Source: UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA submitted to NRP
NEVADA FY21 CROP PROTECTION AND PEST MANAGEMENT EXTENSION IMPLEMENTATION PROGRAM
Sponsoring Institution
National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Project Status
ACTIVE
Funding Source
OTHER GRANTS
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
1027173
Grant No.
2021-70006-35488
Cumulative Award Amt.
$404,321.00
Proposal No.
2021-05138
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Sep 1, 2021
Project End Date
Aug 31, 2025
Grant Year
2023
Program Code
[EIP]- Extension Implementation Program
Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA
(N/A)
RENO,NV 89557
Performing Department
Extension
Non Technical Summary
Water quality is an important issue in Nevada because pesticide inputs into our river systems directly impact water quality in our urban areas. Water quality studies reported by the U.S. Geological Survey in Nevada a decade ago found detectable levels of pesticide residues in waterways located in urban sites. These pesticides included weed killers frequently used for nonagricultural purposes on urban areas. Landscape professionals, pesticide applicators, and others responsible for controlling pests in urban areas require education about safe, effective, and economical ways to manage weeds and other pests and to reduce pesticide contamination of waterways. Integrated pest management (IPM) is an effective and environmentally friendly approach to pest management that relies on a combination of common-sense practices. Through a comprehensive program of educational classes, workshops, web-based instruction, and fact sheets, we will provide basic and advanced training in IPM to landscape professionals, pesticide applicators, master gardeners, and the general public to help them deepen their understanding of the IPM system for managing pests, and to help them increase the number of IPM practices they use to cost-effectively prevent and control pest outbreaks.Over the past decade, our intensive IPM educational efforts have resulted in a significant decrease in pesticide residues found at urban sites in Nevada. However, Nevada is currently experiencing dramatic population increases, especially in urban areas. This has resulted in more homeowners, more managed landscapes, and an even greater need for education about safe and effective pest management practices. Nevada is also experiencing an increase in its Hispanic population, and our surveys indicate that about 30 percent of this population works in landscape management professions. For this reason, we will provide Hispanic bilingual IPM trainings, and we will translate many of our IPM educational videos and fact sheets for Spanish-language audiences. Together, these strategies will result in reduced time and money spent on managing pests, improved water quality due to reduced urban inputs of pesticide residues, and overall improved health and quality of life in Nevada's urban and urbanizing communities due to reductions in pesticide use.
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
2162300114060%
2163110113040%
Knowledge Area
216 - Integrated Pest Management Systems;

Subject Of Investigation
3110 - Insects; 2300 - Weeds;

Field Of Science
1130 - Entomology and acarology; 1140 - Weed science;
Goals / Objectives
The goal of this project is to improve economic productivity and the health and well-being of Nevada communities by educating citizens on the most affordable and ecologically viable methods for controlling pests. Our supporting objectives include: (1) education about using integrated pest management (IPM) to manage Nevada's highest priority pests, including weeds and pest insects in urban and other community landscape settings; (2) increasing access to IPM education by greater use of web-based programming and translation/interpretation of our products/trainings for our growing Hispanic audiences; and (3) greater coordination of stakeholder assessment and IPM educational activities through our statewide Horticulture, Agriculture & Natural Resources program team.
Project Methods
Our methods for delivering science-based IPM knowledge to our target audiences will include: fact sheets and other extension publications, extension classroom instruction; educational workshops; including weed identification experiential learning; and web-based learning opportunities, including live webinars and Zoom instruction, educational videos, and public service announcements delivered by social media. Our Hispanic landscaper trainings and our bilingual educational publications will present educational information in both English and Spanish. Our philosophy is that bilingual trainings and materials will not only provide needed information in the participants' first language, but they will also gradually teach the English language to Spanish speakers, and the Spanish language to English speakers. This will have the secondary benefit of helping workers better communicate with their supervisors, facilitating a better IPM outcome.We will evaluate our educational efforts in a number of different ways. We will use pre- and post-testing for our Master Gardener, Green Industry professional, and home gardening classes to assess their prior and new knowledge of basic IPM principles. To assess greater adoption of IPM practices, we will use a participant survey, delivered annually, that asks about what kinds of practices attendees have used to manage pests, and what changes they have made or intend to make in their strategies after completing the course. In classes where we use our previously published IPM Implementation Guides, an assessment tool is built into the guides to help learners perform a self-assessment of their current and intended additions to their "IPM Toolbox." These will be shared with the instructors. A key milestone will be that attendees will add at least one higher-level strategy to their IPM Toolbox after the class. For our Weed Warriors class, a key milestone will be that attendees are able to identify at least five (5) more weeds by the end of the class than they could at the beginning of the class. For live, online classes and webinars that provide pesticide applicator CEUs, the NDA requires that they complete a 10-question quiz for each hour of instruction, and pass the quiz with a score of 70%, to earn their CEU's. These completed tests will be anonymized and made available to us for evaluation purposes. The Nevada Department of Agriculture, in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey, conducts and publishes a water quality study every 10 years to assess levels of pesticide residues present in Nevada surface-water and shallow groundwater reserves. We will use this data to evaluate the effectiveness of our IPM educational activities in achieving improved water quality and resulting improvement in health and quality of life for Nevada citizens.

