Over the past twenty years, the Farm Bill has included funding for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), which provides financial and technical assistance for planning and implementation of conservation practices on private land including farms. Conservation Activity Plans (CAPs), a new EQIP activity introduced in the most recently funded Farm Bill, provide an opportunity to obtain financial and technical assistance specifically for the conservation planning process for private landowners.

The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offers 16 different types of CAPs, including Nutrient Management, Agricultural Energy Management, Integrated Pest Management (IPM), and Herbicide-Resistant Weed IPM. IPM CAPs seek to address natural resource concerns caused by pest management activities. Through EQIP, the IPM CAP enables growers to work with a certified Technical Service Provider (TSP) to develop a plan customized for their land and operation. IPM and Herbicide-Resistant Weed CAPs are designed to incorporate prevention, avoidance, monitoring and suppression (PAMS).

"The EQIP CAP program provides a unique opportunity to develop plans that identify priority resource concerns and the appropriate conservation practices needed to address those concerns," says Tim Pilkowski, natural resources specialist for the Technical Service Provider Team of NRCS in Washington, DC. Potential resource concerns include soil, water and air quality, plants, animals and humans. The CAP process works by identifying resources at risk, and conservation practices to address those concerns including crop rotation, pesticide selection, application technology and timing, and other IPM and risk-mitigation strategies. An IPM CAP can contribute to more efficient pesticide use and lower operating costs.

NRCS provides financial assistance based on the estimated cost for professional services provided by certified TSPs to develop the CAP. A grower may receive up to 75% of the estimated cost, or up to 90% for some historically underserved producers. NRCS places a high priority on grower applications for CAPs, increasing the likelihood these will be approved for funding.

Sample templates and plans for IPM CAPs (CAP 114) and Herbicide-Resistant Weed CAPs (CAP 154) provide guidance for growers and TSPs. Criteria for IPM CAPs that should be included in all plans are:

• Background and site information such as tract and field locations, soil map units and resource concerns.
• Site specific assessment of environmental risks associated with existing and alternative pest management systems including potential for runoff, identification of pests and degree of infestation, irrigation system and management, and potential off-target drift areas.
• Monitoring guidelines which address strategies that utilize damage and economic thresholds to prevent pest resistance and harmful effects on humans and the environment.
• State University IPM guidelines for specific crops, if applicable.
• Recordkeeping, which lists records that shall be maintained including date and results of monitoring, threshold of infestation, and strategies implemented.
• Conservation plan, which includes the planned practice(s), schedule for implementation and site specific specifications to apply the conservation practice. The plan could include activities such as cover crops, field borders, mulching and prescribed grazing.

Herbicide-Resistant Weed CAPs provide detailed information to landowners for specific herbicide-resistant weeds. Many weed species have a confirmed resistance to glyphosate, including horseweed (Marestail), giant ragweed and common waterhemp. Some species are developing resistance to multiple modes of action. Pilkowski says "solutions to herbicide resistance can include the use of a different chemical, as well as cultural and/or biological control methods such as crop rotation and resistant varieties."

According to Pilkowski, "NRCS was initially challenged with having an inadequate number of TSPs to develop CAPs, but through training and state efforts, the number of certified TSPs has increased." The TSP Team has been conducting one-day trainings to qualify TSPs with pre-existing technical expertise. "Each CAP training covers the basic course required to become a TSP, including orientation and an overview of conservation planning," says Pilkowski. "In addition, specific training for each CAP is being provided, with regard to plan development, criteria needed to be addressed, and deliverables to the client and NRCS."

State NRCS offices are also providing training opportunities. The TSP Team is assembling training packages for NRCS state and county office use. For more information about becoming an NRCS certified TSP, please visit the TSP website. Interested producers should check with their local NRCS office to find out which CAPs are available in their states.

According to Dr. Mark Ascerno, professor in the Department of Entomology at the University of Minnesota, IPM3, pronounced "IPM cubed," was formed about five years ago. "We recognized a need for IPM training for people who aren't academics. There was currently little opportunity for them to get the training they needed."

IPM3 is a consortium of land-grant institutions and federal agencies, and currently offers eight training module options:

• IPM Core Concepts 
• Spanish-language Core Concepts 
• Facility Managers and Supervisors 
• Invasive Species 
• Pest Biology Weeds 
• Pest Biology Plant Diseases 
• Imported Fire Ant 
• Bed Bug Prevention and Control in the Hospitality Industry 

Each module must be taken in a six-week timeframe, except for the Facility Managers and Bed Bug Prevention courses, which are ten weeks long to accommodate extra assignments. Courses are available online 24/7 during the six- or ten-week instructional period, so students can work at their own pace. "Some students pack the entire course into a couple of weekends, some work a few hours every week and some wait until the last minute," comments Ascerno. "We really wanted a flexible approach."

The intended audience includes National Parks Service and Bureau of Land Management employees, county extension agents, master gardeners, crop consultants, pest management professionals and any other government officials or private sector employees who have been tasked with IPM.   

The course content varies depending on the module, but usually includes a combination of text, videos, slides and lists of references for additional study. At the end of each lesson, students are given a quiz on which they are expected to score at least 80% before moving to the next lesson. Students are encouraged to post questions and interact with the instructor in an electronic forum, which allows other students to participate and learn from discussions. Ascerno says that instructors "will often pose questions for thought and comment periodically, which is another opportunity to enrich the experience." Courses are taught by experts from all over the country.

