University and Government Services
NEW! Midwest Apple IPM web site - Cooperative Project with Iowa State University
Aimed at commercial apple growers, the Midwest Apple IPM web site provides updates on new options for biologically intensive management of some of the major pest and disease problems in the Upper Midwest. This is a cooperative project of Plant Pathologists, Entomologists, Food Scientists, and Horticulturists from the Iowa State University, the University of Illinois, the University of Missouri, and the University of Wisconsin. This project was funded by grants from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Public service centers provide information for farmers using IPM
The staff at the Nutrient and Pest Management program works with farmers to improve crop management, from nutrient application to pest management strategies. Do you grow corn? Take a survey to rate your pest management savvy.
Soil and crop analysis lab - The UW offers a wide range of diagnostic services including soil, plant and forage analysis.
The Soil Health Scorecard is now available on the web.
Insect diagnostic lab - The UW offers an insect identification service, including i.d. of insect-damaged plant material. Service is targeted to county Extension offices and commercial growers.
Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic - The UW campus and UW Extension provides assistance in identifying plant diseases and offers educational information on plant diseases and their control
University of Wisconsin Extension (UWEX) works cooperatively with your county board of supervisors to employ county agents and educators to serve you locally. Agents offer workshops and training opportunities and may be able to assist you in other facets of pest management on your farm. UWEX also employs some of the researchers at UW campuses to work on IPM (see below for a list of researchers and contact information) .
Farm Service Center - a service of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection, the Center provides free and confidential services to WI farmers including financial, mediation, stray voltage, legal, vocational and farm transfer services.
University of Wisconsin Extension publications
Many of these publications are available on the web for free or with a minimal charge as hard copy.
The Soil Health Scorecard is now available on the web. Use this tool to assess the health of soil in your fields and get ideas for how to improve soil health in the process.
Pest Management in field crops such as corn, soybeans, forages and small grains
Survey to assess your pest management strategies on field corn
Pest management in vegetables including vegetables grown for fresh market and for processing
Vegetable IPM Update is a weekly update on vegetable diseases and pests
Pest management in tree fruits including apples and pears
Pest management in berries including cane fruits, strawberries and cranberries
Wisconsin Crop Manager for corn, soybeans, forages and small grains
Pest management publications from UW Integrated Pest and Crop Management programs (IPCM)
Alphabetical listing of horticultural pests and publications that cover them
Wisconsin Bug.net offers a visual identification guide for Wisconsin insects
Biological Control News (formerly MBCN)
Publications on management intensive grazing are available for farmers raising livestock through the UW Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems or through UW Extension publications on agricultural livestock.
University of Wisconsin Extension specialists and UW researchers serve you
Agronomy - Chris Boerboom (field crop production, weed biology research), Weed Science web site, Bryan Jensen (field crop production), Richard Proost (field crop production), Kevin Shelley (small grains in rotation, Southern Wisconsin region); Dan Undersander(management intensive grazing), Jerry Doll (weed management)
Horticulture - Karen Delahaut (all aspects of fresh market vegetables, school IPM), Teryl Roper(weed control in cranberries and apples), Bob Tomesh (fresh market production), AJ Bussan (fresh market vegetable production), Brent McCown (minor crops research)
Entomology -Dan Mahr (insect control in cranberries & apples), Jeff Wyman (insect control in processing vegetables), Eileen Cullen (insect control in field crops), Claudio Gratton (insect control in agroecology)
Plant Pathology - Walt Stevenson (disease control in processing vegetables), Patty McManus (disease control in canberries and apples)
Rural Sociology - Pete Nowak (IPM adoption in production systems), Jack Kloppenburg (food systems), Mike Bell (agroecology)
Soil Science - Kevin McSweeney (agroecology), Fred Madison (Discovery Farms), Bill Bland (climate change and soil quality)
Brian Smith at UW-River Falls (strawberry pest management and breeding)
Nutrient and Pest Management - Kit Schmidt (manager), Jeff Wyman (insect control), Larry Binning (weed control), Pete Nowak (sociology), Chris Boerboom (agronomy), Larry Bundy (soils), Kevin Shelley (south central WI), Karen Talarczyk (southwest WI), Paul Kivlin (northwest WI), Kevin Erb (northeast WI), Deana Sexson (potato project and IPM in processing vegetables), Richard Proost (IPM in field crops)
Integrated Pest Management - Bryan Jensen (state coordinator - field crops IPM)
Pesticide Applicator Training - Roger Flashinski
Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic - Dan Heider
Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems - Michelle Miller (pesticide risk reduction, and ThinkIPM), Don Schuster (integrated crops and cropping systems), John Hendrickson (School for Beginning Market Growers), Dick Cates (School for Beginning Dairy and Livestock Farmers), Steve Stevenson (food systems), Brent McCown (minor crops research).