Progress 09/01/23 to 08/31/24

Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences reached included land managers from agencies across Nevada and the West, including the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Nevada State Parks, Nevada Department of Wildlife, Nevada Department of Transportation, Nevada Department of Forestry, and Nevada Department of Agriculture. Other audiences reached include watershed sub-conservancy districts, small-acreage and larger-scale farmers, ranchers, recreational land users, Extension educators, master gardeners, green industry professionals (including Hispanic landscapers), home gardeners, pesticide applicators, Nevada Weed Management Association and other cooperative weed management groups, noxious weed stakeholders, conservation districts, general improvement districts, gardening groups, and the general public. Changes/Problems:IPM Implementation in Communities: We found that the quality of translation services from contractors was often poor. Internal staff peer review found errors that were not acceptable, so we shifted to using internal translation services. We found that this relationship was preferrable because it was easier to discuss questions of intent, which often arise during translation. However, due to limited internal staff time available for translation services, we have had to allocate a longer timeline to translate publications. We also found from stakeholder surveys that our PSA campaign impact was low. To address this, we decided to change the campaign strategy and hired an additional multi-media content creator. Unfortunately, that hire left the position in mid-spring 2024, and it has been challenging to find a replacement. We recently hired a new replacement, who will start in September 2024 and continue the revised PSA campaign work. IPM for Pesticide Applicators: No problems or changes to report. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Members of the IPM team attended several webinars and trainings on IPM-related topics, including those of our collaborative Cultivating Healthy Plants webinars. Carrie Jensen also took two 2-day courses with the University of Nevada, Reno Natural History Museum on bee and butterfly identification, which will assist her in implementing the pollinator protection objectives during the next grant period. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?IPM Implementation in Communities information was disseminated through face-to-face and online venues, such as Zoom, interactive video, and YouTube videos. A train-the-trainer approach was used for Master Gardeners and Green Industry Professionals, who in turn, educated the public on IPM principles and strategies during our Gardening in Nevada program and Pollinator Garden Tour and through interaction with the public in our diagnostic clinic and other venues. Other media (public service announcements, fact sheets, curriculum, website, social media, and videos) also are used to deliver information on IPM. Many of our Extension publications have also been converted to webpages for quick access to essential information. All information on our website, including Extension publications and educational videos, are ADA accessible. Our programs are designed to reach a diversity of community members using multiple techniques, based on our previous research showing that people learn IPM in a variety of different ways based on their own personal experiences, attitudes, and situations. For example, distance learning benefited people who live far distances from an Extension office, and these classes were also attended by out-of-state clients whose climate is more similar to Nevada's than to much of their own state's (i.e., northeastern California). Interpretation of our classes and translation of our written and video materials benefited our Hispanic audiences, which make up around 30 percent of Nevada's landscape professionals. All groups were directed to our website, www.manageNVpests.info, to further their IPM education and allow them quick access to information on IPM, insect pests, beneficial insects, and nuisance and noxious weeds. IPM Education for Pesticide Applicators provides Pesticide Safety Education Program trainings conducted collaboratively with the Nevada Department of Agriculture to educate applicators on IPM practices. Workshops were provided face-to-face and by interactive video in several locations across the state and by Zoom to individual applicators across the state. Continuing education credits are integrated into programing throughout the state to meet the needs of different stakeholders who manage pests. Certified pesticide applicators are also directed to our website, https://extension.unr.edu/program.aspx?ID=24 , for further information on pesticide safety education programs and exam study materials. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?We have completed all goals and objectives for this grant, except for the translation of a few publications and revising our PSA media campaign. Translation of fact sheets and other Extension products has proven to be a timelier process than anticipated, and while we completed most of the translated deliverables, we still have two outstanding publications that have not completed the translation process. These include the Spanish version of our Tree Irrigation Handbook and our Lawn Alternatives fact sheet. The PSA campaign was outlined as one of our products for this grant, but our PSA campaign survey in fall 2023 indicated low impacts. We decided to shift the campaign to a more multi-media approach with short videos and social media posts and hired an additionalmulti-media content creator to help with this work. Unfortunately, that hire left the team in mid-spring, and that work has been on-hold until our replacement begins in September. We have filed for a no-cost extension to complete the Spanish translations and continue the revised PSA campaign. Work on these two outstanding items will continue into the next reporting period and outcomes detailed in our final report.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Projected Impacts: Existing and emerging insect pests and weeds negatively impact urban areas in Nevada, and pesticide contamination of water sources has been documented (Thodal, Carpenter, & Moses, 2009). Our project objectives were to improve IPM practices and to increase IPM adoption by private citizens, Extension Master Gardeners, and green industry professionals, including Hispanic landscapers, in urban and urbanizing communities. Our Nevada IPM team has created a variety of educational products that have been used to deliver high quality IPM education to Nevada citizens. We used strategies that include both online and in-person instruction, making sure that our products and presentations were ADA-accessible and Spanish-translated as needed. The result has been adoption by pest managers and pesticide applicators of a variety of increasingly higher-impact IPM tactics that emphasize pest prevention and lower-risk practices and products to control the pests of highest priority to Nevada stakeholders. A recent study shows that our intensive IPM educational efforts over the past 10 years have resulted in a significant decrease in pesticide residues found in urban sites in Nevada (Huntington et al., 2020), despite a rise in Nevada's population from 2.7 million in 2010 to 3.1 million in 2020 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). Our continued efforts to increase public awareness and to improve IPM practices will improve the health and quality of life for Nevadans moving into the future. Administrative Coordination Specific Objective #1: Coordination of Nevada stakeholder assessment and IPM