Dr. Erik Lehnhoff, assistant research professor at Montana State University, teaches the Plant Biology of Weeds course. Lehnhoff became involved as an instructor because he saw the need for better knowledge about weed management tactics. "Anyone can read an herbicide label and then spray weeds," comments Lehnhoff, "but without understanding basic weed biology and the factors leading to weed presence, any attempt at weed management is likely to be unsuccessful."

"All the courses are designed to take the information that's most important and encourage the student to put it into practice in their individual situation," says Ascerno. In the Facility Managers module, for example, students create a notebook that is designed to be used in their own facilities after they complete the course.

This fall, IPM3 will offer their newest module, Bed Bug Prevention and Control in the Hospitality Industry. Dr. Stephen Kells, associate professor in the Department of Entomology at the University of Minnesota, created this course to help hotel managers learn enough about bed bug biology and behavior to detect them early and have the tools to deal with them. The module will include tips on how to look for and identify bed bugs, instructing staff, handling customer relations, dealing with customer complaints, and budgeting for bed bug prevention and control. Dr. Kells is also generating a reporting sheet for staff. "We're asking students to keep their own facilities in mind when completing the assignments-it's not a hypothetical situation, it's very real," says Ascerno.   

The next round of trainings will run from October 8 through November 19 (December 17 in the case of the 10-week courses). Registration will open in late August. IPM3 is currently offering a 33% discount off the normal base fee of $25 per contact hour, which amounts to $375 for a 15-hour course. "We recognize that most students are paying out of their own pockets or have to ask their company to pay for these courses, which isn't easy in this economy," comments Ascerno.   

Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available after successful completion of a module. IPM3 uses University of Minnesota's formula to calculate how many CEUs are given. Every ten hours amounts to one CEU. Each state has its own continuing education approach, and IPM3 is working with many states to get their courses approved.

California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) has finalized  new regulations for pyrethroid applications by structural and landscape pest management providers (PMPs). DPR initially conducted a series of public workshops and meetings with stakeholders, and issued a press release in October 2011 announcing the proposed regulations and public comment period. The new regulations took effect on July 19, 2012.

The regulations restrict the use of 17 pyrethroid insecticides by commercial applicators for homes and landscapes. Under the new regulations:

• There is a significant reduction in perimeter sprays:
  • On vertical surfaces, the maximum average height is two feet vs. up to five feet previously.
  • On horizontal surfaces, the maximum distance is three feet, again vs. up to five feet prior to the change.
• On walls, doors, windows and other vertical surfaces not covered by perimeter sprays, only spot sprays, crack and crevice and pin-stream applications are allowed.
• Broadcast treatments to soft surfaces cannot be made within two feet of horizontal impervious surfaces. Any granules that end up on a horizontal impervious surface must be removed.
• Pre-construction termiticide treatments must be covered if the slab cannot be poured before rainfall.
• No applications to soft or hard surfaces within 25 feet of aquatic habitat, such as perennial or intermittent streams, lakes, wetlands and ponds that can drain to surface water.
• No applications during rainfall.
• No applications if there is standing water due to rainfall or irrigation.

According to Lea Brooks, assistant director of communications for the DPR, "Surface water monitoring data collected for the state's regional water quality control boards and monitoring by department staff show that pesticide runoff in both urban and agricultural waterways exceed levels toxic to some small aquatic organisms." This led to the DPR proposing regulations that are generally equivalent to US EPA's new label requirements for pyrethroids, but more restrictive on perimeter sprays and broadcast treatments.

Registrants will not be required to amend product labels to reflect DPR's regulations. DPR is conducting outreach and publishing articles to notify PMPs of the changes. The Pesticide Working Group updates members on research and regulatory issues involving pyrethroids and Urban Pyrethroid Stewardship works to educate the public about applying pyrethroids responsibly to protect California's environment. "Pesticide use by individual consumers is not affected," says Brooks. "However, public education and outreach efforts by DPR and its stakeholders will continue to encourage consumers to adopt IPM practices around their homes and gardens."

In 2010, DPR awarded a Pest Management Alliance grant to the City of San Jose for its pesticide-free urban park and demonstration gardens at Guadalupe River Park. "With the grant, pest control shifted exclusively to IPM strategies, including a weed-prevention test area and a squirrel control program," comments Brooks. The demonstration gardens are designed to resemble typical single-family home yards. Through interpretive signs, self-guided tours, brochures and podcasts, visitors learn how to replace lawns with drought-tolerant native plants.

DPR awarded another grant to the Bay Area Stormwater Management Agencies Association for the IPM Advocates for Retail Stores project. This project trained and certified "IPM Advocates," who were matched with retail stores to assist with product selection, displays, marketing and employee training on alternatives for more toxic pesticides. "Alternative products are in stores, but interested consumers need help identifying them," says Brooks. In light of the new, more stringent rules on pyrethroid use, consumers may be looking at other options.

IPM is an approach to managing pests that protects health and the environment, and improves economic returns. IPM practitioners in agriculture and communities learn pest biology and use that knowledge to reduce pest control costs and hazards.

IPM relies on inspection and monitoring - to detect and correct conditions that can lead to pest problems. IPM practitioners act against pests only when necessary, and use the least-hazardous methods when action is needed.

The Institute's mission is to accelerate adoption of IPM in agriculture and communities by using the power of the marketplace: Consumers want to support suppliers of goods and services who work to preserve the environment and reduce health hazards.

For more information, visit www.ipminstitute.org. 

Consumer awareness and support for IPM practitioners in agriculture and communities is essential to increase adoption of IPM. With your support, we can continue our work to build credible, verifiable IPM certification and recognition programs for farmers, pest management professionals and public and private institutions. Help get the word out! IPM works!

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IPM Institute of North America, Inc.

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www.ipminstitute.org