PENNSYLVANIA EXTENSION INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PROGRAM

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: ACTIVE
• Funding Source: OTHER GRANTS
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 1032895
• Grant No.: 2024-70006-43510
• Cumulative Award Amt.: $221,393.00
• Proposal No.: 2024-03450
• Project Start Date: Sep 1, 2024
• Project End Date: Aug 31, 2025
• Grant Year: 2024
• Program Code: [EIP]- Extension Implementation Program

Recipient Organization
PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY
408 Old Main
UNIVERSITY PARK,PA 16802-1505

Performing Department
(N/A)

Non Technical Summary
The goals of this project support IPM programming for a variety of Pennsylvania agriculture and communities. While targeting PA needs, our objectives agree with goals of the National IPM Roadmap to "reduce potential human health risks from pests and related management strategies" and "minimize adverse environmental effects from pests and related management strategies." We aim to 1) Build capacity to improve speed of arthropod identifications; 2) Provide IPM programming on pests of horses and preventing transmission of vector-borne diseases; 3) Facilitate pest control services for disabled residents and train clientele in IPM for urban housing and schools; 4) In agronomic crops, promote benefits of combining conservation practices and IPM to improve pest control; 5) Monitor lepidopteran pests of sweet corn and provide IPM education for urban farms; 6) In vineyards, optimize grape berry moth management while promoting adoption of new IPM practices; 7) Develop programming in English and Spanish on Integrated Pest and Pollinator Management in fruits and vegetables; 8) Increasing awareness of biological control tools available to mushroom growers. Our project addresses six priorities, IPM: 1) Support for Pest Diagnostic Facilities (13%); 2&3) for Public Health and Animal Agriculture (8%); 4) for Communities including Housing and Schools (33%); 5) Agronomic (16%) and Specialty Crops (grapes: 8%; vegetables: 7%, mushrooms: 8%); and 6) Pollinator Health (6%). Of requested funds, 14.7% will advance research goals.

Animal Health Component

100%

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

100%

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
211	5320	1130	35%
211	3410	1130	10%
211	1599	1130	15%
211	1499	1130	10%
211	1139	1130	10%
211	3010	1130	10%
211	1470	1130	10%

Knowledge Area
211 - Insects, Mites, and Other Arthropods Affecting Plants;

Subject Of Investigation
1499 - Vegetables, general/other; 1470 - Mushrooms and other edible fungi; 1599 - Grain crops, general/other; 5320 - Houses (human residences), furniture, household equipment, non-textile furnishings; 3410 - Dairy cattle, live animal; 1139 - Grapes, general/other; 3010 - Honey bees;

Field Of Science
1130 - Entomology and acarology;

Keywords

agronomic crops

animal health

diagnostic services

pollinators

public health

specialty crops

Goals / Objectives
Our primary objectives are to: 1) Build capacity to improve speed of arthropod identifications; 2) Provide IPM programming on pests of horses and preventing transmission of vector-borne diseases; 3) Facilitate pest control services for disabled residents and train clientele as urban IPM technicians and in IPM for schools; 4) In agronomic crops, promote benefits of combining conservation practices and IPM to improve pest control; 5) Monitor lepidopteran pests of sweet corn and provide IPM education for urban farms; 6) In vineyards, optimize grape berry moth management while promoting adoption of new IPM practices; 7) Develop programming in English and Spanish on organic beekeeping and Integrated Pest and Pollinator Management in fruits and vegetables; 8) Increasing awareness of biological control tools available to mushroom growers.

