Progress 09/15/03 to 09/14/05
Outputs
OUTPUTS: The future of pest management under the new regulatory climate necessitates that growers practice multitactic, ecologically based IPM. To assist these growers, we have provided the appropriate tools to make informed decisions that reduce risk while maintaining economically viable production systems. Pesticide risk to human health and the environment will be reduced as growers accept and adapt to their own production systems the prevention-oriented planning framework in the Grower's IPM Guide for Florida Tomato and Pepper Production (the Guide). The process necessary to gather and assemble the needed information and tools for this project has brought together stakeholders and increased communication among growers, researchers, crop consultants and the extension community. An unexpected benefit of this project has been to produce a model IPM guide for other commodities in Florida. Landscape IPM and Citrus IPM guides are now being produced using this model. Because of the
popularity of this format we developed a how-to paper to lead new groups through the process of making multidisciplinary IPM guides-http://ipm.ifas.ufl.edu/resources/extension_resources/how_to/m ake_IPM_Guide.shtml. Initially we planned on having two separate IPM Decision Sourcebooks for each of the two commodities. After working with growers, researchers and extension agents it became clear that one sourcebook for both commodities would better serve the Florida vegetable production community. Because of this unexpected development, we pooled information into one 256 page sourcebook- the Grower's IPM Guide for Florida Tomato and Pepper Production. The cost of printing a 256 page full color guide for testing purposes was not affordable; because of this we housed the guide on a public area of our website- http://ipm.ifas.ufl.edu/resources/success_stories/T&PGuide/index.shtm l. This open access allowed individual growers and our IPM partner groups the opportunity to evaluate the book
while it was still in production. Growers, researchers and extension agents who reviewed the work in progress were asked to send direct comments and criticisms to the editors and authors.
PARTICIPANTS: The project to produce a Grower's IPM Guide for Florida Tomato and Pepper Production succeeded due to the partnership that was created to assemble a complete set of IPM resources for planning pest management at the beginning of each crop. This partnership included county extension faculty, extension specialists, crop consultants, tomato and pepper growers, and other pest management experts. Charles Mellinger, Glades Crop Care, Inc. was a formal cooperator because of his expertise in managing pests of tomato and pepper. The Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association advocated the project and encouraged its completion. Reviewers- Dan Botts and Mike Aerts, Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association Charles Mellinger and Steve Hoak, Glades Crop Care, Inc. Kevin Seitzinger, Gargiulo Farms Wes Roan, Six L's Steve Olson and Gene McAvoy, UF, IFAS. Jane Medley designed the cover, Joyce Merritt helped with final production and organization of the appendix material, and Esther Dunn
conducted grower interviews. During the more than 3-year effort to produce this guide, assistance was provided by Rebecca Baldwin, Angela Vincent and several other staff members and students. The UF, IFAS statewide IPM program is funded by USDA, CSREES, IPM, Mike Fitzner, Director, Plant and Animal Systems, and administered by Larry Arrington, Dean for Extension and Director, Florida Cooperative Extension Service and Joan Dusky, Associate Dean. John Capinera, Chairman, UF, IFAS, Entomology and Nematology Department provided considerable encouragement and guidance. Authors- Dr. Jeff Jones, Dr. Jane Polston, Dr. Jerry Bartz, Dr. Bill Stall, Dr. Jason Ferrell, Dr. Mark Mossler, Dr. Bob McGovern, Gene McAvoy, Dr. Ronald French-Monar, Dr. Monica Ozores-Hampton, Dr. Dave Schuster, Dr. Joe Funderburk, Dr. Phil Stansly, Dr. Ken Pernezny, Dr. Tim Momol, Dr. Pingsheng Ji, Dr. Pam Roberts, Steve Olson, Dr. Joe Noling, Dr. Kent Cushman, Dr. Phyllis Gilreath, Charles Stuhl, Dr. Fred Fishel, Dr.
Howard Frank, Dr. Norm Leppla, Dr. Jennifer Gillett, Dr. Amanda Hodges, Dr. Eric Simonne, Dr. Carlene Chase, Tyler Harp.
