weather and changes in conditions using indicators can help forest managers make decisions. The research team will co-develop relevant indicators with stakeholders and design ways to apply the indicators across various temporal and spatial scales. Identifying and quantifying changes in climatic change affecting forests using these indicators and real-time weather data will guide development and adoption of effective adaptation, resilience, and sustainability practices.
USFS Tribal Climate Equity Fellowship with the USDA Northeast Climate Hub
The ORISE Fellow will engage in research and collaboration on climate equity specifically for Tribes and Tribal communities.
Research Project: The first project will focus on identifying climate equity issues in the region using literature reviews and other research methods. Climate equity ensures the just distribution of benefits from climate resilience efforts and alleviates unequal burdens created by climate change. We will define the scope and scale of these issues, communicate these results to our stakeholders, and collaborate with other scientists, other ORISE fellows, Hub leadership, and partners to determine potential solutions and pathways for achieving climate equity.
This fellow will also engage on our project: “Climate Smart Tools for the Tribal Soil Climate and Analysis Network (TSCAN)”. In 2017, the USDA Northeast Climate Hub worked with USDA-NRCS and the USDI Bureau of Indian Affairs to fund extensions of the automated meteorological stations in the SCAN network onto Tribal lands. Presently, there are 22 TSCAN (Tribal-SCAN) sites with strong interest for additional sites among the 574 Federally recognized Tribes. The goal of this work is to 1) determine needs for additional climate-smart tools that use data from the SCAN and TSCAN networks, 2) to create tools that address these needs, and 3) to provide education and outreach about the use and value of the existing and new tools. Two audiences will be targeted in the needs assessment, tool development, and outreach. The first audience is Tribal members and Tribal staff of the 22 Tribes presently operating TSCAN sites. The secondary audience is current and potential SCAN users such as producers and conservation planners. This ORISE fellow will help engage these key partners through listening sessions and meetings to identify interests and community needs for climate and weather data.
Employment Opportunities
University of Maine Cooperative Extension
This position will develop and conduct educational programs and applied research projects throughout the state with an emphasis on Maine’s green industry. Maine agricultural industries of focus include floriculture, nurseries, garden centers, arboriculture, greenhouse production, and clients involved in consumer horticulture. This position works with other extension faculty, advisory boards, and commodity associations to offer programs addressing the educational needs of Maine’s landscape designers, landscape professionals, nursery growers, propagators, arborists, growers, and professional gardeners.
Assistant Professor, Extension Specialty Crops Plant Pathologist
The University of Tennessee - Knoxville: UT Institute of Agriculture: Entomology & Plant Pathology
The recruited individual is expected to develop and deliver a vibrant, nationally recognized innovative applied research and Extension education program focused on diseases of important and emerging crops of Tennessee (e.g., fruits, vegetables, tobacco, hemp, hops). The individual will provide technical expertise on disease management, will develop an educational program(s) using traditional and innovative outreach tools for diverse audiences (e.g., Extension agents and specialists, producers, regional and state leaders, Master Gardeners), and will provide leadership in developing a specialty crop Extension and outreach programs that meet the needs of all eligible clientele regardless of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, and parental status. The candidate also is expected to develop an innovative applied research program of state, regional, or national importance that addresses important plant health and disease issues of specialty crops, to participate in the training and mentoring of undergraduate and graduate students, and to provide service to the department, university, and professional societies or organizations.
Extension Assistant Professor - Sustainable Fruit & Vegetable Production
UMass Amherst
The Stockbridge School of Agriculture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst invites applications for a full-time, 12-month, Extension faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor. The successful candidate will participate as a full member of UMass faculty in a 12-month, non-tenure track appointment.
We are looking for a candidate who will develop applied research and Extension programs that will support commercial fruit and vegetable production while investigating and implementing innovative and sustainable production systems that support farm sustainability and viability. Instructional responsibilities may include courses in sustainable horticulture, fruit or vegetable production, or related courses in the candidate’s disciplinary area.
