Source: UNIV OF MINNESOTA submitted to NRP
ACCELERATING IPM IMPLEMENTATION FOR GREATEST IMPACTS IN MINNESOTA
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
COMPLETE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1027165
Grant No.
2021-70006-35481
Cumulative Award Amt.
$675,000.00
Proposal No.
2021-05130
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2021
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2024
Grant Year
2023
Program Code
[EIP]- Extension Implementation Program
Recipient Organization
UNIV OF MINNESOTA
(N/A)
ST PAUL,MN 55108
Performing Department
Extension
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 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.
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
2163110303040%
2162410302060%
Knowledge Area
216 - Integrated Pest Management Systems;

Subject Of Investigation
2410 - Cross-commodity research--multiple crops; 3110 - Insects;

Field Of Science
3020 - Education; 3030 - Information and communication;
Goals / Objectives
The goal of University of Minnesota (U of M) ExtensionIPM is toenablecorrect pest diagnosis, judicious pesticide use in both agricultural and horticultural settings, and sustainable, economical plant production that minimizes environmental and human health impacts. 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.

Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:The University of Minnesota Extension IPM Program (MN Extension) target audience reflects the diversity of audiences in Minnesota, from those producing crops and managing crops for their livelihood (fields crops, specialty crops) to those whose services keep agriculture and plants in public spaces functioning (pollinators, pesticide applicators), to the communities where plants create beauty and connections (communities). A primary focus of the MN Extension IPM Program is the crop producer, be it a conventional field crop grower producing on thousands of acres or a beginning producer growing organic vegetables on a rented acre. In addition, a strong focus continues with the diverse array of independent crop consultants, agronomists and agricultural professionals associated with crop productionin the state. These groupsinfluence farmer decisions through recommendations informed by MN Extension. The grower groups include: MN Corn Growers Assn., MN Soybean Growers Assn., the MN Fruit & Veg. Growers Assn., Hmong American Farmers Association, MN Wheat Producersand Midwest Food Processor Assoc. (MN, WI, IL). The program is also extending its focus to what the state of Minnesota refers to as "emerging farmers," or growers whose race, gender, age, veteran-status, etc. who have oftentimes encounter barriers to farming. Changes/Problems:Staff turnover occurred both within those funded by the EIP grant and within Extension that perform IPM-related work. Bruce Potter (Key Personnel, IPM Specialist) retired at the end of the grant period in August 2024. This retirement did not significantly affect the outcomes of work accomplished through this grant, though effort was dedicated to transitioning existing programs Potter led to other Extension educators and faculty in 2024, such as black cutworm and European corn borer surveys. Due to retirement in early 2022 by the previous corn entomologist, support on corn entomology issues and up to date research for extension presentations had been reduced for a time. B. Potter has filled this role to a degree. Acorn entomologist was hired in mid-2023 thatincreased the amount of corn IPM extension material. Other unfilled field crops extension educator positions at MN Extension also limited the availability of remaining educators to cover pressing IPM-related issues in-depth across the state. In fall 2023, the coordinator for the Master Gardener Core Course left their position. This position was open for a majority of the remaining grant period. This prevented some of the grant objectives related to online Master Gardener content from being completed. This also impacted the creation of an IPM Tool Kit for Master Gardeners. Anthony Hanson (field crops) and Marissa Schuh (horticulture) transitioned further into their IPM coordinator roles during the 2021-2024 reporting period. They continue to organize the program in their roles to streamline the management of the program and this grant. Schuh switched from being a member of Extension's horticulture team to a member of the food systems team. This increased work in the specialty crops area while reducing some of the work being done with communities. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?The IPM program also participatedin programs that enabledextension educators to improve their abilities to present IPM information in relevant, approachable ways. This included delivering trainings on visual tools to extension educators in the state, and teaching whole farm analysis techniques to extension agents across the country at the National Association of County Agricultural Agents Annual Meeting. A focus of the Minnesota IPM program has been collaborating with state commodity groups (i.e., wheat and soybean) to hire IPM scouts each summer in western Minnesota to scout fields and provide data that are used to generate weekly maps of pest presence. These scouts are often college students or recent graduates looking to gain more experience in biological or agricultural sciences. These scouts are trained in plant, disease, and insect identification as well as interacting with farmers in an extension capacity. Hanson also mentored a graduate student in 2022 student by assisting with developing a new emergence prediction model for Japanese beetle in Minnesota for extension-focused applications. This included development of maps used to show growers when they should be scouting orchards for the beetle. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?IPM results are disseminated to target audiences, and communities of interest for all 5 objectives via E-newsletters, blogs, winter educational meetings, field days, and increasingly, IPM Podcasts, Webinars & Twitter. An important source of information across efforts is the University of Minnesota Extension website. This website is designed to be accessiblewith mobile, desktops, and screen readers, and also available with translations in Spanish for all pages. The website also has good search engine optimization, with readership across the country. Agronomic crops The MN Crops web page brings in approximately 1 million readers each year (https://extension.umn.edu/crop-production). and the MN Crop News blog (https://blog-crop news.extension.umn.edu), The number of Crop News subscribers and article views per year have steadily increased over the past 10 years and currently stand at 3,437 subscribers and approximately 580,000 readers as of 2024. Support from this grant assists in providing IPM communications staff time that manages this Extension content and timely releases of crop news and updates. Producers also get localized updates through two weekly newsletters:Southwest Minnesota Extension Crops Update (IPM Stuff) and Cropping Issues in Northwest Minnesota. Pest forecast maps for common field crop and vegetable pests were developed and promoted through the VegEdge website (https://vegedge.umn.edu/degree-day-models-select-insect-pests-midwest-region). Models for decision making exist for brown marmorated stinkbug, cabbage maggot, European corn borer, Japanese beetle, and seed corn maggot. Information from the models informs the writing of the field crop vegetable updates. A recent program addition has been the Strategic Farming program with Let's Talk Crops as the winter program, and Field Notes as a spring and summer field update. Both are held as online weekly webinars that allow growers to interact with university researchers and educators. The winter Let's Talk Crops program features more detailedresearch presentations geared towards growers as they prepare for the growing season with video recordings available afterwards. Field Notes is also held as a webinar recorded with an audio-only podcast focus in mind with very few if any slides. Many of the sessions feature IPM updates within agronomic focused episodes, or frequently are entirely focused on IPM topics. MN Field Crop IPM Podcasts are available at: https://cropipm.transistor.fm/. These podcasts have been produced since 2018 with crop update focuses or delving into what exactly IPM is. During the reporting period up to Sept. 1 2024, at least 2,316 listeners have downloaded episodes from the podcast. As of 2024, this podcast's content was merged with the Strategic Farming: Field Notes podcast. The IPM program also closely works with the UMN Institute for AgriculturalProfessionals, which includes three events with major IPM focuses: 1. Research Updates, 2. Field School, 3. Crop Pest Management Short Course. Specialty Crops The Fruit and Vegetable News regularly shares timely IPM information to the state's specialty crop growers from season prep to in-season pest updates. During the growing season, this information is sent to over 2,000 subscribers and during the grant period there were over 60000 views on IPM content (https://blog-fruit-vegetable-ipm.extension.umn.edu/). During the reporting period, UMN's Fruit and Vegetable News (https://z.umn.edu/fruitvegnews) was sent out twice a month (off-season) or weekly (growing season) to 2,038 subscribers (up from 1,384 early