Grant Information
| Knowledge Area | Subject of Investigation | Field of Science | Percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| 216 - Integrated Pest Management Systems | 1719 - Cotton, other | 1130 - Entomology and acarology | 15% |
| 216 - Integrated Pest Management Systems | 1830 - Peanut | 1130 - Entomology and acarology | 15% |
| 216 - Integrated Pest Management Systems | 1114 - Peach | 1103 - Other microbiology (includes protozoology, phycology, etc.) | 10% |
| 216 - Integrated Pest Management Systems | 1114 - Peach | 1130 - Entomology and acarology | 10% |
| 216 - Integrated Pest Management Systems | 1120 - Blueberry | 1130 - Entomology and acarology | 10% |
| 216 - Integrated Pest Management Systems | 1499 - Vegetables, general/other | 1130 - Entomology and acarology | 10% |
| 216 - Integrated Pest Management Systems | 2130 - Turf (includes bentgrass, bermudagrass, bluegrass, dichondra, fescue, ryegrass, zoysia) | 1130 - Entomology and acarology | 10% |
| 216 - Integrated Pest Management Systems | 2300 - Weeds | 1140 - Weed science | 10% |
| 216 - Integrated Pest Management Systems | 3299 - Poultry, general/other | 1130 - Entomology and acarology | 10% |
Agriculture has played a dominant role in the Southeast's economy for more than two and a half centuries and continues to be a central part of its economy and culture. It is crucial to the economic well-being of the state of Georgia with a farm gate value of $13 billion (2021 Ag Snapshots). In 2019, food and fiber production and directly related processing generated a total economic impact of $70.1 billion for the state and accounted for more than 359,220 jobs (2021 Ag Snapshots). The food and fiber sector ranked first among Georgia's economic sectors with sales exceeding $110 billion whereas total value added of the food and fiber sector was $45.9 billion and was ranked the second largest sector after financial sector. Total food and fiber accounted for 13.7% of employment, 15% of total output, and 11% of value added to the state economy (Kane and Wolf 2013).Georgia has one of the most diverse cropping systems in the country and is a leading producer of numerous commodities nationally. Georgia's climate and topography are conducive to insect, weeds, and disease pressure, and crops are increasingly challenged with new and invasive species such as kudzu bug, spotted-wing drosophila, brown marmorated stink bug, and others. Robust IPM programs are increasingly required to help growers implement evolving IPM strategies in a timely manner to minimize crop losses from both established and new pests and maximize profitability while striving to achieve higher levels of food safety and environmental stewardship.The overall goal of this project is to develop transdisciplinary IPM programs utilizing the most up-to-date scienctific information and help stakeholders to implement those programs in order to minimize environmental and economic risks associated with insect pests, diseases, and weeds and their management at the state, regional and national level. The objectives designated to meet this goal are: 1) develop systems-based IPM programs through multidisciplinary research and innovation; 2) work with growers and other stakeholders to facilitate adoption and implementation of those IPM programs; and 3) effectively communicate with growers, commodity groups, and other stakeholders utilizing traditional extension approach as well as the most current digital technology to educate them.It will lead to more sustainable and profitable crop production andhelpto ensure the economic viability of food and fiber productionin Georgia and the Southeastern US.
The overall goal of this project is to develop transdisciplinary IPM programs utilizing the most updated scienctific information and help stakeholders to implement those programs in order to minimize environmental and economic risks associated with insects, pathogens, and weed pests and their management at the state, regional and national level. The objectives designated to meet this goal are:
Field trials will be conducted to evaluate new pest management practices. Findings will be used to developnew pest management recommendations. Demonstration plots will be established to provide growers and county extension faculty an opportunity to see the effects of new IPM implementation practices firsthand. The face-to-face interaction with growers at field days, county extension meetings, and regional grower meetings will facilitate disseminationof information and encourage implementation of new practices. Traditional extension educational materials including annual update of the GA Pest Management Handbook - Commercial and Homeowner editions, regular updates through publication of UGA IPM Newsletter, fact sheets, presentations at the grower and stakeholder meetings, and field days will be used to provided new information to all stakeholders. While traditional delivery of information is important, we will emphasize on utilizing the internet and smartphone technology to provide pest management information to the stakeholders through website, emails, blogs and smart-phone apps. Up to date advisories regarding pest activity and management practices will be made available on blogs. Traditional broadcast media as well as new social media outlets will be utilized for delivery of timely IPM updates during the most critical times for specific cropping systems.