Click HERE for more information on the position and how to apply.
Review of applicants will begin November 15, 2023, and will continue until an ideal candidate is identified. Questions can be directed to the search committee chair, Dr. Jaime Piñero (jpinero@umass.edu).
Assistant/Associate Extension Educator for Controlled Environment Agriculture
University of Connecticut
This full-time, 11-month appointment for a non-tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant/Associate Extension Educator in CAHNR to collectively advance Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA). The successful candidate is expected to develop strong working relationships with producers throughout the state; interact with UConn faculty, state, and federal agency personnel; and develop interdisciplinary extension programs. This is an off-campus, county-based position. Assignment of office location is negotiable in the northwest or northeast part of the state and requires the individual to travel.
Extension Assistant Professor - Urban Agriculture
UMass Amherst
The Stockbridge School of Agriculture at the University of Massachusetts Amherst invites applications for a full-time, non-tenure track, 12-month, Extension faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor. We are looking for a candidate who will develop an integrated program in urban agriculture involving Extension, teaching, and research.
Urban agriculture encompasses a wide range of skills and expertise that includes, but is not limited to, horticulture, indoor production, environmental remediation, soil health, community and urban development, nutrition, and food systems. A new faculty member would link efforts in these areas in Stockbridge, the Center for Agriculture, Food & the Environment, and the University in an urban agriculture and food systems program. The new faculty member will have the opportunity to modify and develop courses in urban horticulture and food systems in Stockbridge for both campus and online programs, and guide students in related internships.
Click HERE for more information and to apply.
Review of applicants will begin December 1, 2023, and will continue until an ideal candidate is identified. Questions can be directed to the search committee chair, Dr. Daniel Cooley (dcooley@umass.edu).
This position is with the Armed Forces Pest Management Board (AFPMB), and is located at Forest Glenn Annex, Silver Spring MD.
- Serve as the senior entomologist and technical expert with the Strategy and Information Division (SID), Armed Forces Pest Management Board (AFPMB).
- Receive, evaluate, research, coordinate, and prepares interim and final responses to inquiries pertaining to tactical herbicides locations from various offices.
- Provide instruction on technical work matters and integrate the work of other team members to produce a consistent, unified, and practical product.
- Oversee information product materials, including updating, editing, and reviewing technical guides, Department of Defense Instructions (DoDI’s), Department of Defense Manuals (DoDM’s), Website, and Disease Vector Ecology Profiles (DVEPS).
The Department of Entomology at the University of California, Riverside is seeking to fill two tenure-track positions for Assistant Professors/Assistant Entomologists, starting July 1, 2024. These positions are part of a cluster hire in the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, aimed at enhancing the research and teaching excellence in the areas of agroecology and sustainable pest management, and genetics and genomics of arthropod vectors of human diseases.
The successful candidate will develop an innovative, fundamental and applied research program on the interface of sustainability, global change biology, landscape ecology, and integrated pest management to develop responses to endemic and invasive arthropods and vector-borne pathogens affecting commercial agriculture and urban farms. Teaching responsibilities may include participation in existing courses in IPM, insect ecology, population biology, and pest management, developing new courses in agroecology, global change and the sustainable pest management sciences, as well as supervision of graduate and undergraduate students. For more details and application instructions, please visit this link.
The successful candidate will develop a strong basic and/or translational research program investigating the molecular, genetic, and/or genomic basis of arthropod vectors of human diseases. Teaching responsibilities may include participation in existing courses on medical entomology, molecular biology, genomics, disease transmission, and population genetics, as well as development of new courses and supervision of graduate and undergraduate students. For more details and application instructions, please visit this link.
Northeast SARE Administrative Council Seeking Members
The Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program is seeking people to serve on its Administrative Council (AC). Northeast SARE is one of four regional SARE programs funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). The program offers competitive grant programs for farmers, educators, agricultural service providers, researchers, graduate students and others to address key issues affecting the sustainability of agriculture. To learn more about Northeast SARE, visit www.northeastsare.org
Currently, Northeast SARE is seeking to fill three open seats:
- a farmer representing the aquaculture farming community;
- a farmer representing the BIPOC farming community, and
- a person with experience working in an organization representing migrant farm employees.