in the granting period). Forty nine articles were published on various fruit and vegetable IPM topics. They had over 60,000 views.In 2023 and 2024 surveys, 84-100% reported learning about insect, disease or weed management, and 48-67% reported changing how they managed these pests based on what they read in the newsletter. Respondents reportedreported changing how they managed specific pests, such as cucumber beetle and Japanese beetle, using less harsh pesticides, changing application timing of herbicides, doing more frequent soil tests, and worrying less about physiological issues outside of their control, variety selection, scouting, mulching for weed management, and pruning to decrease disease incidence. Fact sheets continue to be hosted on the VegEdge (www.vegede.umn.edu) and FruitEdge (www.fruitedge.umn.edu) web sites, as well as integrated into the main University of Minnesota Extension website (e.g. https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/disease-management). The UM Extension food systemsteam contributes videos to the UMN Small Farm YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtXgdswjzbny14Fgya8yzEA), including videos that highlight how to developa small farm with cultural IPM tactics in mind. This channel has 3,360 subscribers. The MN Extension Fruit and Vegetable Facebook page has 1,000 followers and is used to disseminate timely IPM information. University of Minnesota also has a presence at important state and regional conferences, such as the Emerging Farmers Conference. Minnesota Organic Conference, Minnesota Fruit and Vegetable EXPO, and the Sustainable Farming Association Conference. Technical assistance for IPM extension education is provided by both local and regional educators around the state. Across the reporting period of this grant, over 300 in-depth consultations around IPM issues were had by a single regional educator and specialty crops growers around the state. Pollinator Health Most of the Extension information is available at the UMN Bee Lab: https://www.beelab.umn.edu/resources-beekeepers/free-bee-information. In addition, the Extension effort to reach urban beekeepers (MN "Bee Squad") supports several programs, via the UMN Bee Lab page (www.beelab.umn.edu). Communities The Yard and Garden Newsletter is distributed every 2 weeks to 13,837 subscribers (https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden/yard-and-garden-news). Across the duration of the grant, there were 19 articles on IPM topics which were viewed 52,214 times. These articles were re-published in local newspapers across Minnesota and resulted in news appearances across the state on topics such as Japanese beetles and home-invading insects. County-level extension offices and master gardener groups around the state have Facebook Pages where they promote IPM-based information. There are 48 county-level Master Gardener Facebook pages with 28,656 followers. Pages on common vegetable insects and diseases are being updated to include garden-scale IPM information on dealing with pests (e.g. https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/disease-management). IPM information was also integrated in general growing guide (https://extension.umn.edu/find-plants/vegetables). Pesticide Applicators The pesticide safety and education team provides information through in-person meetings, online Canvas courses, and over zoom. The teamalso hasa Twitter (@UmnPSEE, 209 followers) and Facebook (169 followers) and hold trainings across the state and live via Zoom. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? Nothing Reported

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Agronomic Crops Agronomic programs often combined general crop agronomy with pest management updates to increase knowledge and awareness of IPM topics. Strategic Farming Weekly winter (Let's Talk Crops, 1-hour webinars/video) and growing season (Field Notes, 30-minute webinars/podcasts) program. Both formats include audience participats. Approximately half of these webinars involve pest management. In total from 2021-24, Strategic Farming programs have reached 28,941 attendees or podcast/video views, and 37,089 summary readers. 79-95% of attendees agreed they gained knowledge from the programs and 70-87% planned to use the information on their acres. Attendees managed more than 594,442 MN crop acres. IPM Podcast 10 episodes that were published during the reporting period with 2,316 downloads during the full grant period. An entomologist working in IPM at Texas A&M gave feedback, "Good stuff! I downloaded it and will make it required listening for all of our recent and forthcoming extension entomologists; it is a perfect explanation of what we do and how we should do it." Crop Pest Management Short Course Each December with 800-1000 agricultural professionals attending. More than two-thirds of attendees had a deeper understanding of the subject matter and nearly three quarters plan to change their practices based on what they learned. Some of the highest rated sessions were IPM related such as Hanson's session on adapting to alfalfa weevil challenges (4.5 out of 5) and Potter's sessions on corn rootworm management (4 out of 5). Research Updates Each January, UMN researchers gave updates on current primarily pest-focused research including corn and soybean insects, disease updates, and weed management at six locations across MN (~200 attendees per year). On a 1-6 scale, participants had a deeper understanding of the subject matter (5.0 average) and planned to change practices based on what they learned (4.3 average). Peer-reviewed publications: 2024: 0, 2021-24: 1 Non-peer-reviewed: 2024: 39, 2021-24: 109 Presentations: 2024: 15, 2021-24: 65 People reached: 2024: 35,244, 2021-24: 170,850 Specialty Crops Training for Hmong Farmers UMN contributed to the partner organizations' workshop series. Annually, IPM topics were presented in highly pictorial, simultaneously interpreted presentations. Across the granting period, over 50 Hmong growers were reached. In a 2021 training, allwho responded to a dot placement evaluation reported they learned new and useful information, with 60% reporting they learned a lot. All respondents reported that they would probably (53%) or definitely (47%) change a practice. IPM Training for Beginning and Immigrant Farmers Partnering with groups who work directly with cohorts of beginning, emerging growers, UMN Extension developed training and pictorial materials to enhance growers knowledge while also giving them easy to reference take home materials. Across these efforts 353 beginning and emerging growers were reached. These numbers increased every year, reaching 26 the first year of the grant, and 253 in the grant's final year. Organic Fruit and Vegetable Field Day This annual event focused on small-scale organic production is held in late July in St. Paul, Minnesota. The event goals are be accessible, being held outside of working hours in a location reachable with public transportation. Simultaneous interpretation is provided in Spanish, Swahili, and Hmong. The event is organized by an IPM extension educator, and prominently features IPM topics. Every year, growers report learning about IPM (93% in 2023, 86% in 2024) and intending to change practices (10% in 2023, 58% in 2024). 18% of responding attendees in 2024 reported changing how they managed pests after attending the 2023 field day. Web Resources As Minnesota increases its support of emerging and beginning growers, the line between gardener and grower continues to blur. Supporting those scaling up into commercial growing, pest pages were revised to be more accessible to both audiences. 56 pages were updated to include current IPM information on vegetable production, insects, and plant diseases. Between November 1 2023 and October 31 2024, these pages were viewed 661,954 times. A total of 563 users gave the pages updated as part of this grant an average ranking of 4.5 out of 5 stars. Peer-reviewed publications: 0 in 2024, 2021-24: 8 Non-peer-reviewed: 52 in 2024, 2021-24: 107 Presentations: 20 in 2024, 2021-24: 50 People reached: 37,088 in 2024, 2021-24: 51,845 Pollinator Health Bee Lab UMN works closely with the UMN Bee Lab to provide extension educationrelated to IPM and pollinators, especially honeybee health related to mite management or landscape suitability for honeybees. Beekeeping in Northern Climates Online courseprovided beginning beekeeping instruction to 419 students. 87% of students responding to the course evaluation strongly agreed with the statement that "I have a deeper understanding of the subject matter as a result of this course," and the remaining 13% agreed with the statement. 