educational activities. Activities: Participated in the WERA1017 meeting in Alaska, and in follow-up meetings, to discuss interstate urban IPM collaboration and creation of a jointly owned website for sharing urban IPM educational materials. Participated in a western U.S. IPM in Communities needs assessment. The Nevada IPM team and Nevada Department of Agriculture staff met regularly for statewide coordination of educational programs. Outcomes: The information from our IPM stakeholder needs assessment was used to determine our program emphasis on weeds, insects, plant disease, water conservation, and water quality. PRIORITY AREA: IPM Implementation in Communities Specific Objective #1: Provide 40 hours per year of basic certification and advanced training in IPM for Master Gardeners and Green Industry professionals. Objective is 100% complete. Activities: Provided 40 hours of IPM training to Master Gardeners (1205 total contacts) and 54 hours of IPM training to Green Industry professionals (378 total contacts), for a total of 94 training hours. Started an "IPM Corner" for Master Gardener newsletters in Douglas and Washoe Counties (1800+ views). Taught Weed Warriors to 33 weed management professionals. Outcomes: Master Gardener attendees were asked to rate their knowledge of IPM before and after attending classes; they showed an average increase in knowlege of 74% (P<.000). Green Industry attendees were asked to rate their knowledge of IPM before and after attending the classes; they showed an average increase in knowledge of 36% (P<.000). Weed Warriors attendees were able to identify an average of 6 weeds before the training and an average of 15 weeds after the training on a test of 16 weeds. Specific Objective #2: Collaborate with three neighboring state IPM programs (ID, UT, MT) to provide monthly IPM webinars for Green Industry professionals, Master Gardeners, and the general public. Objective is 100% complete. Activities: Eight IPM webinars were provided. Outcomes: 2,020 unique viewers attended the webinars, with 1,285 views of the recordings. 98% reported improved knowledge as a result of attendance. 90% intend to use or probably use at least one of the recommended IPM strategies. Specific Objective #3: Deliver public service announcement (PSA) media campaign using updated targeted IPM messages. Objective is 95% complete. Activities/results: Conducted a retrospective evaluation on our PSA campaign by surveying our clientele mailing list. 80% of the 129 participants said they had not heard the radio spots and only 15% had visited our website. Based on these results, we shifted our marketing strategy from only radio PSAs to a multimedia campaign, including PSAs, social media posts, short videos, and online articles (webpages). Outcomes: 303 PSA radio spots were broadcast in 2024, directing listeners to webpages related to the PSA topics. Social media posts showed an average reach of 273 views and average engagement (clicks, likes, etc.) of 4%, which is greater than our impact from radio PSAs. Short-form videos on YouTube had higher views (average 698 views) than the traditional longer form videos (average 290 views). Specific Objective #4: Deliver home horticulture classes focusing on IPM in-person and virtually throughout the state. Objective is 100% complete. Activities: Four of our Grow Your Own, Nevada classes provided information on IPM to 423 live viewers, with 235 views of the recordings. NevadaScapes provided 3 workshops to 70 homeowners about how to properly design/irrigate their landscapes and to use IPM to help reduce pesticide/fertilizer run-off into our closed watersheds. Partnered with the local chapter of Bee City USA to launch a new Pollinator Garden Tour in June 2024 during National Pollinator Week, with an attendance of 100 people. Outcomes: NevadaScapes attendees were asked to rate their knowledge of IPM and irrigation before and after attending classes; they showed an average increase in knowledge of irrigation/IPM of 46.0% (P<.000). Over 80% of the Pollinator Garden Tour attendees reported increased knowledge of pollinator protection and an intent to use less pesticides in their yards; 77% said they planned to plant more pollinator plants. Grow Your Own attendees were asked to rate their knowledge of IPM before and after attending the classes; they showed an average increase in knowledge of 40% (P<.000) after attendance. Specific Objective #5: Provide two bilingual IPM trainings per year for Hispanic landscapers and create two bilingual IPM fact sheets and two bilingual educational videos for use at our trainings. Objective is 95% complete. Activities: Conducted one bilingual training with a local landscaping company in January 2024 to 45 landscapers. Translated into Spanish 6 new fact sheets: 4 on insects, 1 on buffer strips to protect water quality, and 1 on lawn alternatives. All have been submitted for peer review. Produced and translated to Spanish 3 educational videos for landscape professionals on proper tree planting, proper pruning, and sheet mulching to remove lawn. Produced 4 short videos for general public education and translated into Spanish: Non-Toxic Earwig Traps, Reducing Lawn with Buffer Strips, 5 Lawn Alternatives, and Keep Your Lawn Green. Outcomes: Spanish-language videos received 520 views on YouTube, with an average of 74 views per video. PRIORITY AREA: IPM Education for Pesticide Applicators Specific Objective #1: Provide eight pesticide applicator CEU workshops annually, with an emphasis on IPM. Objective is 100% complete. Activities: Provided two Pesticide Safety Education program (PSEP) workshops to 204 contacts. These provided a total of 10.5 pesticide applicator CEUs. Our Green Industry Training program provided IPM classes with a total of 18 pesticide applicator CEUs. Our regional Cultivating Healthy Plants webinars offered 5 pesticide applicator CEUs. Our Weed Warriors workshop provided 18.5 pesticide applicator CEUs. Outcomes: Fall 2023 attendees of the PSEP CEU classes were asked to rate their knowledge of the topic before and after attending; they showed an average increase in knowledge of 16% (P<.000). Spring 2024 attendees were asked to rate their knowledge before and after the classes; they showed an average increase in knowledge of 31% (P<.000).

Publications

  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Andrews, M., Kratsch, H., Hanson-Mazet, W. 2023. A Northern Nevada Homeowners Guide to Identifying and Managing: Carpenter Ants. University of Nevada, Reno Extension FS-23-30.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Andrews, M., Kratsch, H., Hanson-Mazet, W. 2023. A Northern Nevada Homeowners Guide to Identifying and Managing: Harvester Ants. University of Nevada, Reno Extension FS-23-32.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Andrews, M., Kratsch, H., Hanson-Mazet, W. 2023. A Northern Nevada Homeowners Guide to Identifying and Managing: Tobacco and Tomato Hornworms. University of Nevada, Reno Extension FS-23-33.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Andrews, M., Kratsch, H., Hanson-Mazet, W. 2023. A Northern Nevada Homeowners Guide to Identifying and Managing: White-lined Sphinx Moth. University of Nevada, Reno Extension FS-23-31.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Jensen, C., Kratsch, H., Hanson-Mazet, W. 2024. Lawn Alternatives. University of Nevada, Reno Extension FS-24-07.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Jensen, C., Kratsch, H. 2023. Reducing Lawn with Buffer Strips. University of Nevada, Reno Extension FS-23-26.
  • Type: Other Status: Under Review Year Published: 2024 Citation: Jensen, C., Kratsch, H. (In Review). Reduccion del Cesped con Franjas Filtrantes. University of Nevada, Reno Extension FS-24-XX.
