U.S. EPA funds projects to support pesticide risk reduction

The US EPA is announcing six projects to support the adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques in agriculture to reduce pesticide risk. IPM is an effective and environmentally-sensitive approach to pest management that relies on a combination of easy-to-implement practices. The goal of these grants, which total $297,372, is to increase use of IPM in agriculture. The grants will expand public-private stewardship, and they will expand collaborative pesticide risk reduction efforts in agriculture. The Regional Agricultural IPM Grants are among the many grants that the agency issues to further the adoption of promising technologies and practices that reduce pesticide risk in various sectors. The six projects are:

• Assessing the Needs and Promoting the Adoption of IPM for Dodder Control in Cranberry Production, University of Massachusetts - $48,899

• A Webinar Series and Interactive Grower Outreach for Pesticide Resistance Management in Greenhouses, Cornell University - $50,000

• Rapid Response to Spotted Wing Drosphila Threat to Berry Crops, Michigan State University - $48,558

• Development of a Real-Time Mexican Rice Borer Population Monitoring Program and Refinement of Management Recommendations as the Pest Invades Rice and Sugarcane, Louisiana State University - $49,956

• Reducing Pesticide Use in Potatoes by Use of Green Manure Crops, Sustainable Crop Rotations, and Resistant Cultivars, Colorado State University - $49,959

• R9 PURE-eIPM: An Online Interactive System to Advance IPM Adoption, University of California Davis - $50,000