84% plan on keeping honeybees in the upcoming year. Peer-reviewed publications: 0 Non-peer-reviewed: 2024: 1, 2021-24: 1 Presentations: 2024: 8, 2021-24: 30 People reached: 2024: 787, 2021-24: 3,936 Communities Master Gardener Program The winter 2024 Master Gardener cohort had a record high of 525 registrants. This new cohort was provided IPM content in a revised entomology module, as well as modules on weed management, IPM, and plant disease. The core course is also open to horticulture professionals, with 242 participanting in the course in 2024. In 2024, the Master Gardeners program had 3,177 members who volunteered 185,751 hours in communities across the state. Through their educational efforts, Master Gardeners reached 166,067 Minnesotans. Beneficial Insect Education Gardeners are more aware of pollinators and are curious about other benefits insects provide. This led to an effort to provide permanent web resources as well as a set of talks around beneficial insects in Minnesota, with an effort focused around natural enemies. As part of this effort, a new section of the UMN Extension website was developed. Web pages included information on ID, biology, conservation biocontrol, and situations where classical biocontrol might be worth it. The new beneficial insect pages had a total of 11,041 page views in 2022. Peer-reviewed publications: 0 in 2024, 2021-24: 3 Non-peer-reviewed: 5 in 2024, 2021-24: 33 Presentations: 20 in 2024, 2021-24: 50 People reached: 192,523 in 2024, 2021-24:650,860 Pesticide Applicators Each year, 9-13 in-person workshops were held for 5,260 commercial field crops applicators for pest updates and hands-on weed and insect identification. 14,586 private pesticide applicators were certified in the past 3 years across field crops and specialty crops with approximately 45 in-person workshops and 2 Zoom workshops. During private recertification, an IPM survey was conducted via Turningpoint to determine IPM practices of applicators while also teaching what practices are most common. The results of this survey are summarized in MN Crop News (https://z.umn.edu/ipmsurvey). The Pesticide Safety Team and MN Extension educators hold approximately 20 training sessions annually for those working commercially in horticulture as pesticide applicators (1 Zoom, 20 In-person) sessions reaching 1604 attendees in 2022 (7,633 with licenses in 2024). Modules included invasive insects, turf weed ID, glyphosate alternatives in landscapes, shrub disease management, and guidelines for bee lawn management. 48% of attendees said they would change a practice based on what they learned about pollinator protection (n=842), and 42% would changehow they would manage shrubs (n=731). Peer-reviewed publications: 0 Non-peer-reviewed: 2024: 2, 2021-24: 6 Presentations: 2024: 55, 2021-24: 211 People reached: 2024: 5,527, 2021-24: 16,197

Publications


    Progress 09/01/22 to 08/31/23

    Outputs
    Target Audience:The University of Minnesota Extension IPM Program (MN Extension) target audience reflects the diversity of audiences in Minnesota, from those producing crops and managing crops for their livelihood (fields crops, specialty crops) to those whose services keep agriculture and plants in public spaces functioning (pollinators, pesticide applicators), to the communities where plants create beauty and connections (communities). A main focus of the MN Extension IPM Program is a farmer audience, be it a conventional field crop grower producing on thousands of acres or a beginning producer growing organic vegetables on a rented acre. In addition, a strong focus continues with the diverse array of independent crop consultants, agronomists and ag. professionals associated with the broader commodity industry groups in the state. These groups may influence farmer decisions through recommendations informed by MN Extension. Larger grower groups include: MN Corn Growers Assn., MN Soybean Growers Assn., the MN Fruit & Veg. Growers Assn., Hmong American Farmers Association, and Midwest Food Processor Assoc. (MN, WI, IL). The program is also extending its focus to what the state of Minnesota refers to as "emerging farmers," or growers whose race, gender, age, veteran-status, etc. who have oftentimes encounter barriers to farming. Changes/Problems:Fruit extension educator Annie Klodd is no longer with UMN Extension, so there are currently some gaps in fruit IPM activities as the position is refilled. One IPM coordinator switched from being a member of Extension's horticulture team to a member of the food systems team. This will likely increase work in the specialty crops area while reducing some of the work being done with communities. Due to retirement in early 2022 by the previous corn entomologist, support on corn entomology issues and up to date research for extension presentations has been reduced. B. Potter has filled this role to a degree. A newly hired corn entomologist will be starting in mid-2023 that will help increase the amount of corn IPM extension material. Other unfilled field crops extension educator positions at MN Extension have also limited the availability of remaining educators to cover pressing IPM-related issues in-depth across the state. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?A portion of Anthony Hanson's time in 2023 was spent advising IPM scouts hired as student interns for the summer in western MN as well as coordinating overall scout activities for insect-related surveys. This survey provided data for weekly grower updates on disease or insect issues in small grains or soybeans and was funded by the Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers and Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council. This provides training for students interested in crop scouting and how updates for IPM are provided while exposing them to a variety of pests and growing conditions throughout the growing season. Hanson also advised a graduate student on the analysis of a dissertation chapter for developing degree-day models for Japanese beetle that was recently published in Frontiers of Insect Science (https://doi.org/10.3389/finsc.2022.1075807). An additional graduate student is also being mentored on developing pest forecasting tools for soybean gall midge. Marissa Schuh provided IPM mentorship and expertise to local educators as they work through insect and plant problems they encounter as the local educators work in communities across the state. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?IPM results are disseminated to target audiences, and communities of interest for all 5 objectives via E-newsletters, blogs, winter educational meetings, field days, and increasingly, IPM Podcasts, Webinars & Twitter. A. Agronomic crops The MN Crops web page had 961,520 unique pageviews in 2022, (https://extension.umn.edu/crop-production) and the MN Crop News blog had 466,952 unique pageviews, (https://blog-crop news.extension.umn.edu/ ) and are the most popular avenues for timely dissemination. Producers also get localized updates through two weekly newsletters:Southwest Minnesota Extension Crops Update (IPM Stuff) and Cropping Issues in Northwest Minnesota. A recent program addition has been the Strategic Farming program with Let's Talk Crops as the winter program, and Field Notes as a spring and summer field update. Both are held as online weekly webinars that allow growers to interact with university researchers and educators. The winter Let's Talk Crops program features longer form research presentations geared towards growers as they prepare for the growing season with video recordings available afterwards. Field Notes is also held as a webinar recorded with an audio-only podcast focus in mind with very few if any slides. Many of the sessions feature IPM updates within agronomic focused episodes, or frequently are entirely focused on IPM topics. MN Field Crop IPM Podcasts are available at: https://cropipm.transistor.fm/. These podcasts have been produced since 2018 with crop update focuses or delving into what exactly IPM is. During the reporting period up to June 15, 2023, at least 1,140 listeners have downloaded episodes from the podcast. Between the website, MN Crop News, videos, and podcasts, IPM related topics have received 172,689 views. The IPM program also closely works with the UMN Institute for Ag. Professionals, which includes three events with major IPM focuses: 1. Research Updates, 2. Field School, 3. Crop Pest Management Short Course. B. Specialty Crops The Fruit and Vegetable News regularly shares timely IPM information to the state's specialty crop growers from season prep to in-season pest updates. During the growing season, this information is sent to 1,288 subscribers and during the reporting period there were 6,348 pageviews on IPM content (https://blog-fruit-vegetable-ipm.extension.umn.edu/). Fact sheets continue to be hosted on the VegEdge (www.vegede.umn.edu) and FruitEdge (www.fruitedge.umn.edu) web sites, as well as integrated into the main University of Minnesota Extension website (e.g. https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/disease-management). The food systems extension team contributes videos to the UMN Small Farm YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtXgdswjzbny14Fgya8yzEA), including videos that highlight how to set up a small farm with cultural IPM tactics in mind. This channel has 2,730 subscribers. The MN Extension Fruit and Vegetable Facebook page has 765 followers and is used to disseminate timely IPM information. C. Pollinator Health Most of the Extension information is available at the UMN Bee Lab: https://www.beelab.umn.edu/resources-beekeepers/free-bee-information. In addition, the Extension effort to reach urban beekeepers (MN "Bee Squad") supports several programs, via the UMN Bee Lab page (www.beelab.umn.edu). D. Communities The Yard and Garden Newsletter goes out every 2 weeks to 9,825 subscribers. Articles published during this reporting period focused on an IPM approach had 7595 views. County-level extension offices and master gardener groups around the state have Facebook Pages where they promote IPM-based information. There are 46 county-level Master Gardener Facebook pages with 19394 followers. Pages on common vegetable insects and diseases are being updated to include garden-scale IPM information on dealing with pests (e.g. https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/disease-management). IPM information is also being integrated into the general vegetable gardening guides (https://extension.umn.edu/find-plants/vegetables). E. Pesticide Applicators The pesticide safety and education team provides information through in-person meetings, online Canvas courses, and over zoom. They also have a Twitter (@UmnPSEE, 209 followers) and Facebook (150 likes). Trainings are held across the state and live via Zoom. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?A. Agronomic crops Difficulties in alfalfa weevil management (e.g., few pesticides left due to resistance and regulatory issues, changes in phenology) have resulted in growers frequently asking for assistance and options to a pest that used to be managed well with IPM tactics. New IPM recommendations need to be developed for the state and disseminated during this upcoming reporting period in addition to surveying growers on the severity of changes they are seeing with this pest. Alfalfa weevil is increasingly becoming a showcase for the need of using IPM in the region. Online programming will continue such as the summer version of Strategic Farming, Field Notes, a weekly webinar for growers to get growing season updates and engage with researchers or listen to its podcast on their own time. The IPM Podcast for Field Crops will also continue for subjects tailored specifically to IPM. The Minnesota Crop News Blog will continue to be used as the primary method of providing timely updates to growers on pertinent pest issues during the growing season. Development is ongoing to automate and expand a UMN pest forecasting and phenology website. The pilot project is currently housed at: https://vegedge.umn.edu/degree-day-models-select-insect-pests-midwest-region. Additional support is being pursued to expand this project. An annual pest scouting and judging event for MN 4-H will be held on the St. Paul campus in July. The Small Grains and Soybean IPM Survey is a MN wheat and soybean grower-funded project to survey western MN small grains and soybean fields for disease and insects and provide weekly maps for growers on regional pest incidence. Surveys for corn pests such as corn rootworm summer adult sampling and the fall European corn borer survey will continue. B. Specialty Crops Fruit and Vegetable News - Weekly vegetable crop updates featuring IPM practices will be released weekly during the growing season, with approximately 20 vegetable IPM updates planned for the 2023 growing season. In a 2020 survey 97% of growers said this newsletter helped them during the growing season. This newsletter will be evaluated again in 2023. Degree day models for common insects will continue to be developed and published. Partnering for Accessible Resources - Work with grower organizations, including Hmong American Farmers Association and the Good Acre, to assess needs of beginning, immigrant, and BIPOC growers around IPM, and lay the foundation for production of new IPM resources for these communities. Work with immigrant grower cooperative The Village to investigate pests and pest management in crop managu. Fruit and Vegetable Field Day - IPM co-coordinator Marissa Schuh is overseeing a field day highlighting the IPM practices applicable to small, beginning, and urban growers. A field day will be held in late July highlighting current IPM research, as well as some basic IPM practices. The field day is targeted at reaching beginning, immigrant, and BIPOC growers in the Minneapolis-St. Paul metro. MN Extension is working with two incubator programs to provide transportation for growers outside the metro to attend. We anticipate reaching 100 growers with IPM info that is interpreted and applicable to their farms and gardens. Over 20 permanent web pages on common vegetable pests and disease will be updated to include current management practices in an IPM framework. C. Pollinator Health Through spring and summer, educational courses will be provided illustrating both honeybee and native bee habitat and food sources and how pollinator health interacts with pest management. Outreach programs will continue to be affiliated with the UMN Bee Lab designed to engage new audiences to learn about pollinators and become empowered to teach others. The Pollinator Ambassadors and related outreach toolkits are especially geared towards youth and 6-12 science teachers. D. Communities Yard and Garden News will continue to publish timely information on an IPM approach to current pest issues. One continuing education opportunity for Master Gardeners around IPM will be developed and released. E. Pesticide Applicators Educators will be preparing for the 2024 workshops by developing new content for the next cycle of curriculum. Commercial and non-commercial applicator session content is being redeveloped and is also planned to include additional broad IPM content in addition to guidance on managing specific pests. Private Pesticide Applicator sessions will be organized for early 2024 with assistance from the MN IPM program for content and presenters. IPM survey workshop evaluation data will be summarized during spring and summer 2023. Development of IPM content for online and in-person training for those who are applying for their first pesticide license, with the goal being IPM a key part of the applicator's new role.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? A. Agronomic Crops Objective: Increase adoption of IPM practices in agronomic crops, enhance the effectiveness of the IPM program, and expand the evolving reach of IPM Extension. Percent Completion: 90% CPM Short Course (Dec. 2022) - 876 agricultural professionals attended the 2023 Crop Pest Management Short Course. While maintaining CCA (Certified Crop Advisor) accreditation is a primary driver of attending, more than two-thirds of those same attendees leave with a deeper understanding of the subject matter and nearly three quarters plan to change their practices based on what they learned. Some of the highest rated sessions were IPM related such as Hanson's session on adapting to alfalfa weevil challenges (4.5 out of 5) and Potter's sessions on corn rootworm management (4 out of 5). Best of the Best in Wheat and Soybean Research - 302 participants attended the Best of the Best conference in Grand Fork, ND and Moorhead, MN Feb 8-9, 2023. Hanson provided sessions on new soybean insects, how to identify them, and how IPM is changing for them. Approximately 50% of attendees rated the sessions at 3 rating "learned something new and useful" and 25% (4 rating, best option) "gained important insight and plan to apply the information to their farming operation". Strategic Farming: Let's Talk Crops - An online weekly winter 2023 webinar was produced and also posted to YouTube that invited Minnesota and regional field crops experts to discuss agronomic and pest management plans for the 2023 growing season and field live questions from growers attendees. 12 sessions were produced with over 1,429 attendees, 1,726 video views, and 5,786 views on summary articles after each webinar. Research Updates for Ag Professionals (Jan 2023) - UMN researchers gave updates on current primarily pest-focused research including corn and soybean insects, disease updates, and weed management at four locations across MN (198 attendees). On a scale of 1-6, participants mostly agreed they had a deeper understanding of the subject matter (5.0 average) and planned to change practices based on what they learned at the sessions (4.3 average). 1. Peer-reviewed publications: 2 2. Non-peer-reviewed publications: 19 3. Presentations: 31 4. People reached: 155,606 B. Specialty Crops Objective: Increase Minnesota specialty crop growers' knowledge and adoption of integrated pest management practices on their farms. Percent Completion: 90% 2022 Pumpkin Grower Meetup (November 21, November 2022) - Minnesota is home to over 400 pumpkin growers. Schuh collaborated with Annie Klodd and Natalie Hoidal to host the annual Pumpkin Grower Meetup over Zoom. 57 attendees registered for a 2 hour zoom webinar focused on giving growers spaces to share their growing season. Of the 17 who responded to our evaluation, 13 said they planned to change practices based on what was covered in the meeting. Training for Hmong Farmers (March 2023) - UMN IPM contributed to the Hmong American Farmer Association (HAFA) winter workshop series, with Marissa Schuh reaching 12 Hmong-American growers on sweet corn IPM and potato diseases. Natalie Hoidal produced the peer-reviewed extension publication "A guide to growing staple vegetables from around the world in Minnesota," which covers many topics, including the basic IPM, of crops important to Minnesota's beginning, immigrant growers. This guide has been translated into Spanish and Swahili, and won a regional-level NACAA Communication award for best extension publication. During the reporting period, UMN's Fruit and Vegetable News (https://z.umn.edu/fruitvegnews) was sent out twice a month (off-season) or weekly (growing season) to 1,288 subscribers. 11 articles were published on various fruit and vegetable IPM topics. They had a cumulative 6814 views. In a 2020 survey 97% of growers said this newsletter helped them during the growing season. This newsletter will be evaluated again in 2023. 