PUERTO RICO IPM COORDINATION PROGRAM

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: 3D GRANT
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 1002222
• Grant No.: 2013-41534-21511
• Cumulative Award Amt.: $40,155.00
• Proposal No.: 2013-04115
• Project Start Date: Sep 1, 2013
• Project End Date: Aug 31, 2015
• Grant Year: 2013
• Program Code: [QQIPM]- Extension Integrated Pest Management - Coordination

Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF PUERTO RICO AT MAYAGUEZ
P. O. BOX 9000
MAYAGUEZ,PR 00681

Performing Department
(N/A)

Non Technical Summary
Citrus Greening disease (Huanglongbing; HLB) is actually the most serious threat to citrus production in Puerto Rico. It has been identified in most of the citrus growing municipalities in the island. As a result of the importance of the disease, our main objective is to reduce the impact of the disease on citrus orchards in Puerto Rico by targeting all citrus growers in PR who can benefit from the educational program. Field days will be celebrated to observe development of the disease on farms and presentations will be delivered to inform growers about the importance of fertilization, insecticide application and equipment calibration and general management. Extension publications, four (4) newsletters and one (1) poster will be produced to disseminate research results and help growers recognize and manage the disease effectively. A questionnaire to growers at the beginning and at the end of the project will measure practices adopted by growers to manage citrus greening. The goal is to promote adoption and implementation of effective strategies to reduce the potential CG to damage citrus crops and to respond to specific needs of citrus growers.In vegetable IPM, Watermelon Vine Decline (WVD) was addressed as the most important disease devastating watermelon production in Puerto Rico. Research results contributed to understand outbreaks of this complex disease in watermelon farms and help in the development of an integrated management plan of vine decline in Puerto Rico. Trainings and on-farm field days will update growers, Extension agents and other agricultural professionals on the status of WVD and other key pests of vegetables and train them in identification and management in the field. The level of IPM adoption by growers will be determined continuously by Extension Agents and cooperating Extension Specialists, and this information will be used to estimate economic impacts. Extension Agents and clientele participating in the training activities will make assessments of learning. A pre-test will indicate the baseline level of IPM knowledge. The post-test at the end of the program will indicate if participants increased their knowledge of the presented IPM technology. The development of two newsletters and updating of the IPM Coordinator webpage with information about vegetable IPM will help growers to identify key pests and promote the adoption and implementation of effective strategies to reduce the potential for disease and arthropods problems on these crops.All the extension and research results will be available to everyone on the UPR, College of Agriculture Extension's website (http://agricultura.uprm.edu/sea).

Animal Health Component

(N/A)

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

(N/A)

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
216	0999	3100	50%
216	1499	3100	50%

Knowledge Area
216 - Integrated Pest Management Systems;

Subject Of Investigation
1499 - Vegetables, general/other; 0999 - Citrus, general/other;

Field Of Science
3100 - Management;

Keywords

citrus greening

vegetable ipm

watermelon vine decline

Goals / Objectives
The major goals of the project are: 1)to promote the adoption and implementation of effective strategies to reduce theimpact ofCitrus Greening Disease in citrusframs responding to the urgentneeds ofgrowers, 2) dissemination ofresearch results in vegetable cropsto growers, Extension agents, consultants and other agricultural professionals, 3)development of newsletters and updating of the Extension webpage with information about citrus and vegetable IPMto promote adoption and implementation of effective strategies to reduce the potential for disease and arthropods problems on these crops, 4)training of Extension agents in diagnosisof pests and diseases incrops of importance in the Island.

Project Methods
Citrus Greening IPM -two newsletterswill be producedto disseminate research results and train growers, extension specialists and other agricultural professionals to recognize and manage the disease effectively. On-farm field days are going to be developed in collaboration with researchers and Extension Agents to observe development of the disease in farms of affected growers. Presentations will be delivered in a workshop at the Experiment Station of Isabela to update growers in CG and psyllid management. Four newsletters will be prepared during the project period including relevant information obtained by researchers in their studies and other information about the development of the disease in citrus orchards. The Citrus Technological Package (Publication with citrus production and pest management information) will be updated focusing on the disease, tree nutrition and psyllid management, based on data obtained from field trials in Florida and Puerto Rico, and published information. The on-farm field days and workshops will help to understand the importance of accurate identification and appropriate management for Citrus Greening. A poster will include photos (full Evaluation data will include a short evaluation instrument that will be delivered to growers at the beginning and at the end of the project, to assess how they change their management practices in citrus to manage the disease. Vegetable IPM- Project development in vegetables will produce extension publications to disseminate research results and train growers, extension specialists and other agricultural professionals to recognize and manage pests in an effective way. Trainings will be conducted in coordination with the leader of the Vegetable Commodity, vegetable growers, researchers of the Juana Diaz Experiment Station and the Extension Agents of the southern region of the Island where most of the vegetable farms are located. Outreach efforts will be through on-farm field days and trainings on identification to address key pests and sustainable management practices. The proposed project will serve to integrate research with extension work through dissemination of research results to growers, Extension agents, consultants and other agricultural professionals. The development of newsletters and updating of the IPM Coordinator webpage with information about vegetable IPM will help growers to identify key pests and promote the adoption and implementation of effective strategies to reduce the potential for disease and arthropods problems on these crops. The level of IPM adoption by growers will be determined continuously by Extension Agents and cooperating Extension Specialists, and this information will be used to estimate economic impacts. Extension Agents and clientele participating in the training activities will make assessments of learning. IPM Support for Diagnostic Services - Sample diagnosis will be done in an efficient and timely manner. Results will be delivered to stakeholders by mail and fax on a case-by-case basis, reported via local and regional newsletters, and communicated to State IPM, State Department of Agriculture, APHIS and NPDN cooperators as needed. To determine how the clinic helped vegetable growers to reduce costs associated with pest management due to on-time diagnosis of the problem, a brief survey will be administered at the beginning and at the end of the project.