  • Type: Other Status: Under Review Year Published: 2025 Citation: Kratsch, H.A. (In Review). Riego de �rboles en jardines y patios secos y calurosos de una casa. University of Nevada, Reno Extension IP-25-XX.
  • Type: Other Status: Under Review Year Published: 2025 Citation: Andrews, M., Kratsch, H., Hanson-Mazet, W. (In Review). Guia para los Propietarios de Viviendas en el Norte de Nevada Identificacion y Manejo de la Hormiga Carpintera. University of Nevada, Reno Extension FS-25-XX.
  • Type: Other Status: Under Review Year Published: 2025 Citation: Andrews, M., Kratsch, H., Hanson-Mazet, W. (In Review). Guia para los Propietarios de Viviendas en el Norte de Nevada Identificacion y Manejo de la Hormiga Cosechadora. University of Nevada, Reno Extension FS-25-XX.
  • Type: Other Status: Under Review Year Published: 2025 Citation: Andrews, M., Kratsch, H., Hanson-Mazet, W. (In Review). Guia para los Propietarios de Viviendas en el Norte de Nevada Identificacion y Manejo de las Polillas del Tabaco del Tomate. University of Nevada, Reno Extension FS-25-XX.
  • Type: Other Status: Under Review Year Published: 2025 Citation: Andrews, M., Kratsch, H., Hanson-Mazet, W. (In Review). Guia para los Propietarios de Viviendas en el Norte de Nevada Identificacion y Manejo de las Polilla Esfinge de Rayas Blancas. University of Nevada, Reno Extension FS-25-XX.
  • Type: Other Status: Under Review Year Published: 2024 Citation: Jensen, C., Kratsch, H., Hanson-Mazet, W. (In Review). Alternativas Para Reemplazar Cesped. University of Nevada, Reno Extension FS-24-XX.


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

Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences reached included land managers from agencies across Nevada and the West, including the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Nevada State Parks, Nevada Department of Wildlife, Nevada Department of Transportation, Nevada Department of Forestry, and Nevada Department of Agriculture. Other audiences reached include watershed sub-conservancy districts, small-acreage and larger-scale farmers, ranchers, recreational land users, Extension educators, master gardeners, green industry professionals (including Hispanic landscapers), home gardeners, pesticide applicators, Nevada Weed Management Association and other cooperative weed management groups, noxious weed stakeholders, conservation districts, general improvement districts, gardening groups, and the general public. Changes/Problems:IPM Implementation in Communities: We encountered challenges in creating our bilingual videos. We found that Spanish interpretation of our videos often led to much longer videos, which then led to longer and more costly post-production times to incorporate the extra video footage. We learned that careful coordination of translation/interpretation and timing during script-writing is essential. We also found that longer videos aren't receiving significant views on our YouTube channel. Our strategies for dealing with these problems are to produce shorter videos that are more suited for online audiences and their average viewing times and to promote them on our website and on social media. These shorter videos should also be easier to produce, reducing production times and costs and increasing impact. IPM for Pesticide Applicators: No problems or changes to report. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Nothing Reported How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?IPM Implementation in Communities information was disseminated through face-to-face and online venues, such as Zoom and YouTube videos. A train-the-trainer approach was used for Master Gardeners, Green Industry Professionals, and Pollinator Ambassadors, who in turn, educated the public on IPM principles and strategies during our Gardening in Nevada program and pollinator demonstration garden projects and through interaction with the public in our diagnostic clinic and other venues. Other media (public service announcements, fact sheets, curriculum, website, social media) also are used to deliver information on IPM. Our programs are designed to reach a diversity of community members using multiple techniques, based on our previous research showing that people learn IPM in a variety of different ways based on their own experiences, attitudes, and situations. For example, distance learning benefited people who live far distances from an Extension office, and these classes were also attended by out-of-state clients whose climate is more similar to Nevada's than to that of much of their own state (i.e., northeastern California). Interpretation of our classes and translation of our written and video materials benefited our Hispanic audiences, which make up around 30 percent of Nevada's landscape professionals. All groups were directed to our website, www.manageNVpests.info, which is regularly updated, to further their IPM education and obtain quick information on IPM, insect pests, beneficial insects, and nuisance and noxious weeds. IPM Education for Pesticide Applicators provides Pesticide Safety Education Program trainings, conducted collaboratively with the Nevada Department of Agriculture, to educate applicators on IPM practices. Workshops were provided face-to-face in several locations in the state and by Zoom. Continuing education credits are integrated into programing throughout the state to meet the needs of different stakeholders who manage pests. Certified pesticide applicators are also directed to our website https://extension.unr.edu/program.aspx?ID=24 for further information on pesticide safety education programs and exam study materials. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Administrative Coordination Specific Objective: Coordination of Nevada stakeholder assessment and IPM educational activities. Develop additional programs and resources that meet the community needs identified in the stakeholder needs assessment. Attend the WERA 1017 meeting in Alaska in 2023. Represent the Nevada IPM team at the Horticulture, Agriculture, Natural Resources & Environment Program team meetings in 2023-2024. Continue to coordinate with the Nevada Department of Agriculture for planning joint educational programs and publications. PRIORITY AREA: IPM Implementation in Communities Specific Objective #1: Provide 40 hours per year of basic certification and advanced training in IPM for Master Gardeners and Green Industry professionals. Our Master Gardener program went statewide in August 2022 and is now offered through an online platform. With a new program coordinator in place for our IPM and Pesticide Safety Education programs, we will update the IPM curriculum for this program. Publication of our Weed Warriors curriculum allowed us to provide more in-depth education on weeds. We are exploring workable models for expanding the reach of the program to other areas of the state. Specific Objective #2: Collaborate with three neighboring