1. Peer-reviewed publications: 3 2. Non-peer-reviewed publications: 1 3. Presentations: 15 4. People reached: 7,265 C. Pollinator Health Objective: Improve pollinator diversity, pollinator health and pollinator habitat by implementing IPM practices in the landscape. Percent Completion: 90% K. Lee, U of M Extension Apiculture Educator affiliated with researchers at the UMN Bee Lab frequently covers topics related to IPM and pollinators, especially honeybee health related to mite management or landscape suitability for honeybees. Lee continues to provide education for beekeepers and the general public with over 12 events held related to pollinators and IPM during the reporting period. 1. Peer-reviewed publications: 2 2. Non-peer-reviewed publications: 0 3. Presentations: 14 4. People reached: 1,979 D. Communities Objective: Leverage Master Gardener volunteers and Minnesota Landscape Arboretum resources to increase statewide education to homeowners and the general public about IPM practices. Percent Completion: 90% The winter 2023 Master Gardener cohort had a record high of 553 registrants. This new cohort was provided IPM content in a revised entomology module, as well as modules on weeds, IPM, and plant disease. The core course is also open to horticulture professionals, of which there were 232 professionals to the course. In 2022, the Master Gardeners program had 2953 members who volunteered 169,547 hours in communities across the state. Through their educational efforts, Master Gardeners reached 142,363 Minnesotans. Yard and Gardens News and Newsletter (https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden/yard-and-garden-news) continues to be sent out every two weeks to 9,825 subscribers. In the reporting period, there were 8 articles on IPM topics. These articles received 7,595 views and were re-published in local newspapers across Minnesota. 1. Peer-reviewed publications: 1 2. Non-peer-reviewed publications: 9 3. Presentations: 2,497 (5 without 2022 Master Gardener Events) 4. People reached: 323,537 (8710 without 2022 Master Gardener event data) E. Pesticide Applicators Objective: Integrate IPM best management practices into education and behavioral norms for pesticide applicators in Minnesota. Percent Completion: 90% The Pesticide Safety Team and MN Extension educators held 21 trainings for those working commercially in horticulture as pesticide applicators (1 Zoom, 20 In-person) sessions reaching 1,604 attendees. Modules included invasive insects, turf weed ID, glyphosate alternatives in landscapes, shrub disease management, and guidelines for bee lawn management. 48% of attendees said they would change a practice based on what they learned about pollinator protection (n=842), and 42% would change an aspect of how they would manage shrubs (n=731). 13 in-person workshops were also held for commercial field crops applicators (1,093 attendees) along with 2 live online sessions (52 attendees) focusing on pesticide updates for diseases such as tar spot and white mold, soybean aphid updates, and hands-on weed and insect ID. Evaluation data is currently being summarized. As MN Extension works to train commercial pesticide applicators, it became clear that some audiences needed to have pesticide licenses as part of job requirements or union contracts, but never use pesticides in their jobs. Schuh developed 2.5 hours of IPM focused training for these employees and reached 233 park board employees from three large metro area park boards. 63 of these attendees responded to a survey: a) 86% of those surveyed agreed they gained a deeper understanding of plant diagnostics, b) 70% planned to change their pesticide practices, c) 90 and 81% also agreed they gained understanding of insect identification and recognizing invasive insects, respectively. 1. Peer-reviewed publications: 0 2. Non-peer-reviewed publications: 0 3. Presentations: 81 4. People reached: 4,146

    Publications

    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Ebbenga, D.N., A.A. Hanson, E.C Burkness, & W.D Hutchison. (2022). A Degree-Day Model for Forecasting Adult Phenology of Popillia japonica (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) in a Temperate Climate. Frontiers in Insect Science 2, 11. doi: 10.3389/finsc.2022.1075807
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Iost Filho, F. H., Pazini, J. D. B., Alves, T. M., Koch, R. L., & Yamamoto, P. T. (2022). How does the digital transformation of agriculture affect the implementation of integrated pest management? Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 6 doi:10.3389/fsufs.2022.972213
    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Malvick, D.K., Rohwer, C.M. Floyd. 2022. Understanding management of bacterial leaf streak of sweet corn. American Phytopathological Society Annual Meeting.
    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Initial assessment of the cold tolerance of soybean gall midge. Anderson, P., R.C. Venette, B. Potter, A. Hanson, R.L. Koch. Entomological Society of American  North Central Branch Meeting 2023. 10-minute student presentation.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Deans, C., & Krischik, V. (2023). The current state and future potential of microbial control of scarab pests. Applied Sciences (Switzerland), 13(2) doi:10.3390/app13020766
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Engebretson, J. M., Nelson, K. C., Steinhauer, N., Rennich, K., Spivak, M., & vanEngelsdorp, D. (2022). Perceptions of honey bee management information sources among backyard and sideliner beekeepers in the United States. Journal of Rural Studies, 96, 190-197. doi:10.1016/j.jrurstud.2022.10.020
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Wolfin, J., Watkins, E., Lane, I., Portman, Z. M., & Spivak, M. (2023). Floral enhancement of turfgrass lawns benefits wild bees and honey bees (Apis Mellifera). Urban Ecosystems, doi:10.1007/s11252-023-01339-7


    Progress 09/01/21 to 08/31/22

    Outputs
    Target Audience:The MN Extension IPM Program target audience reflects the diversity of audiences in Minnesota, from those producing crops and managing crops for their livelihood (fields crops, specialty crops) to those whose services keep agriculture and public spaces going (pollinators, pesticide applicators) to the communities where plants create beauty and connections (communities). A large focus of the MN Extension IPM Program is a farmer audience, be it a conventional field crops grower producing on thousands of acres or a beginning grower producing organic vegetables on a rented acre. In addition, a strong focus continues with the diverse array of independent crop consultants, agronomists and ag. professionals associated with dealerships associated with the broader commodity industry groups in the state. Among the larger grower groups, these include: MN Corn Growers Assn., MN Soybean Growers Assn., the MN Fruit & Veg. Growers Assn., Hmong American Farmers Association, and Midwest Food Processor Assoc. (MN, WI, IL). The program is also extending its focus to what the state of Minnesota refers to as "emerging farmers," or growers whose race, gender, age, veteran-status, etc. creates a barriers to farming. Changes/Problems:Anthony Hanson (field crops) and Marissa Schuh (horticulture) transitioned further into their IPM coordinator roles during 2021-2022. They continue to organize the program in their roles to streamline the management of the program and this grant. MN IPMcontinued online programming while transitioning back to in-person events in 2022.Cornerstone programs like the Crop Pest Management Short Course, as well as both Private and Commercial Pesticide Applicator training were again held in-person. Challenges with predicting attendance varied where some events had half the attendees we'd expect from pre-COVID attendance, while others, such as Private Pesticide Applicator Training sessions, often had double the expected attendance. Whether in-person or online, attendance has become more unpredictable during 2022. Minnesota experienced a major drought during 2021, which significantly altered the severity or types of pests the program would normally focus on (e.g., grasshoppers in wheat, powdery mildew on vegetables and ornamentals). MN IPM was responsive to the changing conditions to reflect the needs of growers during this extreme growing season. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?A portion of Anthony Hanson's time in 2022 was spent advising IPM scouts hired as student interns for the summer in western MN as well as coordinating overall scout activities for insect-related surveys. This survey provided data for weekly grower updates on disease or insect issues in small grains or soybeans, and was funded by the Minnesota Association of Wheat Growers and Minnesota Soybean Research & Promotion Council. This provided training for students interested in crop scouting and how updates for IPM are provided while exposing them to a variety of pests and growing conditions throughout the growing season. Hanson also advised a graduate student on the analysis of a dissertation chapter for developing degree-day models for Japanese beetle. Marissa Schuh worked with the UMN horticulture team to produce an updated strategic plant that put IPM for specialty crop grower and gardener audience at the core of all efforts. Schuh was also involved in planning and facilitating a retreat for different organizations involved in specialty crop production education and advocacy, helping create awareness of the IPM approach and resources among many groups. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?IPM results are disseminated to target audiences, and communities of interest for all 5 objectives via E-newsletters, blogs, winter educational meetings, field days, and increasingly, IPM Podcasts, Webinars & Twitter. Agronomic crops The MN Crops web page had 960,291 unique pageviews in 2021, (https://extension.umn.edu/crop-production) and the MN Crop News blog had 465,366 unique pageviews, (https://blog-crop news.extension.umn.edu/ ) and are the most popular avenues for timely dissemination. Producers also get localized updates through two weekly newsletters:Southwest Minnesota Extension Crops Update (IPM Stuff) and Cropping Issues in Northwest Minnesota. A recent program addition has been the Strategic Farming program with Let's Talk Crops as the winter program, and Field Notes as a spring and summer field update. Both are held as online weekly webinars that allow growers to interact with university researchers and educators.The winter Let's Talk Crops program features longer form research presentations geared towards growers as they prepare for the growing season with video recordings available afterwards. Field Notes is also held as a webinar, but is recorded with an audio-only podcast focus in mind with very few if any slides. Many of the sessions feature IPM updates within agronomic focused episodes, or frequently are entirely focused on IPM topics. MN Field Crop IPM Podcasts are available at: https://cropipm.transistor.fm/. These podcasts have been produced since 2018 with crop update focuses or delving into what exactly IPM is. During the reporting period up to June 3, 2022, 864 listeners have downloaded episodes from the podcast. Between the website, MN Crop News, videos, and podcasts, IPM related topics have received 175,386 views. The IPM program also closely works with the UMN Institute for Ag. Professionals, which includes three events with major IPM focuses: 1. Research Updates, 2. Field School, 3. Crop Pest Management Short Course. During the reporting period, Research Updates were held during January 2022 at 6 locations featuring topics such as weed, insect, and disease management with approximately 350 attendees. The CPM Short Course was held Dec 7-9, 2021 with Sessions focused on regulation, corn, soybeans, wheat, and alfalfa. The Field School will be held in July 2022. Specialty Crops The Fruit and Vegetable News regularly shares timely IPM information to the state's specialty crop growers from season prep to in-season pest updates. During the growing season, this information is sent to 1384 subscribers and during the reporting period there were 7472 pageviews on IPM content (https://blog-fruit-vegetable-ipm.extension.umn.edu/). University of Minnesota Extension contributed to the planning and hosting of the Great Lakes Vegetable Working Group (funded by North Central IPM Center) podcast "Vegetable Beet." This weekly hour-long live show is then posted as a podcast. There were 5 IPM-focused podcasts during the period of this report. Fact sheets continue to be hosted on the VegEdge (www.vegede.umn.edu) and FruitEdge (www.fruitedge.umn.edu) web sites, as well as integrated into the main University of Minnesota Extension website (e.g. https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/disease-management). The horticulture team contributes videos to the UMN Small Farm YouTube page (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtXgdswjzbny14Fgya8yzEA), including videos that highlight how to set up a small farm with cultural IPM tactics in mind. The UMN Extension Fruit and Vegetable Facebook post has just under 700 followers and is used to disseminate timely IPM information. Pollinator Health Most of the Extension information is available at the UMN Bee Lab: https://www.beelab.umn.edu/resources-beekeepers/free-bee-information. In addition, the Extension effort to reach urban beekeepers (MN "Bee Squad") supports several programs, via the UMN Bee Lab page (www.beelab.umn.edu). Communities The Yard and Garden Newsletter goes out every 2 weeks to 12054 subscribers. Articles published during this reporting period focused on an IPM approach had over 45000 views. County-level extension offices and master gardener groups around the state have Facebook Pages where they promote IPM-based information. There are 7 county level Facebook pages with a cumulative 1997 followers. There are 44 county-level Master Gardener Facebook pages with 11708 followers. Pages on common vegetable insects and diseases are being updated to include garden-scale IPM information on dealing with pests (e.g. https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/disease-management). IPM information is also being integrated into the general vegetable gardening guides (https://extension.umn.edu/find-plants/vegetables). Pesticide Applicators The pesticide safety and education team provides information through in-person meetings, online Canvas courses, and over zoom. They also have a Twitter (@UmnPSEE, 180 followers) and Facebook (113 likes). Trainings are held across the state, self-paced on Canvas, and live via Zoom. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Agronomic crops Online programming will continue such as the summer version of Strategic Farming, Field Notes, a weekly webinar for growers to get growing season updates and engage with researchers or listen to its podcast on their own time. The IPM Podcast for Field Crops will also continue for subjects tailored specifically to IPM. The Minnesota Crop News Blog will continue to be used as the primary method of providing timely updates to growers on pertinent pest issues during the growing season. Development is ongoing to automate and expand a UMN pest forecasting and phenology website. The pilot project is currently housed at: https://vegedge.umn.edu/degree-day-models-select-insect-pests-midwest-region The annual Field School for Ag. Professionals will be held in July to give ag. professionals field plot training in identifying pests and other crop issues. Small grains and soybean IPM Survey is a MN wheat and soybean grower-funded project to survey western MN small grains and soybean fields for disease and insects and provide weekly maps for growers on regional pest incidence. Surveys for corn pests such as corn rootworm summer adult sampling and the fall European corn borer survey will continue. Specialty Crops Minnesota IPM will continue to be involved in the regional "The Vegetable Beet" podcast, with Minnesota taking the lead in hosting and producing two IPM-focused episodes (biofumigation, garlic IPM). Fruit and Vegetable News - Weekly crop reports specific to fruit and vegetables highlighting IPM practices weekly during the growing season, with approximately 20 fruit and vegetable IPM updates planned for the 2022 growing season. There will also be more in-depth videos and publications on emergent issues. Degree day models for common insects will continue to be developed and published. Work with grower organizations, including Hmong American Farmer Association, the Good Acre, and crop consultants, to provide easily accessible, translated resources on IPM, pesticide selection, and pesticide use. Permanent pages on fruit and vegetable insects and diseases will continue to be updated to better reflect an IPM approach. Pollinators Through spring and summer, educational courses will be provided illustrating both honeybee and native bee habitat and food sources and how pollinator health interacts with pest management. Protecting Pollinators with IPM in Minnesota - Interactive QR code-based signs will be placed on the UMN campus field plots for more information on pollinators and IPM. Outreach programs will continue to be affiliated with the UMN Bee Lab designed to engage new audiences to learn about pollinators and become empowered to teach others. The Pollinator Ambassadors and related outreach toolkits are especially geared towards youth and 6-12 science teachers. Communities The IPM module of the Master Gardener Core Course is being updated to better align with the greater goals of the Minnesota IPM program as well as adult learning principles. The IPM program will assist in content creation and editing. A series of videos focusing on IPM of Japanese beetle in yards and gardens will be developed, and distributed to Master Gardeners as a continuing education opportunity. The videos will also be adapted for the general public. Yard and Garden News will continue to publish timely information on an IPM approach to whatever this season's issues are. Information on natural enemy ID and promotion will continue to be developed, with materials for master gardeners and the general public being developed. Pesticide Applicators Educators will be preparing for the 2023 workshops by developing new content for the next cycle of curriculum. Commercial and non-commercial applicator session content is being redeveloped and is also planned to include additional broad IPM content in addition to guidance on managing specific pests. Private Pesticide Applicator sessions will be organized for early 2023 with assistance from the MN IPM program for content and presenters. IPM survey workshop evaluation data will be summarized during spring and summer 2022.