Project Methods
For Obj. 1:To help alleviate such delays, during summer we will hire and train a graduate assistant to help identify specimens and provide information to clients. Skvarla will train the student in identification of common pest groups, how to respond and inform clients, and how to document and voucher identification requests. Requested funding will also partially support a specimen manager, who will facilitate vouchering and referencing of collections.For Obj. 2:We will collaborate with Penn State's Survey Research Center (SRC) to assess clientele needs. SRC will survey stakeholders in public health and animal agriculture to inform our programming. We will also convene focus groups to capture diverse perspectives to refine our assessment. We will collaborate with Penn State's Equine team and S1076 Multistate project to develop and share IPM programming for horses. To provide programming on IVM, we will work with the PA Game Commission and PA Depts. of Environmental Protection and Conservation to develop training in vector-borne disease prevention.For Obj. 3: a) We will work to increase participation in trainings. We anticipate training a cohort of UIPM technicians each year of our three-year project. b) We will continue with our offerings in Philly, but hope to expand the program to Williamsport, Erie, and/or possibly other urban areas in PA. c) We will renew relationships with schools, Intermediate Units, and the Dept. of Education to offer IPM trainings and in-person consultations for schools. We will also attend conferences to network and develop relationships with school personnel.For Obj. 4:Our extension efforts with agronomic crops will inform growers of risks of unnecessary insecticide used and associated behavioral change should decrease agricultural pollution, risks to human and environmental health, and pest resistance, while improving farm conditions. We will collaborate with educators on Penn State Extension's Agronomy Team (AT), who work closely with growers and their advisors to promote IPM.The AT uses a train-the-trainer approach (faculty educate county-based educators who educate local agricultural professionals), and within this framework, we will work to build IPM knowledge in farmersacross PA to scout corn, soybean, and hay fields by sharing 1) weekly scouting reports and 2) real-time threats posed by populations of pests (e.g., moths, slugs) that we monitor with traps.For Obj. 5: a) Maintain ongoing statewide monitoring program for lepidopteran pests of sweet corn. Statewide monitoring via pheromone traps provides an effective system for tracking corn earworm and other lepidopteran pests of sweet corn, allowing for notifications to growers so they can protect their crops, minimizing damage and economic and environmental costs associated with unnecessary sprays. b)Work with extension educators to provide IPM education focused on urban farms.For Obj. 6: a) Co-PI Acevedo will provide research updates to extension educators, researchers, and grape growers on spotted lanternfly management. These updates will take place every year in spring and summer as part of larger meetings that are hosted by Penn State Extension. Acevedo will also keep updated the fact sheet "Spotted lanternfly management in vineyards" (http://tinyurl.com/SLFvineyards) and will distribute printed copies to grape growers in in-person meetings. Acevedo will prepare two fact sheets for GBM, one will focus on scouting and management and the other one will focus on GBM natural enemies. Materials will be available online (extension.psu.edu/grapes-and-wine) and will also be printed and distributed to grape growers. b)To determine appropriate times for insect control based on current climatic conditions, Acevedo will evaluate for three growing seasons fluctuations of GBM infestations in commercial vineyards in the Lake Erie region. Presently, growers use a degree-day model (Tobin et al. 2001) to time insecticides applications, but despite following recommendations they are still experiencing high infestations and economic damage. Our evidence suggests that changing climate conditions are likely affecting timing of diapause of GBM, reducing model accuracy, but new data should improve model performance. Acevedo's lab will also identify, rear and test efficacy of GBM larval parasitoids present in Erie County for GBM control in commercial vineyards. The results of this research will help adjust or design a more effective GBM management program.For Obj. 7: a) Educational programs in "Organic Beekeeping Management": We will develop a series of factsheets and an online course that will provide training to beekeepers interested in incorporating organic management practices in their operations. These materials will be translated into Spanish, and these online materials will be complemented with in-person workshops. b)There is an overwhelming lack of information about performance in PA of different honey bee genetic stocks. Research on resilient and productive honey bee stocks is critical for beekeepers to rely less on chemical controls for pest management. We will engage in a multiple year experiment to investigate the performance of different honey bee genotypes. c)In concert with extension teams, we will update information about IPPM friendly practices for pest management in production guides, fact sheets, web sites and newsletters. To account for pollinators, we will adjust for various insect-pollinated crops recommendations for pest management practices. If we encounter uncertainty about adjustments, we will document research needs and perform research as necessary. Our updated information will be shared via in-service training sessions to extension educators (train-the-trainer). d)We are currently working to translate into Spanish factsheets on beekeeping and crop pollination. We are also developing hybrid programs (combination of webinars and in-person training) to engage LatinX farm workers in beekeeping as an economic opportunity for a side business.For Obj. 8: a) We will design field experiments in an iterative process with farm workers, managers, and owners to maximize the practicality of the techniques. We will assess application rates of S. carpocapsae and S. scimitus, rates of reapplication, and locations and timing of applications. Growers have indicated a willingness to participate in these field studies (see attached letters of support). b)Increase awareness of biological control tools available to mushroom growers. Once optimized, our bilingual extension efforts will facilitate adoption of these biological control methods. We will develop in English and Spanish on-farm trainings and webinars that instruct growers on proper use of biological control agents. We will also present talks in both languages at local pesticide meetings, during the PSU Mushroom Short Course, and at regular PSU-Industry Planning Meetings. Additionally, we will create and distribute bilingual fact sheets describing proper use of the techniques, and we will write articles in Mushroom News, the American Mushroom Industry's trade magazine.