Progress 09/01/13 to 08/31/15

Outputs
Target Audience:Extension Agents, Agronomists of the Department of Agriculture, Citrus Growers, Vegetable Growers. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? The results of the project were informed in the vegetable commodity meeting and in the Annual Meeting of the Puerto Rican Society of Agriculture. The Extension webpage was updated with information about citrus and vegetable IPM to promote adoption and implementation of effective strategies to reduce the potential for disease and arthropods problems on these crops.The educational program consisted of field days in farms of affected growers, workshops, and routine visits of Extension agents to growers to assess the efficiency of the educational program and provide follow up in the use of the recommended management practices. The PR Department of Agriculture enforced an application program in citrus to address the problem in collaboration with Extension personnel in order to help growers in the implementation of CGIM. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? The economically devastating plant disease, Citrus Greening has decreased citrus production and drastically increased production costs in citrus groves in Puerto Rico. The disease is currenthly found throughout the island. Psyllid control and fertilizer applications increase production costs by an estimated cost of $384.48 and$1,016.55per acre each year, respectively. An integrated management program was implemented to reduce the effect.Regulations have been put into place by the PR Department of Agriculture in collaboration with the University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez Campus to minimize the transfer of the disease through propagation. Nursery stock may only come from trees that test negative for the bacteria and are grown in screened nursery buildings. Citrus growers use ofan integrated insecticide and fertilization management program keep production levels high enough to be economically productive. Thedisease was detected in the island in 2009 and was increasing in alarming way incitrus orchards. Growers observed the development of the disease on field days in affected farms. To promote the adoption and implementation of effective strategies to reduce the impact of Citrus Greeningin citrus farmsone forum/field day was celebrated in the Isabela Agricultural Experiment Station. The forum included conferences on Citrus Greening (CG) research results and Extension specialists conferences informing status of the disease in the field and Extension outreach efforts to help growers fight the disease. Aposter about Citrus Greening and other diseases of citrus crops was delivered to help farmers and Extension personnelrecognize the symptoms of the disease compared to other important citrus diseases. Anewsletter wasdistributed to growers that included results of ongoing research. The activity included a visit to different research projects within the Experiment Station that wereestablished in an effort to, insecticides registered to control the psyllid and Extension outreach effortson recommended management strategies including a specific fertilizer program and chemical control of the psyllid.The forum/field day was targeted to growers, with the participation of researchers, Extension Agents and pesticide dealers. Thequestionnaire to growers at the beginning and at the end of the project showed that more than 75% ofgrowersadopted the reccomended managenet forcitrus greening. Citrus greening effectwas reduced by the adoptionofafertilizer program and chemical control of the psyllid by60% of the citrus growerstargetedby theeducational program. The Fruit Specialist and the IPM Specialist trained 315 citrus growers in Citrus Greening Integrated Management (CGIM) with emphasis on chemical management of the psyllid vector and establishment of a specific fertilizer program.The PR Department of Agriculture collaboration was direct by subsiding insecticide applications to growers. Extension agents provided follow up to growers in the use of the recommended management practices in farm visits. The Citrus Technological Package was updated focusing on the disease, tree nutrition and psyllid management. In Puerto Rico, Watermelon Vine Decline is the most devastating disease affecting watermelon. This project disseminated research results to vegetable farmers to help them understand outbreaks of this complex disease. Two field days were celebrated in farms of affected producers to train them on vegetable key pests with emphasis on WVD. Researchers and the Extension IPM and Fruit Specialist offered conferences about pest and disease management.Two workshops were celebrated in the Gurabo and Isabela Experimental Stations to train hydroponic vegetable producers, specifically leaf and romaine lettuce, arugula, coriander and culantro in pest identification and sustainable management practices.Nine fact sheets were produced and disseminated in the educational activities to help vegetable growers identify key pests. The results of the project were informed in the vegetable commodity meeting and in the Annual Meeting of the Puerto Rican Society of Agriculture.The IPM Coordinator and the IPM Specialist participated in the Annual Commodity Meetings for Vegetables and Fruits and the annual meeting of the Puerto Rican Society of Agriculture to develop collaborative IPM efforts and prioritize pest management needs with the participation of stakeholders. The Extension Diagnostic Clinic provided diagnosis and pest management recommendations for 120 plant samples and responded to 85 electronic plant problem inquiries from 21 municipalities. Two workshops were celebrated in the Gurabo and Isabela Experimental Stations to train vegetable producers in identification and sustainable management practices. Nine (9) fact sheets about pest and diseases in vegetables were produced and disseminated to help vegetable growers to help them identify key pests and promote the adoption and implementation of effective strategies to reduce the potential for disease and arthropods problems on these crops. One field day was celebrated in the farms of two vegetable growers, with the participation of researchers, pesticide dealers. Outreach efforts were on identification of key pests and sustainable management practices. The Extension webpage was updated with information about citrus and vegetable IPM to promote adoption and implementation of effective strategies to reduce the potential for disease and arthropods problems on these crops.