    Impacts
    What was accomplished under these goals? A. Agronomic Crops Objective: Increase adoption of IPM practices in agronomic crops, enhance the effectiveness of the IPM program, and expand the evolving reach of IPM Extension. Percent Completion: 75% CPM Short Course (Dec. 2021) - 782 agricultural professionals attended the 2021 Crop Pest Management Short Course. While maintaining CCA (Certified Crop Advisor) accreditation is a primary driver of attending andmore than 80% of those same attendees leave with a deeper understanding of the subject matter and nearly three quarters plan to change their practices based on what they learned. Strategic Farming: Let's Talk Crops - An online weekly winter 2022 webinar was produced also posted to YouTube that invited Minnesota and regional field crops experts to discuss agronomic and pest management plans for the 2022 growing season and field live questions from growers attendees. 13 sessions were produced with over 1,719 attendees (526 unique individuals) and 1,227 video views. The Field Notes programming is ongoing as of this report. Midwest Soybean Gall Midge discussion series (Feb. 2022) - Two approximately two-hour online webinars on the development of IPM for soybean gall midge were held in 2022 with panelists across the Upper Midwest. Bruce Potter (MN IPM) and Dr. Robert Koch were presenters in each session for MN. There were 487 total attendees with 342 unique individuals across sessions, and recordings were also uploaded to YouTube. Minnesota Crop News (https://blog-crop-news.extension.umn.edu) is a platform for UMN Extension to post field crops articles that are sent out to subscribers, primarily farmers and ag. professionals, on a daily or weekly basis. During the wet spring of 2022, these articles were highly responsive to emerging pest issues. During the reporting period, articles related to pest management had a total of 27.376 views. The Extension webpages related to IPM also had 143,244 views. 1.Total number of peer-reviewed publications: 12 2.Total number of non-peer-reviewed publications: 23 3. Total number of presentations: 64 4. Total number of people reached: 178,237 B. Specialty Crops Objective: Increase Minnesota specialty crop growers' knowledge and adoption of integrated pest management practices on their farms. Percent Completion: 75% The 2021 Pumpkin Grower Meetup (November 2021) saw Extension educators collaborating with Horticulture Research Center staff to showcase pumpkins varieties and pumpkin production. The meeting was attended by 46 growers from around the state. IPM topics included issue diagnosis, common pumpkin insects and diseases, and weed control. Of those who responded to the post-meeting survey, 84% said they intended to change something as a result of attending the meeting (n=17). UMN IPM contributed to the Hmong American Farmer Association (HAFA) winter workshop series, with Marissa Schuh reaching 22 Hmong-American farmers on IPM of vegetable insects and diseases. During the reporting period, UMN's Fruit and Vegetable News (https://z.umn.edu/fruitvegnews) was sent out twice a month (off-season) or weekly (growing season) to 1,384 subscribers. During the reporting period, the team published 26 articles on various fruit and vegetable IPM topics. They had a cumulative 7471 views. The Master gardener program offered 1,446 educational events in 2021, which reached 85,993 participants. This includes annually held county-level Master Gardener Fairs and Hort Days. 1.Total number of peer-reviewed publications: 5 2.Total number of non-peer-reviewed publications: 44 3. Total number of presentations: 15 4. Total number of people reached: 7,471 C. Pollinator Health Objective: Improve pollinator diversity, pollinator health and pollinator habitat by implementing IPM practices in the landscape. Percent Completion: 75% Pollinator Ambassadors - the Pollinator Ambassadors group indicated an 80% increase in confidence educating others about pollinators. Participants plan to share their new skills through public outreach and advocating for bee conservation. 100% of participants were satisfied with the program overall and 90% have a deeper understanding of the subject and will change their practices. The Beekeeping in Northern Climates online course provided beginning beekeeping instruction to 419 students. 87% of students responding to the course evaluation strongly agreed with the statement that "I have a deeper understanding of the subject matter as a result of this course." The current Commercial/Noncommercial pesticide applicator training contains a 45-minute presentation on bee lawns. 68% of participants would be comfortable explaining managing bee lawns to a client and/or colleague. 1.Total number of peer-reviewed publications: 1 2.Total number of non-peer-reviewed publications: 0 3. Total number of presentations: 16 4. Total number of people reached: 1,335 D. Communities Objective: Leverage Master Gardener volunteers and Minnesota Landscape Arboretum resources to increase statewide education to homeowners and the general public about IPM practices. Percent Completion: 75% The winter 2022 Master Gardener cohort had a record high of 455 registrants. This new cohort interacted with IPM content in a revised entomology module, as well as modules on weeds, IPM, and plant disease. Live Q & A Sessions on IPM (294 live attendees) and entomology (219 live attendees) provided the cohort with clarity on what was covered in the course. Yard and Gardens News and Newsletter (https://extension.umn.edu/yard-and-garden/yard-and-garden-news) continues to be sent out every two weeks to over 12,00 subscribers. In the reporting period, there were 16 articles on IPM topics. These articles received 45420 views and were re-published in local newspapers across Minnesota. An article on Japanese Beetle led to a 2.5 minutes segment on Minneapolis-St. Paul's NBC affiliate focused on Japanese Beetle biology and IPM. Over 30 pages on fruit and vegetable insects and diseases were revised with information on how to approach issues in the garden using IPM. Japanese Beetle has radically shifted how people manage their yards and gardens. In the reporting period, a total of 5 talks on Japanese Beetle IPM were delivered to lawn care companies, master gardeners, and the gardening public. This effort reached 357 people. 1.Total number of peer-reviewed publications: 2 2.Total number of non-peer-reviewed publications: 19 3. Total number of presentations: 1,453 4. Total number of people reached: 134,801 E. Pesticide Applicators Objective: Integrate IPM best management practices into education and behavioral norms for pesticide applicators in Minnesota. Percent Completion: 75% In the reporting period,2 live online (122 attendees), 2 self-paced online (1163 attendees), and 21 in-person (1191 attendees) Commercial/Noncommercial workshops were held. Learning modules included Invasive Insects in the Landscape, turf weed ID, glyphosate alternatives in lawns and landscapes, shrub disease management, and Guidelines for Bee Lawn Management. Of those who took the training in 2021, 70% agreed/strongly agreed that they will change at least one of their practices based on what they learned in the course. Survey of IPM adoption - A series of questions were asked at the winter 2022 Private Pesticide Applicator Trainings (PPAT) and results will be analyzed and compared to previous years to evaluate the adoption of IPM practices. 62% of growers followed recommended soybean aphid thresholds, while only 12% believed they were too high (i.e., they spray at much lower aphid levels). Also, most farmers did not use any foliar fungicides in corn (70%) or soybeans (61%) in 2021: https://z.umn.edu/canvasipmassessment2022 1.Total number of peer-reviewed publications: 0 2.Total number of non-peer-reviewed publications: 0 3. Total number of presentations: 75 presentations 4. Total number of people reached: 2,476

    Publications

    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Hodgson, E. W., Koch, R. L., Davis, J. A., Reisig, D., & Paula-Moraes, S. V. (2021). Identification and biology of common caterpillars in U.S. soybean. Journal of Integrated Pest Management, 12(1) doi:10.1093/jipm/pmab006.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Hoidal, N. & Koch, R. L. (2021). Perception and use of economic thresholds among farmers and agricultural professionals: A case study on soybean aphid in Minnesota. Journal of Integrated Pest Management, 12(1) doi:10.1093/jipm/pmab003.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: MacRae, I., Baker, T., & Thompson, A. (2021). Notes on UAS and remote sensing of insect damage. American Journal of Potato Research, 98(1), 16-23. doi:10.1007/s12230-020-09816-x.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: McMechan, A. J., Hodgson, E. W., Varenhorst, A. J., Hunt, T., Wright, R., & Potter, B. (2021). Soybean gall midge (diptera: Cecidomyiidae), a new species causing injury to soybean in the United States. Journal of Integrated Pest Management, 12(1) doi:10.1093/jipm/pmab001.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Middleton, E.G., MacRae, I.V., & Philips, C.R. (2021). Floral plantings in large-scale commercial agroecosystems support both pollinators and arthropod predators. Insects, 12(2), 1-18. doi:10.3390/insects12020091.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Bradley, C. A., Allen, T. W., Sisson, A. J., Bergstrom, G. C., Bissonnette, K. M., Bond, J., . . . Malvick, D., . . . & Wise, K. A. (2021). Soybean yield loss estimates due to diseases in the United States and Ontario, Canada, from 2015 to 2019. Plant Health Progress, 22(4), 483-495. doi:10.1094/PHP-01-21-0013-RS.
