News, Events, Jobs, and More

USDA Announces Dr. Carrie Castille as New NIFA Director: The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that President Trump has named Dr. Carrie Castille as the new, six year term director of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Dr. Castille started her new role on Monday, January 4, 2021.

Guidance on Disinfectant and Pesticide Use for NY during COVID-19: Increased use of disinfectants and sanitizers during the COVID-19 pandemic has seen an accompanying increase in adverse health effects from their misuse, along with a proliferation of fraudulent products. The Pesticide Safety Education Program at Cornell Cooperative Extension has published guidelines to help consumers and pesticide applicators make informed decisions during this uncertain time.

New York State IPM Program Welcomes New Director: Alejandro Calixto, formerly head of the Florida Research Center for Corteva Agriscience, has been appointed the new director of the New York State IPM Program. Calixto officially takes the reins May 16, following the retirement of Jennifer Grant.

Call for Nominations: International IPM Achievement Awards

The International IPM Achievement Awards recognize those who have made outstanding achievements in IPM adoption, implementation, and sustainability. Awards will be presented at the 10th International IPM Symposium, to be held March 15-18, 2021, in Denver, CO. Winners will be selected in five categories and will have the opportunity to submit an article at no cost to the Journal of Integrated Pest Management.

Nomination deadline: June 12, 2020.

2020 Partnership Grants Support IPM in the Northeast: The Northeastern IPM Center has announced the recipients of its IPM Partnership Grants for 2020. This year’s funded projects run the gamut from novel methods for detecting and managing specific pests to ways of better informing the public on the use of IPM methods, helping them to make informed decisions when dealing with pests.

NYS IPM Program Director Jennifer Grant Wins Inaugural Northeastern IPM Center Award: Jennifer Grant, director of the New York State Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program, has been named recipient of the Northeastern IPM Center’s Outstanding Achievements in IPM Award for 2019.

USDA-NIFA Invests in Agricultural Biosecurity: From brown marmorated stink bug to avian flu, pests and pathogens can wreak havoc on livestock and crops and cause significant economic losses. USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture supports agricultural biosecurity by providing funding and national program leadership to projects that secure and protect the integrity, reliability, sustainability, and profitability of the American food and agricultural system against catastrophic hazards, whether natural, emerging, accidental, or deliberate.

National Institute of Food and Agriculture 2018 Annual Report: The NIFA 2018 annual report includes powerful examples of the many NIFA-funded research, extension, and education solutions that address societal challenges. The Northeastern IPM Center is among the recipients of NIFA funding.

Secretary of Agriculture Declares April "Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month": With spring being a popular time to relocate, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue signed a national proclamation to declare April "Invasive Plant Pest and Disease Awareness Month," during a critical time when damaging invasive species emerge and can be easily spread in the things people pack and move.

BMSB Management Survey for Commercial Producers: Participate in a nationwide survey to gather information from farmers and growers on the economic impact of the brown marmorated stink bug (BMSB) on agriculture.

A Pesticide Decision-Making Guide to Protect Pollinators in Tree Fruit Orchards: This guide summarizes reported pesticide effects as of October 2018. The guide presents the most up-to-date information about the impacts of fungicides, insecticides, microbicides, and growth regulators on bees that pollinate tree fruits.

Northeast SARE Publishes 2018 Annual Report: Northeast SARE has released its 2018 annual report. The report takes a closer look at six of the 76 projects completed within the past year and provides a listing of projects funded in 2018. It includes grant project highlights and lists 2018 project awards by state.

Invasive Species Impacts on Federal Infrastructure: To better understand the impact invasive species have on federal infrastructure, the National Invasive Species Council Secretariat sent a questionnaire to the federal agencies that manage infrastructure. The research demonstrated that impacts range from nonexistent to significant and identified areas for improvement in awareness and management.

Chemical Component of IPM Gets the Spotlight during National Pesticide Safety Education Month: The second annual National Pesticide Safety Education Month gets underway February 1, 2019. The initiative aims to reinforce core principles of safe pesticide handling and use and to promote land-grant-university pesticide safety education programs.

Deborah Grantham Appointed Director of Northeastern IPM Center: Deborah Grantham has been named director of the Northeastern IPM Center. She took the reins, effective September 16, following Mike Hoffmann's tenure as interim director.

Challenges and Opportunities for Ecologically-Based Growers: Even as expectations for higher-quality food rise, we face water and air pollution, loss of beneficial organisms, and increasing persistence of pests.

Job Opportunities

December 14, 2020
Job Opportunity: Executive Director, IPM Institute of North America: Full-time management and lead outreach position available with rapidly growing, independent nonprofit organization working to improve sustainability in agriculture and communities. Position is based in Madison, Wisconsin. View full description.