Progress 09/01/24 to 08/31/25

Outputs
Target Audience:Farmers and other agricultural professionals, extension personnel, home owners, land owners, urban community members, policy makers Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Graduate students,undergraduates students, and/or professional staff are involved in all of our objectives and are being exposed to our extension and research efforts. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?See details above in "What has been accomplished." We are engaging with public who submit specimens for identification, farmers and citizens keeping livestock, urban community members and disabled citizens suffering from pest problems, farmers and associated agricultural professionals involved in grain and forage production, vegetable, grape, and mushroom growers, as well as beekeepers and crop growers reliant on bee visitation. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?1.Arthropod Identification Obj. 1: Plans for the upcoming year: A backlog of hundreds of specimens in ethanol will be accessioned into the Frost Entomological Museum. We will hire an hourly worker for June-August 2025 to help with tasks. 2. IPM of Public Health and Animal Agriculture Obj.: 1. To define the most pressing challenges in public health and animal agriculture, we will use experienced collaborators to survey community needs. Next Reporting Period: Deploy veterinarian-pet owner communications survey, complete Lyme disease vaccine survey analysis, conduct stakeholder focus groups, and synthesize all results into comprehensive needs assessment report. Obj. 2. Provide programming to horse owners on IPM for arthropod pests of horses. Next Reporting Period: Execute planned workshop, complete pilot testing of fly worry app, create additional educational materials based on needs assessment findings, and evaluate program effectiveness. Obj. 3 Collaborate with state agencies to develop target-audience specific training in prevention of vector-borne diseases. Next Reporting Period: Host first two workshops at different locations, finalize continuing education credit arrangements, develop target-audience specific materials, and establish evaluation metrics for measuring training effectiveness. 3. IPM Implementation in Communities including Housing and Schools Obj. 1. Collaborate with partners in workforce development and urban pest control to offer IPM trainings Next Reporting Period: In year 1 of our project, Dion Lerman was our staff member who was helping to pursue these objectives, but sadly he had some health challenges and passed away. During fall of 2024, we hired a new staff member, Ray Delaney, who is working on these objectives. Delaney will continue our workforce development programing for UIPM technicians, including starting a training program in the Philadelphia County Prison system. 4. IPM Implementation in Agronomic Crops Next Reporting Period: Continue scouting, reporting, extension efforts on pests of corn and soybeans. 5. IPM Implementation in Specialty crops: Vegetables Obj. 1: Statewide monitoring program for lepidopteran pests of sweet corn. Next Reporting Period: For the 2025 season we filled key sampling gaps within the state and will have 31 sites reporting across the state. We will establish trial plots at research farms in Centre and Lancaster Cos. to evaluate trap placement and use of automated smart traps. Obj. 2: Work with extension educators to provide IPM education focused on urban farms. Next Reporting Period: During the coming period, we will recruit three urban or suburban farms to serve as demonstration sites for effective pest management using cultural and biological controls as well as reduced-risk pesticides. 6. IPM Implementation in Specialty crops: Grapes Obj. 1. Disseminate research findings and develop educational materials to inform and promote adoption of new IPM practices by grape growers. Next Reporting Period: Provide research updates to growers and extension educators. Prepare a grape berry moth management article that will be freely available at the Penn State Extension website. Obj. 2. Optimize grape berry moth management in vineyards. Accomplishments: Next Reporting Period: We will repeat the samplings in 2025 and 2026 to determine seasonal variations in grape berry moth phenology. 7. IPM Implementation in Specialty crops: Pollinator Health Obj 1. Organic beekeeping management. Next Reporting Period: Conduct a survey during PSBA annual meeting to assess changes in practices from conventional to organic beekeeping management. Obj 2. Honey bee genetic stocks Next Reporting Period: Write a peer-review paper, one extension publication, and a webinar to share this information with beekeepers in PA, the northeast, and beyond. Obj 3. Integrated pest and pollinator management (IPPM) Next Reporting Period: Share varietal information with Amish/Mennonite farmers during winter meetings organized by Penn State Extension. Share information in Gazette newsletters (3,872 subscribers). Obj 4. Educational programing on beekeeping and IPPM in Spanish. Next Reporting Period: Will expand this program, aiming to recruit at least 20 new participants. Planning several outreach events in southeastern Pennsylvania on beekeeping and IPPM. Will offer webinars and in-person workshops about the economics of starting beekeeping operations and benefits of implementing IPM and organic practices for pest control. 