Publications

• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Almodovar,W. 2014. Angular Leaf spot of Cucurbits. Vegetable Integrated Management. Fact Sheet. Vol. 4. Agricultural Extension Service. University of Puerto Rico. Mayaguez Campus.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Almodovar,W. 2014. Gummy Stem Blight of Cucurbits. Vegetable Integrated Management. Fact Sheet. Vol. 5. Agricultural extension Service. University of Puerto Rico. Mayaguez Campus.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Almodovar,W. 2014. Bacterial Leaf Spot of Solanaceous Crops. Vegetable Integrated Management. Fact Sheet. Vol. 10. Agricultural extension Service. University of Puerto Rico. Mayaguez Campus.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Almodovar,W. 2014. Southern Blight of Vegetables. Vegetable Integrated Management. Fact Sheet. Vol. 8. Agricultural extension Service. University of Puerto Rico. Mayaguez Campus.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Almodovar,W. 2014. Powdery Mildew of Cucurbits. Vegetable Integrated Management. Fact Sheet. Vol. 2. Agricultural extension Service. University of Puerto Rico. Mayaguez Campus.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Almodovar, W. 2015. Citrus Greening and other Citrus Diseases and Conditions. Citrus Integrated Management. Poster. Agricultural Extension Service. University of Puerto Rico. Mayaguez Campus.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Almodovar,W. 2015. Citrus Greening Update. Integrated Pest Management. Newsletter. Vol. 11. Agricultural Extension Service. University of Puerto Rico. Mayaguez Campus. http://www.uprm.edu/cms/index.php?a=file&fid=9858
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2015 Citation: Almodovar,W. 2015. Vegetable Integrated Pest Management. Newsletter. Agricultural Extension Service. University of Puerto Rico. Mayaguez Campus.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Almodovar,W. 2014. Downy Mildew of Cucurbits. Vegetable Integrated Management. Fact Sheet. Vol. 3. Agricultural extension Service. University of Puerto Rico. Mayaguez Campus.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Almodovar,W. 2014. Watermelon Vine Decline. Vegetable Integrated Management. Fact Sheet. Vol. 9. Agricultural Extension Service. University of Puerto Rico. Mayaguez Campus.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Almodovar,W. 2014. Puerto Rico IPM Program for Puerto Rico. Fact Sheet. Agricultural Extension Service. University of Puerto Rico. Mayaguez Campus.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Almodovar,W. 2014. Bacterial Wilt of Pepper. Vegetable Integrated Management. Fact Sheet. Vol. 6. Agricultural Extension Service. University of Puerto Rico. Mayaguez Campus.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Almodovar,W. 2014. Phytophthora Blight and Rot. Vegetable Integrated Management. Fact Sheet. Vol. 1. Agricultural Extension Service. University of Puerto Rico. Mayaguez Campus.