state IPM programs (ID, UT, MT) to provide monthly IPM webinars for Green Industry professionals, Master Gardeners, and the general public. Continue our successful and impactful collaborative webinar program and assist the new host state with program planning in fall 2023. Specific Objective #3: Deliver PSA media campaign using updated targeted IPM messages. Conduct a retrospective evaluation of our current PSA media campaign. Continue to update our website to provide resources that connect to our PSA media campaign messages. Specific Objective #4: Deliver home horticulture classes on IPM, provided in-person and virtually throughout the state. Continue to deliver IPM education through our popular live and online formats. Refine our NevadaScapes curriculum using a hands-on learning model. Specific Objective #5: Provide two bilingual IPM trainings per year for Hispanic landscapers, and create two bilingual IPM fact sheets and two bilingual educational videos per year for use at our trainings. Collaborate with local Spanish-speaking professionals to provide bilingual IPM education. Shorter, more impactful videos will be produced to increase the number of topics covered and to improve viewership. PRIORITY AREA: IPM Education for Pesticide Applicators Specific Objective: Provide eight or more workshops annually, with an emphasis on IPM and aimed at providing certified pesticide applicator CEUs. Collaborate with Nevada Department of Agriculture staff to develop a mandatory online training for new regulations related to restricted-use pesticides and licensing in Nevada. Continue to offer bi-annual pesticide safety education program trainings in collaboration with Nevada Department of Agriculture staff. Pursue pesticide applicator CEUs for all relevant programs to increase opportunities for obtaining professional CEUs.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Projected Impacts: Existing and emerging insect pests and weeds negatively impact urban areas in Nevada, and pesticide contamination of water sources has been documented (Thodal, Carpenter, & Moses, 2009). Our project objectives were to improve IPM practices and to increase IPM adoption by private citizens, Extension Master Gardeners, and green industry professionals, including Hispanic landscapers, in urban and urbanizing communities. Our Nevada IPM team has created a variety of educational products that have been used to deliver high quality IPM education to Nevada citizens. We used strategies that include both online and in-person instruction, making sure that our products and presentations were ADA-accessible and Spanish-translated as needed. The result has been adoption by pest managers and pesticide applicators of a variety of increasingly higher-impact IPM tactics that emphasize pest prevention and lower-risk practices and products to control the pests of highest priority to Nevada stakeholders. A recent study shows that our intensive IPM educational efforts over the past 10 years have resulted in a significant decrease in pesticide residues found in urban sites in Nevada (Huntington et al., 2020), despite a rise in Nevada's population from 2.7 million in 2010 to 3.1 million in 2020 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). Our continued efforts to increase public awareness and to improve IPM practices will improve the health and quality of life for Nevadans moving into the future. Administrative Coordination: Specific objective #1: Coordination of Nevada stakeholder assessment and IPM educational activities. Objective is 66% complete. Accomplishments: Dr. Heidi Kratsch coordinated completion of the Nevada IPM stakeholder needs assessment in fall 2022. Kratsch participated in the Western IPM Center infrastructure survey. The Nevada IPM team and Nevada Department of Agriculture (NDA) staff met regularly for statewide coordination of educational programs and content. Outcomes: The IPM stakeholder needs assessment identified common challenges for Nevada communities in agriculture, horticulture, and natural resource management. Common IPM issues arose from documented increased average temperatures, including drought, increased wildfires and weeds, and decreased water quality. Many of these environmental stresses led to increased and shifting populations of weeds, pest insects, and plant disease. This information will be used to help determine our future program needs. PRIORITY AREA: IPM Implementation in Communities Specific Objective #1: Provide 40 hours per year of basic certification and advanced training in IPM for Master Gardeners and Green Industry professionals. Objective is 66% complete. Accomplishments: Provided 27 hours of IPM training to Master Gardeners (879 total contacts) and 24 hours to Green Industry professionals (173 total contacts) for a total of 51 training hours. Published a tree irrigation handbook and two educational videos to support our Master Gardener and Green Industry programs. Taught Weed Warriors using our newly published Weed Warriors curriculum and added a third day of advanced education for previous participants. Weed Warriors was attended by 25 weed management professionals. Outcomes: Attendees at Green Industry training were asked to rate their knowledge of IPM before and after attending the classes; they showed an average increase in knowledge of 38% (P<.000). Weed Warriors basic training attendees were able to identify an average of 1.9 weeds before the class and 12.5 weeds after the class, on a test of 16 weeds. Specific Objective #2: Collaborate with three neighboring state IPM programs (ID, UT, MT) to provide eight monthly IPM webinars for Green Industry professionals, Master Gardeners, and the general public. Objective is 66% complete. Accomplishments: Nevada took the lead this year in hosting eight IPM webinars. Outcomes: 1,474 unique viewers attended the webinars, with 1,842 additional views of the recordings on YouTube. 98% reported improved knowledge as a result of attendance. 