Wisconsin state government agencies support IPM research and outreach
The WI Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) provides an number of services related to pesticides and pest management. The Insects and Pesticides button will take you to a menu of programs and services. This site covers agronomic and horticultural crops, nurseries, Christmas trees, honey bees, ginseng and the Gypsy Moth program in Wisconsin. Check out the Pest Bulletin, published weekly during the growing season. The Pest Bulletin offers pest alerts, information on insect and disease distribution and development, weather data and pest-related news from regulatory agencies. You may also find the School IPM page useful in working with your child's school on pesticide risk reduction.
WI Department of Natural Resources conducts a runoff management program to help keep pesticides and nutrients out of our streams, rivers, lakes, and groundwater.
Federal government agencies support IPM research and outreach
USDA has regional pest management centers that work on your behalf. The center that serves Wisconsin is the North Central Region Pest Management Center located in Michigan. Check out their web site for information a wide variety of information on IPM for Wisconsin crops, pests and beneficials -- the soybean aphid, fruit and vegetable production, even IPM curricula for elementary school students. They link to all the IPM newsletters in this multi-state region, and can help you identify and locate other federal resources and information on IPM.
The United States Department of Agriculture offers a number of grant programs and supports research and extension work on IPM.
USDA has a new program that helps farmers make the transition to organic farming.
USDA in conjuction with Land Grant universities, such as the University of Wisconsin, sponsors research and extension in pest management options. At the UW, much of this work is done through the Madison campus' Nutrient and Pest Management program or NPM.
USDA - North Central Region offers grants to farmers, Extension educators, and researchers through its Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program.
The Environmental Protection Agency's headquarters in Washington, D.C. conducts a program entitled Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program. PESP is a voluntary program that supports the work of farmers, agencies and others to reduce risk associated with pesticide use. Visit their website to learn more about organizations all over the country that are reducing pesticides in innovative ways. PESP also offers small grants to help participating organizations reduce pesticides. EPA also offers a web site with general information on IPM and another site with information on public-private partnerships to reduce pesticide risk.
The EPA - Region V works with states to reduce reliance on high-risk pesticides. Contact Barbara VanTil with your questions and concerns regarding high-risk pesticides, their registration, their use, and their alternatives. Barbara can also help you locate experts in other states in Region V or help you link to other regional EPA offices. This project is partially supported by EPA -V.
EPA publishes materials and reports on pesticides, available through their Office of Pesticides Programs.
EPA is in the process of re-evaluating all pesticides for their risk, as mandated through the Food Quality Protection Act. For more information on their progress in implementing this program, specific pesticides and their recommendations for risk reduction or other information, contact the Office of Pesticides Programs - FQPA site.
Who sponsors this site?
This site is made possible by Wisconsin agricultural organizations that know reducing high-risk pesticides is both possible and desireable. Reducing pesticides is possible because farmers and researchers are continually searching for better ways to manage pests. Reducing high risk pesticides is desirable because high risk pesticides can have unintended negative affects on our health and environment.
A number of agencies also support the University of Wisconsin's Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems work on pesticide reduction. They are:
- US EPA - Minor and Specialty Crops IPM Special Projects: “Pesticide reduction in WI fruit production,” 2006-2009
- USDA Special Projects pesticide reduction grants, 2002-present
- Center for Agricultural Partnerships, in cooperation with the US Environmental Protection Agency Headquarters: “EQIP for apple growers,” 2005
- American Farmland Trust, in cooperation with the US Environmental Protection Agency – Region V: “Pesticide Risk Reduction in WI Apple/Fruit Production,” 2004-2007
- USDA SARE PDP: “WI Eco-apple production education and outreach,” 2004-2006