To learn more about the role of the AC please visit: https://northeast.sare.org/about/our-team/northeast-sare-administrative-council/
Interested individuals should submit, preferably as a single PDF file: a letter briefly describing 1) which open AC seat they are applying for, 2) their relevant experience 3) why they are interested in serving on the AC, 4) the business or organization where they work, along with 5) their resume. Please send this information to Northeast SARE director Dr. Vern Grubinger, Northeast SARE director, at vernon.grubinger@uvm.edu by December 31, 2023.
Part-Time Program Assistant - Pennsylvania IPM (Integrated Pest Management) Program
The Pennsylvania IPM (Integrated Pest Management) Program, based in the Dept. of Entomology at Penn State, seeks a bilingual (English/Spanish) Outreach Specialist to work in urban communities in Philadelphia and beyond to implement IPM programs and maintain and develop relationships with PA IPM partners. The successful applicant will work as part of a team to support and sustain IPM using face-to-face and online activities to teach the public how to control pests (bed bugs, cockroaches, mice, rats, etc.) in structures in urban communities, including single family homes, row houses, schools, commercial buildings, and other settings. The successful applicant will conduct public outreach including attending community and task force meetings, and events such as health and community events. Latinx residents make up over 15% of Philadelphians, and even higher proportions in some collar-counties (e.g., Latinx make up over 23% of Berks residents). This is an important and growing constituency for IPM outreach and adoption and will be a major focus for this position. Spanish speaking, reading, and writing fluency is required. Additionally, one must be a trusted worker who is respected by the people they serve and able to apply their own unique understanding of the experience, socio-economic needs, language, and/or culture of the communities served.
Environmental Horticulture Program Manager
The IR-4 Project seeks an Environmental Horticulture Program Manager to join its Headquarters team based on North Carolina State University’s Centennial Campus.
Reporting to the Executive Director, this role will coordinate research and pesticide (bio-based and chemical) registration activities on non-food, ornamental plant species. This position is aligned with the IR-4 Project mission to facilitate regulatory approval of sustainable pest management technology for specialty crops, including ornamental crops and other environmental horticulture uses. This is a full-time (40 hours per week), EHRA non-faculty position.
Visit our Careers page to learn more about the role and apply.
UNH Extension Seeks a Plant Pathology Program Manager | Extension
This position is located at the University of New Hampshire campus in Durham, NH. The Plant Pathology Program Manager will work under the general direction of the Plant Diagnostic Lab director and Extension’s Food and Agriculture Program Team leader. The program manager will be primarily responsible for handling plant health samples within the Plant Diagnostic Lab and working with the Production Agriculture Integrated Pest Management Team in providing outreach to commercial growers in New Hampshire. Lab work includes the intake of plant samples, conduct disease diagnosis under the supervision of the director, log results in lab databases, and communicate results and resources of the plant pathology program to clientele. Working as a member of the Integrated Pest Management Team, the program manager will work closely with field and state specialists in New Hampshire and the Northeast. For more information, please contact Program Team Leader Kelly McAdam, kelly.mcadam@unh.edu.
Extension Specialist, Pesticide Safety Education Program (PSEP)
College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
The University of Illinois Pesticide Safety Education Program is seeking a full time Extension Specialist to prepare and conduct training programs for commercial and private applicators. Illinois PSEP has administration support, sustainable funding, and a great working relationship with our state lead agency, the Illinois Department of Agriculture. We have a wonderful team, and we look forward to growing our program with the successful candidate.
See the attached document or this link for specific duties and responsibilities. The deadline for applications is January 1, 2024. Please note that all applications must be received through https://jobs.illinois.edu/.