Progress 09/01/13 to 08/31/14

Outputs
Target Audience: Citrus growers Vegetable growers Extension Agents Agronomists of the Department of Agriculture Researchers Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? To promote the adoption and implementation of effective strategies to reduce the impact of CG in citrus crops, two workshops were celebrated in the main citrus production municipalities to train growers to target sprays to achieve greater success in controlling and/or suppressing psyllids as compared to individual psyllid control efforts and maintain an agressive fertilization program.Citrus growers in Puerto Rico are facing a new destructive disease: Citrus Greening (CG) or Huanglobing. The bacteria that cause the disease affect fruit quality and poses a serious risk to the Citrus industry in the island. There is a need for the implementation of an integrated management program to deal with the disease and establishment of a certification program to produce disease free trees. Losses due to CG required the intervention of Extension Specialists and Agents to deliver an educational program to growers to address the problems confronted by growers with farms severely affected by the disease. Extension agents in collaboration with the Fruit Specialist and the IPM Specialist trained 315 citrus growers in Citrus Greening Integrated Management (CGIM) with emphasis on chemical management of the psyllid vector and establishment of a specific fertilizer program. The educational program consisted of field days in farms of affected growers, workshops, and routine visits of Extension agents to growers to assess the efficiency of the educational program and provide follow up in the use of the recommended management practices. The PR Department of Agriculture enforced an application program in citrus to address the problem in collaboration with Extension personnel in order to help growers in the implementation of CGIM. The educational program delivered is showing positive results with an increase in the understanding of the Citrus Greening disease by growers, and use of recommended management strategies including a specific fertilizer program and chemical control of the psyllid by 60% of the citrus growers impacted by the educational program. The IPM Coordinator and the IPM Specialist participated in the Annual Commodity Meetings for Vegetables and Fruits and the annual meeting of the Puerto Rican Society of Agriculture to develop collaborative IPM efforts and prioritize pest management needs with the participation of stakeholders. The Extension Diagnostic Clinic provided diagnosis and pest management recommendations for 120 plant samples and responded to 85 electronic plant problem inquiries from 21 municipalities. Two workshops were celebrated in the Gurabo and Isabela Experimental Stations to train vegetable producers in identification and sustainable management practices. Nine (9) fact sheets about pest and diseases in vegetables were produced and disseminated to help vegetable growers to help them identify key pests and promote the adoption and implementation of effective strategies to reduce the potential for disease and arthropods problems on these crops. One field day was celebrated in the farms of two vegetable growers, with the participation of researchers, pesticide dealers. Outreach efforts were on identification of key pests and sustainable management practices. The results of the project were informed in the vegetable commodity meeting and in the Annual Meeting of the Puerto Rican Society of Agriculture. The Extension webpage was updated with information about citrus and vegetable IPMto promote adoption and implementation of effective strategies to reduce the potential for disease and arthropods problems on these crops.

Publications

• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Zamora, J. 2013. Citrus Greening Fertilization Program. Newsletter. Agricultural Extension Service. University of Puerto Rico. Mayaguez Campus.
• Type: Other Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2014 Citation: Zamora, J. and F. Roman. 2014. Situation of Citrus Greening in Puerto Rico and Extension IPM Project. Annual Meeting of the Fruit Commodity. Corozal Experimental Station. College of Agricultural Sciences. University of Puerto Rico. Oral presentation.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Almodovar,W. 2014. Angular Leaf spot of Cucurbits. Vegetable Integrated Management. Fact Sheet. Vol. 2. Agricultural Extension Service. University of Puerto Rico. Mayaguez Campus.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Almodovar,W. 2014. Gummy Stem Blight of Cucurbits. Vegetable Integrated Management. Fact Sheet. Vol. 5. Agricultural extension Service. University of Puerto Rico. Mayaguez Campus.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Almodovar,W. 2014. Bacterial Leaf Spot of Solanaceous Crops. Vegetable Integrated Management. Fact Sheet. Vol. 10. Agricultural extension Service. University of Puerto Rico. Mayaguez Campus.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Almodovar,W. 2014. Southern Blight of Vegetables. Vegetable Integrated Management. Fact Sheet. Vol. 8. Agricultural extension Service. University of Puerto Rico. Mayaguez Campus.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Almodovar,W. 2014. Powdery Mildew of Cucurbits. Vegetable Integrated Management. Fact Sheet. Vol. 2. Agricultural extension Service. University of Puerto Rico. Mayaguez Campus.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Almodovar,W. 2014. Downy Mildew of Cucurbits. Vegetable Integrated Management. Fact Sheet. Vol. 3. Agricultural extension Service. University of Puerto Rico. Mayaguez Campus.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Almodovar,W. 2014. Watermelon Vine Decline. Vegetable Integrated Management. Fact Sheet. Vol. 9. Agricultural Extension Service. University of Puerto Rico. Mayaguez Campus.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Almodovar,W. 2014. Puerto Rico IPM Program for Puerto Rico. Fact Sheet. Agricultural extension Service. University of Puerto Rico
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Almodovar,W. 2014. Bacterial Wilt of Pepper. Vegetable Integrated Management. Fact Sheet. Vol. 6. Agricultural extension Service. University of Puerto Rico. Mayaguez Campus.
• Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2014 Citation: Almodovar,W. 2014. Phytophthora Blight and Rot. Vegetable Integrated Management. Fact Sheet. Vol. 1. Agricultural extension Service. University of Puerto Rico. Mayaguez Campus.