8. IPM Implementation in Specialty crops: Mushrooms Obj. 1: Optimize biological control protocols for applying S. carpocapsae and S. scimitus on mushroom farms. Next Reporting Period: Repeat S. carpocapsae optimization field studies on more farms. Perform comprehensive field studies to compare S. scimitus application timings and rates on mushroom farms. Obj. 2: Increase awareness of biological control tools available to mushroom growers. Next Reporting Period: Complete bilingual fact sheet for S. carpocapsae applications. Begin writing fact sheet on S. scimitus mites and applications. Present at the Mushroom Short Course, Pesticide Credit Meetings, Phorid Fly Action Council meetings, and visit individual growers. Create a Latino Advisory committee for the mushroom industry and expand bilingual educational resources for the growers and workforce.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? 1.Arthropod Identification Identified 544 specimens for clients. Vouchered nearly 1400 backlogged pinned specimens from the Insect ID Lab (2020-2024) at the Frost Entomological Museum ?2.IPM of Public Health and Animal Agriculture Completed multi-institutional survey of Extension educators across 17 land grant institutions Completed collaborative cattle owner survey with University of Pittsburgh Developed communication survey for veterinarians and pet owners; To be released in summer 202 We are developing survey on public perception of vaccine for Lyme disease. Developed two educational videos for horse owners on checking for and removing ticks Planned in-person farm management worksho Initiated project to evaluate "fly worry" for breeding mares and foals to create a management app. Established partnerships with Entomological Society of America, Wildlife Society, and Ecological Society of America. Designed professional development workshops with continuing education components and initiated collaboration with state agencies for pesticide education credits. 3. IPM Implementation in Communities including Housing and Schools Working with Energy Coordinating Agency, a local NGO that provides training in building trades, in fall 2024 we trained a third cohort of six UIPM technicians. We started a similar UIPM workforce development program at Lankenau High School Developing UIPM training for inmates in the Philadelphia Prison system By January 2025, the program contractors performed 1,024 service calls. Cockroaches were the focus of most calls, followed by rodents and bed bugs Contractors resolved 91% of complaints with a single visit. Encouragingly, our program has had more success eradicating pests in single visits than conventional (e.g., National) pest control companies, and about 20% less expensive. Customer satisfaction with the program remains 100%. Contacted 461 school districts (public k-12) and compiled a contact list including District Name, IPM Coordinator's Name, address, e-mail, phone #, web site, address. Using that list inquired if they need any IPM support. 53 IPM manuals sent to IPM coordinators. Visited 18 school districts in person to set up new or revive existing IPM programs. 4. IPM Implementation in Agronomic Crops Led efforts to track populations of black cutworms and slugs in no-till fields. Detected five "significant flights" of black cutworm moths and communicated these results via Penn State's Field Crop News, reaching over 12,500 members of the agricultural community. Collaborated with county-based extension educators on a project funded by the Pennsylvania Soybean Board to scout "typical" soybean fields. Tracked slug populations in no-till fields in 12 counties. Data from this effort will be used to develop a predictive model of when grey garden slugs hatch from overwintered eggs. In 2024, Tooker presented 12 talks at meetings reaching 908 farmers and other agricultural professionals in eight counties in Pennsylvania and three additional states (MD, NY, WI). Tooker also authored 24 weekly newsletter articles, each of which was distributed to >12,500 digital subscribers to Penn State's Field Crop News. 5. IPM Implementation in Specialty crops: Vegetables Communicated weekly trap counts and IPM-based management recommendations via the Penn State Extension website, the 1-800-PENN IPM phone line, the Pennsylvania Vegetable Growers Association newsletter, and at produce auction kiosks around the state. Coordinated and developed with the Southern IPM center to produce an online dashboard that provides real-time updates for trap catches during the coming 2025 season (https://extension.psu.edu/pestwatch-report). Visited six farms and presented five talks at grower meetings (audience: >2,300 people). Developed programs supporting urban growers including those using