    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Schuh, M. Observations on Promoting IPM in Urban Agriculture. International IPM Symposium. March 1, 2022.
    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Stahl, L., R. P. Miller, D.A. Nicolai, J. Goplen, A. Hanson, and A. Peltier. How are pest management issues and farmers practices evolving over time? International IPM Symposium. March 1, 2022.
    • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Stahl, L., R. P. Miller, D.A. Nicolai, A. Peltier, J. Goplen and A. Hanson. Farmer Survey Reveals New Trends in Weed Management. North Central Weed Science Society. Dec. 13, 2021.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: da Silva, C. R., Check, J., MacCready, J. S., Alakonya, A. E., Beiriger, R., Bissonnette, K. M., Collins, A., Cruz C.D., Esker, P.D., Goodwin, S.B., Malvick, D., & Telenko, D. E. P. (2021). Recovery plan for tar spot of corn, caused by phyllachora maydis. Plant Health Progress, 22(4), 596-616. doi:10.1094/PHP-04-21-0074-RP.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Liu, C., Plaza-Bonilla, D., Coulter, J. A., Kutcher, H. R., Beckie, H. J., Wang, L., Floc'h, J.B., Hamel, C., Siddique, K.H.M., Li, L., & Gan, Y. (2022). Diversifying crop rotations enhances agroecosystem services and resilience. Advances in Agronomy, doi:10.1016/bs.agron.2022.02.007.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Lozano, R. E., Paula, D. P., Andow, D. A., & Koch, R. L. (2022). Validation of reference genes across populations of aphis glycines (hemiptera: Aphididae) for RT-qPCR analysis of gene expression related to pyrethroid detoxification. Journal of Entomological Science, 57(2), 213-239. doi:10.18474/JES21-38.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Ribeiro, A. V., Aita, R. C., Pezzini, D. T., DiFonzo, C. D., Hunt, T. E., Knodel, J. J., Krupke, C.H., Marchi-Werle, L., Michel, A.P., Seiter, N.J., Wright, R.J., Hutchison, W.D., & Koch, R. L. (2022). Optimization of sample unit size for sampling stink bugs (hemiptera: Pentatomidae) in soybean. Crop Protection, 157 doi:10.1016/j.cropro.2022.105986.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Wilson, M. L., Brusa, A., Christensen, H., Strack, S., Alto, E., Allen, L. F., Cortus, S. D., Modderman, C., & Becker, R. L. (2022). Comparison of methods to recover amaranth weed seeds from manure. Agricultural & Environmental Letters, 7: e20065. https://doi.org/10.1002/ael2.20065.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Bhuiyan, M. Z. R., Lakshman, D. K., Mosher, P., Khan, M. F. R. (2021). Identification of rhizopus arrhizus (fisher) causing root rot in sugar beet in North Dakota and Minnesota, USA. Journal of Plant Pathology, doi:10.1007/s42161-021-00967-2.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Bradeen J.M. (2021). On the value of wild solanum species for improved crop disease resistance: resistances to nematodes and viruses. In: Carputo D., Aversano R., Ercolano M.R. (eds) The Wild Solanums Genomes. Compendium of Plant Genomes. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-30343-3_5.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Chai, Q., Nemecek, T., Liang, C., Zhao, C., Yu, A., Coulter, J.A., Wang, Y., Hu, F., Wang, L., Siddique, K.H.M., Gan, Y. (2021). Integrated farming with intercropping increases food production while reducing environmental footprint. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118 (38) e2106382118; DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2106382118.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Digiacomo, G., Gullickson, M. G., Rogers, M., Peterson, H. H., Hutchison, W. D. (2021). Partial budget analysis of exclusion netting and organic-certified insecticides for management of spotted-wing drosophila (diptera: Drosophilidae) on small farms in the Upper Midwest. Journal of Economic Entomology, 114(4), 1655-1665. doi:10.1093/jee/toab087.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Drazan, D., Smith, A. G., Anderson, N. O., Becker, R., & Clark, M. (2021). History of knotweed (fallopia spp.) invasiveness. Weed Science, 69(6), 617-623. doi:10.1017/wsc.2021.62.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Khan, M. F. R., Bhuiyan, M. Z. R., Liu, Y., Lakshman, D., Bloomquist, M. (2021). First report of leaf blight of sugar beet (beta vulgaris) caused by sclerotinia sclerotiorum in Minnesota, U.S.A. Plant Health Progress, 22(2), 149-150. doi:10.1094/PHP-02-21-0048-BR.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Khan, M. F. R., Liu, Y., Bhuiyan, M. Z. R., Lakshman, D., Liu, Z., Zhong, S. (2021). First report of fusarium equiseti causing seedling death on sugar beet in Minnesota, U.S.A. Plant Disease, 105(7) doi:10.1094/PDIS-10-20-2102-PDN.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Li, D., Miao, Y., Gupta, S. K., Rosen, C. J., Yuan, F., Wang, C., Wang, L., Huang, Y. (2021). Improving potato yield prediction by combining cultivar information and UAV remote sensing data using machine learning. Remote Sensing, 13(16) doi:10.3390/rs13163322.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Prouty, C., Barriga, P., Davis, A. K., Krischik, V., Altizer, S. (2021). Host plant species mediates impact of neonicotinoid exposure to monarch butterflies. Insects, 12(11) doi:10.3390/insects12110999.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Quandahor, P., Gou, Y., Lin, C., Coulter, J. A., Liu, C. (2021). Comparison of root tolerance to drought and aphid (myzus persicae sulzer) resistance among different potato (solanum tuberosum L.) cultivars. Scientific Reports, 11(1) doi:10.1038/s41598-020-79766-1.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Yin, L., Burkness, E. C., Hutchison, W. D., Clark, M. D. (2021). Effects of foliar phylloxera (hemiptera: Phylloxeridae) infestations on wine grape photosynthesis, yield, and fruit quality. Journal of Entomological Science, 56(4), 504-518. doi:10.18474/JES20-77.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Yu, E., Blair, S., Hardel, M., Chandler, M., Thiede, D., Cortilet, A., Gunsolus, J., Becker, R. (2021). Timeline of Palmer amaranth (amaranthus palmeri) invasion and eradication in Minnesota. Weed Technology, 35(5), 802-810. doi:10.1017/wet.2021.32.
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2022 Citation: Marston, P.D, Cira, T.M, Knight, J.F., Mulla, D., Alves, T.M., Hodgson, E.W., Ribeiro, A.V., MacRae, I.V., Koch, R.L. (2022). Linear support vector machine classification of plant stress from soybean aphid (Hemiptera: Aphididae) using hyperspectral reflectance. Journal of Economic Entomology, In press. doi.org/10.1093/jee/toac077
    • Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Wagoner, K., Millar, J. G., Keller, J., Bello, J., Waiker, P., Schal, C., Spivak M., Rueppell, O. (2021). Hygiene-eliciting brood semiochemicals as a tool for assaying honey bee (hymenoptera: Apidae) colony resistance to varroa (mesostigmata: Varroidae). Journal of Insect Science, 21(6) doi:10.1093/jisesa/ieab064.