93% intend to use or probably use at least one recommended strategy. Specific Objective #3: Deliver PSA media campaign using updated targeted IPM messages. Objective is 66% complete. Accomplishments: Two new IPM messages were added to our campaign: 1) Watering trees' critical root zone deeply and broadly prevents tree stress and reduces pests; 2) Buffer strips reduce pesticide runoff and protect our drinking water. We directed listeners to our updated website that includes three new web blogs on PSA topics. Outcomes: 443 PSA radio spots were aired in 2022, with additional spots donated by the station. A retrospective evaluation of PSA impacts will be completed in August. Specific Objective #4: Deliver home horticulture classes focusing on IPM in-person and virtually throughout the state. Objective is 66% complete. Accomplishments: Our Grow Your Own, Nevada (GROW) program provided four classes that included information on IPM to 400 live viewers, with 252 views of the recordings. Launched a new Northern NevadaScapes program in 2022 to help homeowners keep pesticides and other landscape pollutants out of our closed watershed. Launched a new 4-H Teen Pollinator Ambassador program, in collaboration with the 4-H and Master Gardener programs, to provide IPM pollinator conservation education for youth and adults. Students (27) and adults (55) received 2.5 hours of IPM education related to pollinator garden design and maintenance practices. Outcomes: GROW attendees showed an increase in knowledge of 53.2% (P<.000) after class attendance. The 38 people attending Northern NevadaScapes showed an increase in IPM knowledge of 44.9% (P<.000) after class attendance. Our youth pollinator ambassadors learned how to incorporate IPM principles into their public pollinator demonstration gardens and how to communicate with the public on how IPM can help protect pollinators. Specific Objective #5: Provide two bilingual IPM trainings per year for Hispanic landscapers, and create two bilingual IPM fact sheets and two bilingual educational videos per year for use at our trainings. Objective is 50% complete. Accomplishments: Held one bilingual IPM training in fall. Translated one published fact sheet into Spanish. Recorded two educational videos in Spanish (in post-production editing). Outcomes: The 49 attendees of our bilingual Hispanic Landscaper program showed an average increase in IPM knowledge of 25.2% (P<.000) after class attendance. PRIORITY AREA: IPM Education for Pesticide Applicators Specific Objective: Provide eight pesticide applicator CEU workshops annually, with an emphasis on IPM. Objective is 66% complete. Accomplishments:, Provided 25 classes/workshops that offered a total of 48 CEUs: Pesticide Safety Education programs (PSEP) provided 10 classes for a total of 10 CEUs. Our Green Industry Training program in February provided five IPM classes for a total of 15 CEUs. Our regional webinars offered 7 CEUs. Weed Warriors provided 16 CEUs. Outcomes: Our PSEP classes reached 110 total contacts. The fall 2022 attendees were asked to rate their knowledge of the topic before and after attending the classes (1=no knowledge; 5=thorough knowledge). The mean rating before the workshops was 3.25; the mean rating after the workshops was 4.75 for an increase in knowledge of 46% (P<.000); 97% of attendees in our spring 2023 workshop reported that their understanding of the topics improved. Total number of peer-reviewed publications: 1 Total number of non-peer-reviewed publications: 10 Total number of presentations: 34 Total number of people reached: 5,524

Publications

  • Type: Conference Papers and Presentations Status: Other Year Published: 2022 Citation: Kratsch, H.A., F. Barrios-Masias, and B. Poudel-Ward. 2022. Enhancing Production of Warm-Season Crops in Nevada Using Rootstocks: A Grower Survey. American Society for Horticultural Science annual conference. Chicago, IL, July 31 (Poster).
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Kratsch, H.A. 2022. Watering Trees in Hot, Dry Home Landscapes. University of Nevada, Reno Extension Informational Publication IP-22-02.
  • Type: Other Status: Awaiting Publication Year Published: 2023 Citation: Elgeberi, N., N. Chowdhury, and I. Sevindik. 2023. Statewide Needs Assessment for Nevada's Agriculture, Horticulture, Natural Resources, and Environment. University of Nevada, Reno Extension Informational Publication.
  • Type: Other Status: Under Review Year Published: 2023 Citation: Kratsch, H.A. 2023. In Review. Riego de �rboles en jardines y patios secos y calurosos de una casa. University of Nevada, Reno Extension Informational Publication IP-23-XX.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Kratsch, H.A., F. Barrios-Masias, and B. Poudel-Ward. 2023. Enhancing Production of Warm-Season Crops in Nevada Using Rootstocks: A Grower Survey. University of Nevada, Reno Extension Special Publication SP-23-01.
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Jensen, C. and H. Kratsch. 2023. Reducing Lawn With Buffer Strips. University of Nevada, Reno Extension. https://extension.unr.edu/publication.aspx?PubID=5008
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Jensen, C. and Kratsch, H. 2023. Pesticide Labels Explained. University of Nevada, Reno Extension. https://extension.unr.edu/publication.aspx?PubID=5009
  • Type: Websites Status: Published Year Published: 2023 Citation: Jensen, C. and Kratsch, H. 2023, Pollinator Protection, University of Nevada, Reno Extension. https://extension.unr.edu/publication.aspx?PubID=5007


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

Outputs
Target Audience:Target audiences reached included land managers from agencies across Nevada, including the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, Nevada State Parks, Nevada Department of Wildlife, Nevada Department of Transportation, Nevada Department of Forestry, and Nevada Department of Agriculture. Other audiences reached include watershed sub-conservancy districts, small-acreage and larger-scale farmers, ranchers, recreational land users, Extension educators, master gardeners, green industry professionals (including Hispanic landscapers), home gardeners, pesticide applicators, Nevada Weed Management Association and other cooperative weed management groups, noxious weed stakeholders, conservation districts, general improvement districts, gardening groups, and the general public. Changes/Problems:IPM Implementation in Communities: Our Urban IPM and Pesticide Safety Education Program Coordinator retired December 31, 2021. We recruited another program team member to take over her responsibilities from January 1 to August 15, 2022. We have hired a new program coordinator to start August 15, 2022. IPM for Pesticide Applicators: No problems or changes to report. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Dr. Kratsch attended the annual meeting of WERA 1017: Coordination of Integrated Pest Management Research and Extension/Educational Programs for the Western States and Pacific Basin Territories in September 2021 and in February 2022 to learn about the IPM research and educational activities of others and to present the activities of the Nevada EIP program. Members of the IPM team attended several webinars and trainings on IPM-related topics, including those of our collaborative Cultivating Healthy Plants webinars. This information was used to increase their IPM knowledge and to pass on that knowledge to our stakeholders through trainings and workshops. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?IPM Implementation in Communities information was disseminated through: face-to-face and online venues, such as Zoom, interactive video, and YouTube videos. A train-the-trainer approach was used for Master Gardeners and Green Industry Professionals, who, in turn, educated the public on IPM principles and strategies during our Gardening in Nevada program and through interaction with the public in our diagnostic clinic and other venues. Other media (public service announcements, fact sheets, curriculum, website, social media) also are used to deliver information on IPM. Our programs are designed to reach a diversity of community members using multiple techniques, based on our previous research showing that people learn IPM in a variety of different ways based on their own experiences, attitudes, and situations. For example, distance learning benefited people who live far distances from an Extension office, and these classes were also attended by out-of-state clients whose climate is more similar to Nevada's than to that of much of their own state (i.e., northeastern California). Interpretation of our classes and translation of our written and video materials benefited our Hispanic audiences, which make up around 30 percent of Nevada's landscape professionals. All groups were directed to our website, www.manageNVpests.info, to further their IPM education and obtain quick information on IPM, insect pests, beneficial insects, and nuisance and noxious weeds. IPM Education for Pesticide Applicators provides Pesticide Safety Education Program trainings, conducted collaboratively with the Nevada Department of Agriculture, to educate applicators on IPM practices. Workshops were provided face-to-face and by interactive video or Zoom. Continuing education credits are integrated into programing throughout the state to meet the needs of different stakeholders who manage pests. Certified pesticide applicators are also directed to our website, www.manageNVpests.info, for further information on IPM principles. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Administrative Coordination Specific Objective: Coordination of Nevada stakeholder assessment and IPM educational activities. Report the activities of the Nevada IPM project at the WERA 1017 meeting in Alaska in 2023. Represent the Nevada IPM team at the Horticulture, Agriculture, Natural Resources & Environment Program Team meetings in 2022-2023. Analyze and write up the data from the Nevada IPM needs assessment. Nevada IPM team members will meet monthly to coordinate activities. Will continue to coordinate with the Nevada Department of Agriculture for planning joint educational programs and publications. PRIORITY AREA: IPM Implementation in Communities Specific Objective #1: Provide 40 hours per year of basic certification and advanced training in IPM for Master Gardeners and Green Industry professionals. Our Master Gardener program is going statewide and online in August 2022. This is predicted to increase our attendance and enhance Nevadans' awareness of IPM. With the publication of our Weed Warriors curriculum, we are planning to hold train-the-trainer workshops for educators interested in expanding the program across the state. Specific Objective #2: Collaborate with three neighboring state IPM programs (ID, UT, MT) to provide monthly IPM webinars for Green Industry professionals and Master Gardeners. Continue our successful and impactful collaborative webinar program. Nevada will take the lead in hosting webinars in fall 2022. Specific Objective #3: Deliver PSA media campaign using updated targeted IPM messages. Conduct an evaluation of our PSA messages, using our Extension audiences as a representative sample. Specific Objective #4: Deliver home horticulture classes focusing on IPM in-person and virtually throughout the state. Continue to deliver IPM education through our popular live, online format. Specific Objective #5: Provide two bilingual IPM trainings per year for Hispanic landscapers, and create two bilingual IPM fact sheets and two bilingual educational videos for use at our trainings. Continue to collaborate with local Spanish-speaking professionals to provide bilingual IPM education. PRIORITY AREA: IPM Education for Pesticide Applicators Specific Objective #1: Provide eight Pesticide CEU workshops annually, with an emphasis on IPM. Hold at least two trainings in the next fiscal year, specifically targeting pesticide applicators. Pursue pesticide applicator CEUs for all relevant programs to increase opportunities for obtaining professional CEUs. We hired a new IPM and Pesticide Safety Education Program Coordinator to replace our retired Coordinator. She will start August 15, 2022.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Project Impact: Existing and emerging insect pests and weeds negatively impact urban areas in Nevada. Water quality is also a critical issue in Nevada, and pesticide contamination of water sources has been documented (Thodal, Carpenter, & Moses, 2009). Our project objectives were to improve IPM practices and to increase IPM adoption by private citizens, Extension Master Gardeners, and green industry professionals, including Hispanic landscapers, in urban and urbanizing communities. Our Nevada IPM team has created a variety of educational products that have been used to deliver high quality IPM education to Nevada citizens. We used strategies that include both online and in-person instruction, making sure that our products and presentations are ADA-accessible and translated for the Hispanic community when needed. The result has been adoption by pest managers and pesticide applicators of a variety of increasingly higher-impact IPM tactics that emphasize prevention and lower-risk practices and products to control the pests of highest priority to Nevada stakeholders. Our intensive IPM educational efforts over the past 10 years have resulted in a significant decrease in pesticide residues found in urban sites in Nevada (Huntington et al., 2020), despite a rise in Nevada's population from 2.7 million in 2010 to 3.1 million in 2020 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020). Our continued efforts to increase public awareness and to improve IPM practices will raise the health and quality of life for Nevadans moving into the future. Increase coordination of Extension IPM programs: Specific objective #1: Coordination of Nevada stakeholder assessment and IPM educational activities. Accomplishments: Kratsch attended one Project Director Workshop, administered through the Western IPM Center and presented the Nevada EIP program accomplishments at the annual WERA 1017 meetings, September 2021 and February 2022. Kratsch coordinated our IPM activities at the statewide Ag and Natural Resources program team meetings. The team met with Nevada Department of Agriculture staff for coordination of educational programs and content. Outcomes: The IPM stakeholder needs assessment is nearing completion. Outcomes will be reported in 2023. Increase IPM Implementation in Communities: Specific Objective #1: Provide 40 hours per year of basic certification and advanced training in IPM for Master Gardeners and Green Industry professionals. Accomplishments: Provided 36 hours of IPM training to Master Gardeners (336 total contacts) and 24 hours of IPM training to Green Industry