- Certified as an NWCG certified Prescribed Fire Burn Boss Type 2 (RXB2) and/or Task Force Leader (TFLD) equivalent with ability to maintain this certification during the duration of employment with the ability to pass moderate (carrying of 25lbs/2 miles in 30 minutes) level work capacity test at a minimum, with the ability to pass arduous (carrying of 45lbs/3 miles in 45 minutes) level work capacity test preferred.
- Advanced training in NWCG “S” courses and “RX” courses especially RX-301 – Prescribed Fire Implementation; RX 341- Prescribed Fire Plan Preparation; S212 - Wildland Saws; UTV operation qualified and First Aid and CPR at wilderness first responder qualification level preferred.
- B.S. in ecology, conservation biology, forestry or related natural science major.
- 7 years of relevant experience with core components including prescribed fire programs.
Biologist / Physical Scientist (Assistant Administrator)
The U.S. Geological Survey Climate Adaptation Science Centers (CASCs) are hiring Assistant Regional Administrators for the MW and NE regions. The position is a GS-14 pay scale and grade, location negotiable after selection. We are seeking a diverse pool of qualified applicants. Please circulate this outreach notice to as many potential candidates as possible!
APPLY HERE via USAJOBS. This announcement will close on 12/29/2023.
As an assistant regional administrator (ARA) the incumbent assists with the development, negotiation, and implementation of all aspects of regional strategic operations and investigations. Convenes and participate in cooperative partnerships in the region, working closely with university partners, senior executives from state and other federal agencies, and tribal leadership in guiding and managing a collaborative climate adaptation program. Assist in leading the formulation, revision, and implementation of the regional Strategic Plan and all major strategy documents and other guidance materials, and much more.
The American Chestnut Foundation (TACF) seeks to hire a full-time Orchard Manager at its flagship
Meadowview Research Farms in Southwest Virginia. The Orchard Manager will work both
individually and as part of a team on essential land management tree breeding and seed harvest tasks
year-round. Reporting to the Director of Land Management, the ideal Orchard Manager will bring
skills, knowledge and willingness to learn in areas such as vegetation management, safe operation of
heavy agricultural equipment, handling and organization of biological samples, and natural resource
conservation. Knowledge and experience pertaining to plant biology and breeding is a plus. As a staff
member of Meadowview Research Farms, the Orchard Manager will interface professionally with
members of the public, connecting specific tree breeding and land management projects with TACF’s
overall mission.
Position: Orchard Manager
Position Type: Full-time permanent position with a robust benefits package
Position Location: Meadowview Research Farms, Meadowview, VA
Reporting to: Director of Land Management
Salary Recruitment Range (DOE): $21.19-$23.08 per hour - TACF is a living wage employer
Funding Opportunities
Regional IPM Centers Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) RFA's
New IPM Funding for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Available
The Regional IPM Centers today are releasing three new diversity-focused funding opportunities with a total of about $200,000 available nationally. Specifically, the Centers are offering Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility grants, fellowships and mini-grants.
The goal of the Regional IPM Centers' DEIA grants and fellowships are to make diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility both essential and commonplace within the IPM community.
Here are the details:
- DEIA Grants: $120,000 available with awards up to $20,000 each. Applications will be considered as received, through January 31,2024 or until funds are exhausted.
- DEIA Fellowships: Up to eight fellowships of up to $6,000 each will be awarded. Individuals eligible to apply should belong to the faculty, staff or student body of an 1890, 1994, HBCU or HSI institution and should be actively involved in integrated pest management or plant health activities. Applications will be considered as received until funds are exhausted.
- DEIA Mini-Grants: Up to $30,000 available with awards of up to $5,000 each. Applications will be considered as received until funds are exhausted.
For all three programs, the proposed work or grant activities must be completed by September 17, 2024.
There was a Zoom meeting held on November 7, 2023 to answer questions and
provide more information. Recorded link: https://youtu.be/sdVAKzO2YJs
If you have any questions or would like to discuss your ideas for this grant prior to applying, please
contact DEIA Director, Dr. Katie Hartmann: kh4@iastate.edu.
