Non Technical Summary
Minnesota has a large and diverse specialty and commodity crop industry. Minnesota agriculture is valued at $90 billion and supports over 340,000 jobs (Walz, 2019). New and emerging insect pests, plant diseases, and weeds are issues that can hinder crop production. It's important to identify solutions that are adapted to Minnesota's climate and growing conditions. The adoption of IPM strategies that reduce the environmental impact of pesticide applications, minimize the spread of invasive species, improve pollinator habitats and the financial sustainability of agricultural commodity and specialty crop production systems is important to the state's economy and natural resources.Extension leverages its networks to educate about IPM strategies in a variety of ways. Educational events are held for agricultural professionals, crop producers, and commercial beekeepers. Information is shared on Extension's website and through newsletters, videos, blogs and podcasts. Extension also leverages thousands of Master Gardener volunteers that work in nearly every county in Minnesota to help educate audiences of gardeners who may not otherwise know much about pest management. It incorporates IPM strategies into pesticide safety training programs for people applying Restricted Use Pesticides on their agricultural land or as a part of their job.These methods are intended to increase the use of IPM strategies such as the proper calibration of sprayers, better identifying invasive species and resistance issues, protecting pollinator habitats, and applying recommended rates of pesticides

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
216	1510	3100	30%
216	1820	3100	30%
216	3010	3030	10%
216	5220	3030	10%
216	1199	3030	10%
216	1499	3030	10%

Knowledge Area
216 - Integrated Pest Management Systems;

Subject Of Investigation
1499 - Vegetables, general/other; 1510 - Corn; 1199 - Deciduous and small fruits, general/other; 1820 - Soybean; 3010 - Honey bees; 5220 - Pesticides;

Field Of Science
3030 - Information and communication; 3100 - Management;

Goals / Objectives
The goal of the University of Minnesota (U of M) Extension IPM is to increase adoption of IPM practices in agronomic crops and specialty crops while proactively adapting management recommendations to new and changing pest situations related to climate, changes in pest biology, range expansions, and loss of management tools. Provide beginning, immigrant, and historically underserved audiences with culturally relevant and workable IPM approaches. Objectives are: a) Increase adoption of IPM practices in agronomic crops, enhance the effectiveness of the IPM program, and expand the evolving reach of IPM Extension. b) Increase Minnesota specialty crop growers' knowledge and adoption of integrated pest management practices on their farms. c) Improve pollinator diversity, pollinator health and pollinator habitat by implementing IPM practices in the landscape. d) Leverage Master Gardener volunteers and Minnesota Landscape Arboretum resources to increase statewide education to homeowners and the general public about IPM practices. e) Integrate IPM best management practices into education and behavioral norms for pesticide applicators in Minnesota.

Project Methods
U of M Extension's approach is primarily informed by the National Road Map for Integrated Pest Management's definition of IPM: A science-based, decision-making process that identifies and reduces risks from pests and pest management related strategies. IPM coordinates the use of pest biology, environmental information, and available technology to prevent unacceptable levels of pest damage by the most economical means, while minimizing risk to people, property, resources, and the environment. University of Minnesota (U of M) Extension's IPM expertise is integrated into multiple program teams. All teams have the common goal of enabling correct pest diagnosis, judicious pesticide use in both agricultural and horticultural settings, and sustainable, economical plant production that minimizes environmental and human health impacts. Multidisciplinary Extension educators are embedded both locally and regionally across the state, allowing partnerships with stakeholders in agricultural, rural, urban, and suburban settings. This allows programs to identify long-term and emerging issues, set priorities, and address stakeholder needs with relevant research, education, and outreach.U of M Extension will leverage its partnership with the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences that a) offers 10 research and outreach centers for applied research and educational programming programs; b) provides world-renowned bee research on honey bees and native bees through its Bee Research Facility; c) hosts the Minnesota Invasive Terrestrial Plants and Pests Center to research the prevention, detection, and control of terrestrial invasive species.U of M Extension provides broad outreach throughout the state through in-person and online programs and electronic resources, such as podcasts, blogs, videos, and websites. U of M Extension offered over 2000 educational programs across the state in 2020 for almost 190,000 participants. Extension's website and blogs drew almost 8 million unique visitors in 2020.Efforts will be coordinated by two co-coordinators and supported by the dean of Extension. Time and effort are committed from over 10 departmental Extension faculty and more than 15 regional Extension faculty to meet the deliverables of the priority areas in this proposal. Departmental faculty are part of the following departments; Entomology; Plant Pathology; Agronomy and Plant Genetics; Applied Economics; and Horticultural Sciences. Regional Extension faculty are associated with the following discipline cohorts: crops; horticulture; natural resources; water; livestock; agriculture business management; and pesticide safety