professionals (569 total contacts). Published six fact sheets that discuss IPM and plant health issues; these will be used in future classes. Taught Weed Warriors in collaboration with the Nevada Department of Agriculture in May, using our newly published Weed Warriors curriculum. Outcomes: Attendees at our Green Industry training were asked to rate their knowledge of IPM before and after attending the classes (1=no knowledge; 5=thorough knowledge). The mean rating before the classes was 2.76; the mean rating after was 4.20 for an increase in knowledge of 52.2% (P<.000). Weed Warriors was attended by 23 weed management professionals; they identified an average of 4.3 more weeds after the workshop than before the workshop. Attendees were asked to rate their knowledge of weed management before and after attending the classes (1=no knowledge; 5=thorough knowledge). The mean rating before the workshops was 2.48; the mean rating after the workshops was 3.78 for an increase in knowledge of 53.0% (P<.000). Specific Objective #2: Collaborate with three neighboring state IPM programs (ID, UT, MT) to provide monthly IPM webinars for Green Industry professionals and Master Gardeners. Accomplishments: Six IPM webinars were provided: 1) Cider Apples in the Intermountain West, November 18; 2) Practical Tips for Keeping Honey Bees Healthy, December 16; 3) Managing Weeds After Wildfire, January 27; 4) Cover Crop Management Practices to Reduce Weed Pressure, February 17; 5) Overview of a New Cereal Aphid in the Intermountain West, March 24; 6) Tree Pests: What to Manage, What to Ignore, and What's Impossible to Fix, April 7. Outcomes: 885 unique viewers attended these webinars: 94.3% reported improved knowledge as a result of attendance; 70.8% intend to use at least one of the recommended strategies. Specific Objective #3: Deliver PSA media campaign using updated targeted IPM messages. Accomplishments: Our IPM PSAs began April 1 and will continue through August 31. Two new IPM messages have been added: 1) What can you learn from a pesticide label? 2) Water efficiently to minimize weed growth and protect our drinking water. Outcomes: No outcomes to report at this time. 2022 PSAs will end August 31. Specific Objective #4: Deliver home horticulture classes focusing on IPM in-person and virtually throughout the state. Accomplishments: Grow Your Own, Nevada program provided four classes that included information on IPM: 1) Practical Tips for Keeping Honey Bees Healthy; 2) Container Gardening Tips and Techniques; 3) Managing Garden Insects and Plant Diseases; 4) Companion Planting for Improved Plant Health. Northern NevadaScapes is a new program, offered for the first time this spring, to help homeowners properly irrigate their landscape plants and to use integrated pest management to help keep pesticides and other landscape pollutants from running off or leaching into our closed watershed. The hands-on workshop provided 8 hours of instruction. Outcomes: Four of the eight Grow Your Own, Nevada classes provided IPM education (400 total contacts). Attendees were asked to rate their knowledge of vegetable IPM before and after attending the classes (1=no knowledge; 5=thorough knowledge). The mean rating before the workshops was 2.22; the mean rating after the workshops was 3.96 for an increase in knowledge of 80.0% (P<.000). Thirteen homeowners attended Northern NevadaScapes. Attendees were asked to rate their knowledge of proper irrigation and IPM before and after attending the classes (1=no knowledge; 5=thorough knowledge). The mean rating before the workshops was 2.39; the mean rating after the workshops was 4.33 for an increase in knowledge of 81.4% (P<.000). Specific Objective #5: Provide two bilingual IPM trainings per year for Hispanic landscapers, and create two bilingual IPM fact sheets and two bilingual educational videos for use at our trainings. Accomplishments: Bilingual trainings: 1) How to keep nursery stock heathy; 2) How to recognize plant health problems. Educational videos in English and Spanish (in progress): 1) How to plant trees for good health (script written); 2) How to prune trees for good health (script written). The videos will be filmed separately using a Spanish-speaking landscape industry professional. Outcomes: 94 people attended our bilingual Hispanic Landscaper program. The Nevada Landscape Association presented our Community IPM program with an education award for our bilingual training program. Provide IPM Education for Pesticide Applicators: Specific Objective #1: Provide eight Pesticide CEU workshops annually, with an emphasis on IPM. Accomplishments: Pesticide Safety Education program (PSEP) in November 2021 provided six classes for a total of six CEUs. Our Green Industry Training program in February provided four IPM classes for a total of 12 CEUs. Provided 12 classes at the Nevada Landscape Association conference that provided a total of 12 CEUs. Our regional webinars offered five CEUs. Our Weed Warriors workshop provided 9.5 CEUs. Outcomes: Our PSEP classes reached 146 pesticide applicators (427 total contacts). Attendees were asked to rate their knowledge of the topic before and after attending the classes (1=no knowledge; 5=thorough knowledge). The mean rating before the workshops was 3.08; the mean rating after the workshops was 4.23 for an increase in knowledge of 37.3% (P<.000).

Publications

  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Burls, K., Mazet, W.H., and Kratsch, H.A. 2021. A Northern Nevada Homeowners Guide to Identifying and Managing Earwigs. University of Nevada, Reno Extension, FS-21-108.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Burls, K., Mazet, W.H., and Kratsch, H.A. 2021. A Northern Nevada Homeowners Guide to Identifying and Managing Cabbage Caterpillars. University of Nevada, Reno Extension, FS-21-109.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Burls, K., Mazet, W.H., and Kratsch, H.A. 2021. A Northern Nevada Homeowners Guide to Identifying and Managing Shield Bugs. University of Nevada, Reno Extension, FS-21-110.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Burls, K., Mazet, W.H., and Kratsch, H.A. 2021. A Northern Nevada Homeowners Guide to Identifying and Managing Squash Bugs. University of Nevada, Reno Extension, FS-21-111.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2021 Citation: Kratsch, H.A. and Mazet, W.H. 2021. Trees, Roots, and the Urban Soil Environment. University of Nevada, Reno Extension, FS-21-112.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Kratsch, H. and Mazet W.H. 2022. Arboles, Raices y el Ambiente y Entorno del Suelo Urbano. University of Nevada, Reno Extension, FS-22-06.
  • Type: Other Status: Published Year Published: 2022 Citation: Hefner, M., Kratsch H., Burls, K., Clements, C., Moe, A., and Wilhelm, R. 2022. Weed Warriors: A Curriculum Covering Identification and Control of Noxious Weeds in Northern Nevada. University of Nevada, Reno Extension, CM-22-01.