Specialty Crop Multi-State Program
Program Purpose
The SCMP supports collaborative multi-state partnerships to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops through competitively funded projects The focus is to address regional or national level specialty crop issues, including food safety, plant pests and disease, research, crop-specific projects addressing common issues, and marketing and promotion. Projects must enhance the competitiveness of U.S. or U.S. territory-grown specialty crops in either domestic or foreign markets.
Project Area Types
Multi-state partners must develop projects that bring together teams for solutions to practical problems that cross State boundaries and address the needs of specialty crop growers in the areas of food safety, plant pests and disease, research, crop-specific projects addressing common issues, and marketing and promotion.
All project area types are 3-year projects with funding ranging between $250,000 and $1,000,000. Available Funding Approximately $10 million will be available to fund SCMP projects in FY 2023.
Eligibility
Entities residing in a participating state must apply through their State Department of Agriculture. Entities residing in a participating state are ineligible to apply directly to AMS.
Entities in a non-participating state may apply to AMS directly or choose to contact an adjacent participating state to apply on behalf of the entity.
Non-profits entities must apply directly to AMS.
All applicants must be domestic entities owned, operated, and located within the 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the United States Virgin Islands, or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Applications for Multi-State Partners to Participating States are due December 22, 2023, and for Participating States to AMS on January, 31, 2024.
Crop Protection and Pest Management
Crop Protection and Pest Management Competitive Grants Program
The purpose of the Crop Protection and Pest Management program is to address high priority issues related to pests and their management using IPM approaches at the state, regional and national levels. The CPPM program supports projects that will ensure food security and respond effectively to other major societal pest management challenges with comprehensive IPM approaches that are economically viable, ecologically prudent, and safe for human health. The CPPM program addresses IPM challenges for emerging issues and existing priority pest concerns that can be addressed more effectively with new and emerging technologies. The outcomes of the CPPM program are effective, affordable, and environmentally sound IPM practices and strategies needed to maintain agricultural productivity and healthy communities. ?
The technical assistance webinar related to this FY 2024 funding opportunity is now scheduled. Please see details about the webinar, including the registration link, date, and time, via the technical assistance webinar button below. The recording and supporting documents will also be posted to this page after the event.
Closing Date for applications: February 15, 2024
Methyl Bromide Transition Program
The Methyl Bromide Transition Program (MBT) addresses the immediate needs and the costs of transition that have resulted from the phase-out of the pesticide methyl bromide. Methyl bromide has been a pest and disease control tactic critical to pest management systems for decades for soilborne and postharvest pests. The program focuses on integrated commercial-scale research on methyl bromide alternatives and associated extension activity that will foster the adoption of these solutions. Projects should cover a broad range of new methodologies, technologies, systems, and strategies for controlling economically important pests for which methyl bromide has been the only effective pest control option. Research projects must address commodities with critical issues and include a focused economic analysis of the cost of implementing the transition on a commercial scale.
Closing date for applications: February 13, 2024
Methyl Bromide Transition Program
We are pleased to announce the CRISP 2024 Request for Proposals to fund priority invasive species projects in the Catskills region! Priorities for funding include:
- Stop emerging invasive species through Early Detection and Rapid Response Surveys for Tier 1 or Tier 2 Species beyond what is documented in iMapInvasives and EDDMapS and rapid response for Tier 2 Species found through surveys
- Raise public awareness of Tier 1 and Tier 2 Species to address introduction pathways and slow the spread of forest pests, pathogens, or species approaching or spreading within the region. A list of CRISP Invasive Species Tiers is available here: https://www.catskillinvasives.com/crisp-tiers
- Improve the scientific understanding of the extent, ecological impact, and effective controls of invasive species in the CRISP region.
We have revised the RFP Scorecard and included 10 points for those organizations that have signed the CRISP Cooperation Agreement
Selected projects will be funded up to $25,000 and must be completed in 2024. The deadline for applications is COB on February 9th. Additional information is available here: https://www.catskillinvasives.com/funding