protected cultivation techniques like high tunnels. Programs include a monthly webinar focused on invasive species (>500 registrants) Biocontrol school held in December 2024 and trial focused on managing pests in high tunnels that has been established at research farms in Centre and Lancaster Cos. 6. IPM Implementation in Specialty crops: Grapes Delivered extension talks to grape growers (n = 525), extension educators (n = 374), and the general public (n =187) about research and management of spotted lanternfly and grape berry moth in vineyards. Enhanced knowledge of ~ 962 people. Developed five extension videos about the spotted lanternfly (available at https://extension.psu.edu/spotted-lanternfly-in-vineyards). Updated the spotted lanternfly management in vineyards fact sheet. Enhanced education of grape growers, extension educators, scientists, and the general public on spotted lanternfly and grape berry moth. Sampled grape berry moth in three vineyards over the growing season. Identified large populations during the first 4 weeks of the growing season, which needed to be managed Identified six larval parasitoid species of grape berry moth in the field. The identified species were: Enytus obliteratus, Campoplex tortricidis, Scambus spp. Glypta spp. (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae); Bracon variabilis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae), and Goniozus fratellus (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae). Of these, B. variabilis was the most abundant species, representing 68.6 %, followed by G. fratellus and E. obliteratus, comprising 13.8% and 11.9%, respectively, of all parasitoids found. We also developed a rearing protocol for E. obliteratus. 7. IPM Implementation in Specialty crops: Pollinator Health Developed an online course on Organic Honey Bee Management (66 participants). Wrote five articles in American Bee Journal (circulation: >13,000) about topics of organic beekeeping (e.g., non-chemical methods to control varroa mite, preparing colonies for winter). Working on these educational programs jointly with applied research on the foraging behavior of honey bees in organic farms. Our research is revealing new information about the feasibility of producing organic honey bee products in the continental US, information that will lead to changes in policy and guidelines by the Organic Board. Compared performance of queens from northern and southern latitudes, as well as several local queen producers. This information is scarce in the literature and extension materials. Compared cucurbit varieties to identify cultivars that perform best under heat stress and pest pressure but that attract the large numbers of pollinators. Presented hybrid program on beekeeping basics (combination of webinars and in-person training) in Spanish to engage Latino farmers and farm workers in beekeeping as an economic opportunity for a side business (40 participants of the webinar; and 5 participants of the hands-on program). 8. IPM Implementation in Specialty crops: Mushrooms Optimized protocols for S. carpocapsae nematode applications on mushroom farms. Optimized applications reduced mushroom fly adult emergence by 41% on mushroom farms in field tests. Completed pilot studies for S. scimitus mites, learned significant information about application timing and rates. ?Presented results of field studies on S. carpocapsae and S. scimitus at the Mushroom Short Course, Pesticide Credit Meetings, Phorid Fly Action Council meetings, and individually with growers on their farms. Hosted a Needs Assessment session for industry. The Mushroom Fly Research Team has had a combined 392 Stakeholder contacts at 143 events.

Publications

• Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2024 Citation: Laura Laiton-Jimenez, Fnu Samiksha, Flor Edith Acevedo, Biology and life table parameters of Paralobesia viteana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), grown on different grape cultivars, Journal of Economic Entomology, Volume 117, Issue 3, June 2024, Pages 11521163
• Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2025 Citation: Gomez-Llano, J.H., Khanal, N. and Acevedo, F.E., 2025. Exploring natural allies: Survey and identification of larval parasitoids of the American grape berry moth, Paralobesia viteana (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae) in northwestern Pennsylvania. PLoS One, 20(5), p.e0317274.
• Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2025 Citation: Pinto, A.F., Eshenaur, B.C., Acevedo, F.E., Calixto, A.A., Centinari, M. and G�mez, M.I., 2025. Assessing the potential economic impacts of spotted lanternfly (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) infestations on grape production in New York State. Journal of Integrated Pest Management, 16(1), p.2.
• Type: Peer Reviewed Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2025 Citation: Singh, S., Smith, C. and Acevedo, F.E., 2025. The spotted lanternflys ability to reproduce is significantly reduced when fed exclusively on grapevines. Environmental Entomology, p.nvaf036.