Impacts
The Grower's IPM Guide for Florida Tomato and Pepper Production (the Guide) includes color photos of pests and damage, information on alternative reduced-risk practices, and pesticide ratings based on toxicity, persistence, effects on natural enemies, resistance management, efficacy, etc. It also contains planning and self-assessment tools, and Tomato and Pepper Insects, a laminated card set to assist in scouting. All components are organized in a 3-ring notebook, so that pages can be added and updated. The Guide includes a CD-Rom with decision tools that can be maintained electronically, forms that can be printed, and a screensaver that is set up as a self quiz for weed, pest and disease identification. The final version of the Guide is also available on the IPM Florida website (http://ipm.ifas.ufl.edu), where growers and extension agents have access to search for and download future updates of individual components. Extension agents were given additional support to
help growers implement the process described in the Guide. This support included a CD-ROM with copies of all extension and scientific publications related to tomato and pepper IPM that were cited in the Guide and a copy of the Tomato and Pepper Insects flip card set. A set of these materials was delivered to each county extension office and extension agents receiving the material were given a brief verbal tutorial on how to use the Guide. Growers therefore have access to all cited publications through their local extension office, and extension agents have a ready reference collection for tomato and pepper IPM. An in-service training and extension state major program workshop was planned to describe the contents and use of the Guide, but agents surveyed felt that the Guide was so logical that this training was not necessary. This project has gone directly to the grower level by producing a set of practical resources that growers can use in making the kinds of IPM decisions that lead
to the greatest reduction in use of high-risk pesticides. Growers have access to the Guide online and as a free CD-Rom (500 produced and distributed). Growers who want a hard copy of the Guide can purchase one at cost from the printer ($89.00 each). Fifty hard copies of the Guide and Tomato and Pepper Insects flip card set were distributed to key researchers, extension agents and scouts in Florida. Copies of Tomato and Pepper Insects are available at cost from the UF/IFAS bookstore ($6.00 each). This project has provided the kind of outreach support needed for tomato and pepper growers to adapt their pest management systems to a changing regulatory environment by progressing along the IPM continuum.
Publications
- Merritt, J. L., N. C. Leppla and J. L. Gillett. 2007. Tomato and Pepper Insects. Entomology and Nematology Department, University of Florida/IFAS. Extension Publication No. SP 436. Flip card set. 66 pgs.
- Leppla, N. C. and J. L. Gillett. 2007. New from IPM Florida: the "Grower's IPM Guide for Florida Tomato and Pepper Production". 90th Annual Meeting of the Florida Entomological Society, Sarasota, FL, July 15 - 18. (Travel not paid with grant funds)
- Thomas, D. D. and J. L. Gillett. 2007. How to Make a Multidisciplinary IPM Guide for Growers using PageMaker Templates. University of Florida EDIS- Electronic Data Information Source, Extension Publication No. IPM 145/IN-728. http://ipm.ifas.ufl.edu/resources/extension_resources/how_to/make_IPM _Guide.shtml
- Gillett, J. L. and D. D. Thomas. 2007. Bulletin 1500 CD and Screensaver- Grower's IPM Guide for Florida Tomato and Pepper Production, University of Florida, IPM Florida. Extension. IFAS Bulletin 1500.
- Gillett, J. L., H. N. HansPetersen, N. C. Leppla and D. D. Thomas (Editors). 2006. Grower's IPM Guide for Florida Tomato and Pepper Production. University of Florida, IPM Florida. Extension. IFAS Bulletin 1500. 256p.
- HansPetersen, H. N., N. C. Leppla, and J. L. Gillett. 2006. Growing with the Guide. Citrus and Vegetable Magazine 70:16-18.
- Leppla, N. C. 2006. IPM Florida-led publication of a "Grower's IPM Guide for Florida Tomato and Pepper Production." Association of Natural Bio-control Producers annual conference, Lake Tahoe, CA, September 30- October 1, 2006. Bio-control Matters. 7:7-8. (Travel not paid with grant funds)
- Larson, B. C. and N. C. Leppla. 2004. New Tomato and Pepper Extension Resources. Citrus & Vegetable Magazine 68:18-20.
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Progress 10/01/03 to 09/30/04
Outputs
The first grower workshop was conducted in cooperation with Extension specialists and agents at the North Florida Research and Education Center. A major outcome of this meeting was the decision that tomato and pepper growing practices will be handled differently in north, central and south Florida. Subsequently, interviews were conducted in south Florida with key producers, growers and scouts to determine the content of the Florida Tomato and Pepper IPM Sourcebook. A partnership of growers, extension agents, crop consultants, environmental agencies and researchers with experience in production and pest management in those crops is being organized to provide additional information, determine priorities in IPM research and Extension, and further elaborate the tools needed for making pest prevention decisions. One of the cooperating plant pathologists took photographs of the major disease symptoms encountered in tomato and pepper in south Florida. These will be
incorporated with others into the IPM Sourcebook. We accessed tomato and pepper strategic plans and crop profiles in Florida and agriculturally similar states, also for use in developing the IPM Sourcebook. Potential models for the IPM Sourcebook were reviewed to determine a feasible layout. Leaders in the Extension and grower communities have been involved in designing the sourcebook so that it will serve their needs. Collaboration between growers, extension agents, and IPM Florida staff members will be developed further at the 17th International Pepper Conference, November 14-16, 2004 in Naples, Florida.
Impacts
The IPM Decision Sourcebook will promote and facilitate reduced-risk pest management practices by cooperatively developing and encouraging use of a set of planning resources through which growers can integrate individual pest management decisions into the broader crop production framework. They will be able to predict and prevent many pest problems, rather than apply pesticides as a prophylactic or remedial action.
Publications
- Larson, B. C. and N. C. Leppla. 2004. New Tomato and Pepper Extension Resources. Citrus & Vegetable Magazine. 68:18-20.
- Leppla, N. C. and B. C. Larson. 2004. Quality Control Methods for the Production of Natural Enemies. Encyclopedia of Pest Management. Marcel Dekker, NY. 4 p.
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