News, Events, Jobs, and More

NIFA Deadline Extensions Due to COVID-19: Due to the disruptions arising from the national response to COVID-19, NIFA is extending application deadlines for some programs, including the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI).

10th International IPM Symposium: The 10th International IPM Symposium titled, Implementing IPM across Borders and Disciplines, will take place March 15–18, 2021 in Denver, Colorado.

Varroa Mite IPM: Four-Part Series for a Healthy Hive in 2020: They’re back by popular demand! Kim Skyrm and Jen Lund dive deeper into managing the most detrimental pest affecting honey bees, varroa mites (Varroa destructor).

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.

At-Home Integrated Pest Management Survey: Individuals 18 years old and older with recent experience of insect pests in the home are invited to participate in an online survey relating to integrated pest management.

Tree Fruit IPM Working Group Updates Priorities: The Tree Fruit IPM Working Group has released updated priorities for 2019 and report documents from the 2018 New England, New York and Canadian Fruit Pest Management Workshop. Explore the new content, as well as archived reports from previous years on the Tree Fruit IPM Working Group web page.

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

February 18, 2020
Job Opportunity: Grant Coordinator, Northeast SARE: The University of Vermont seeks applications for a Grant Coordinator with the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. Northeast SARE is a 12-state competitive grants program, hosted by the University of Vermont and funded by USDA. Read more and apply online by 4/15/2020.