Abstract

A season-long on-farm wheat Integrated Pest Management (IPM) education program was designed and implemented to assist in the improvement of the economic viability of wheat production by better management of disease, weed, and insect pests, while protecting the environment

Issue

Wheat is an important cash and feed crop grown extensively in western portions of New York State. The economic viability of wheat in New York is under threat, due in large part to severe outbreaks of the disease Fusarium head blight, or scab. Widespread damage from the cereal leaf beetle is again on the rise effecting wheat and other small grains. Improved management of pests through combinations of tactics will help mitigate the risks to small grain cereal production in western New York State. Educating producers about integrated pest management (IPM) and integrated crop management (ICM) will contribute to improved management.

Response

An Integrated Pest Management (IPM) education program was initiated to teach sound pest management decision-making to improve wheat and small grain profitability while protecting the environment. The model for the program was the Tactical Agriculture, (TAg Team Program). The TAg Team Program is a season-long, on-farm, hands-on IPM and Integrated Crop Management (ICM) educational program for field crop producers originally designed for use in field corn and alfalfa. The program is a flexible way to meet the unique local needs of a small group of farmers over the duration of a growing season.

We identified IPM and ICM needs, then we developed lesson plans based on the identified key topics. Related educational materials were designed for use at field meetings, including scouting forms and pest identification cards.

A wheat TAg team was implemented in Seneca County. Wheat TAg meetings took place approximately once a month to capitalize on the educational and management opportunities of the growing season. This schedule enabled participants to observe and assess real field problems as they occurred and to discuss, select, and employ practical integrated solutions to pest and crop management problems. TAg participants brought their own experience and expertise, which enriched discussion and contributed to the groups' overall learning process. Data was collected for two ongoing research programs during the wheat growing season in Seneca County at the TAg team participant farms.

Impact

The wheat TAg team implemented in Seneca County assisted with the timely identification of disease, insect, and weeds pest problems in wheat. The team also assisted with making economically and environmentally viable management decisions and provided an opportunity to measure Integrated Pest Management (IPM) adoption. Results from informal surveys of grower participants indicate that IPM is now being implemented on close to 1,200 acres of wheat in Seneca County.

Enhanced wheat IPM implementation efforts have improved exchange of information between growers and researchers, with growers providing observations, perceptions, concerns, and data. This input is strengthening development of appropriate research-based information resources to better assist the IPM program and county extension educators in the teaching of wheat and small grain IPM.

Drawing on the skills and knowledge gained in the development of an IPM education program for wheat and small grains, preparations began in the fall of 2004 to design a related program focused on soybean IPM. Given the potential arrival in 2005 of a new destructive disease pest, Asian soybean rust, in New York State, the demand for a soybean IPM education program has become urgent. The wheat TAg model provides the foundation for an educational delivery method that Cooperative Extension and other personnel can easily use for IPM outreach.

Funding Sources

• State or Municipal (e.g., NYSDAM)
• New York State Department of Ag and Markets

Collaborators

• Kenneth Wise, NYS IPM, Cornell University. Eastern NY Livestock and Field Crops IPM Area Educator;
• J. Keith Waldron, NYS IPM, Cornell University, Livestock and Field Crops IPM Coordinator;
• Gary Bergstrom, Professor of Plant Pathology, Cornell University;
• Leslie Allee, Research Associate, Department of Entomology, Cornell University;
• Russ Hahn, Professor of Weed Science, Crop and Soil Science, Cornell University

Key Personnel

• Mike Dennis, Agriculture Extension Educator, Seneca County, Cornell Cooperative Extension;
• Mike Stanyard, Field Crops Specialist, NW New York Dairy, Livestock, and Field Crops Team, Pro-Dairy Program, Cornell University