Target Audience
Target audiences of this IPM Extension Implementation project were homeowners, producers of agronomic crops, specialty crops and poultry, and their employees including farm workers, pest management professionals, members of general public who submit insect, weed, and plant disease samples for identification, and other stakeholders associated with postharvest storage and processing industries.
Changes / Problems
Nothing Reported
Training & Professional Development
The training and development of stakeholders and pest management professionals is one of the primary goals of Georgia IPM program. During this reporting period, Georgia IPM Specialists delivered presentations in-person and virtually which were attended by over 4000 stakeholders across the state, attended several county extension meetings, conducted numerous County Extension Agent trainings, demonstrated new IPM techniques to farmers at field days across the state. Several extension events during this reporting period were conducted virtually due to pandemic and the presentations were recorded and posted online to stakeholders' access at any time. Additionally, our IPM Specialists were invited over multiple broadcast radio interviews to educate growers and professionals on current issues related to IPM. Several graduate and undergraduate students and postdocs worked on various projects associated with this project during the last year. This provided them valuable training on how to disseminate research findings to farmers, the ultimate consumers of scientific information
Dissemination Streams
Results of this project have been disseminated to the communities of interest including homeowners, producers of agronomic crops, specialty crops and poultry, and their employees including farm workers, pest management professionals, and members of general public who submit insect, weed, and plant disease samples for identification, as well as other stakeholders associated with postharvest storage and processing industries. Information was disseminated using traditional ag extension means through county agents via the County Delivery system, presentations at grower and professional meetings, and digital means of communication including specialized commodity blogs, e-newsletters, and smart phone Apps., Agent trainings and Extension publications such as commodity production guides, the Pest Management Handbook, and Peanut Rx are the cornerstones of educational programs. Mass media and local and statewide grower meetings and field days also support county agent educational programs. Other outlets include UGA Extension Blogs, social media, websites and webinars. The details are included in the products section.
Next Reporting Steps
Over the next year, we will continue to refine IPM programs to address economically important diseases, weeds, and insect pest problems facing farmers and other stakeholders throughout the state of Georgia. In this project, we will focus on IPM implementation inAgronomic Crops (peanut and cotton), IPM Implementation in Animal Agriculture (poultry and beef cattle), IPM Implementation in Specialty Crops (blueberries, peaches, turf, and vegetables), IPM for Pllinator Health, and IPM Support for Pest Diagnostic Facilities (for all of the commodities). The specific objectives of each priority area are: IPM Implementation in Agronomic Crops (Peanut and Cotton):The specific objectives under this priority area are:1)Develop and facilitate adoption of effective rootworm management tactics in peanut (Peanut);2)assess effectiveness of TSWV resistant genotypes;3)survey commercial farms and processing facilities for incidence of fungal diseases and aflatoxin, and update Peanut Rx (Peanut);4)Develop and implement sustainable IPM strategies to control aphids in cotton (Cotton); and5)Disseminate the new information to stakeholders (Peanut and Cotton). We plan to conduct on-farm trials and work directly with farmers and extension personnel to achieve these objectives. IPM Implementation in Animal Agriculture (Poultry and Beef Cattle):The specific objectives under this priority area are:1)Evaluate host animal resistance as a strategy to control fly pests in beef animals;2)Develop monitoring programs to track Asian Longhorned Tick (ALT) invasion and means to minimize its impact on humans, animals, and wildlife; and3)disseminate this information to producers. We plan to work with collaborators at other institutions in the Southeastern US to develop and implement monitoring techniques for ALT. We will work with poultry producers and extension personnel to disseminate educational materials. IPM Implementation in Specialty Crops (Blueberries, Peaches, Turf, and Vegetables):The specific objectives under this priority area are:1)Develop more sustainable IPM programs based on recent research findings to effectively manage SWD (Blueberry);2)Evaluate new and alternative fungicidal spray programs for managing QoI-resistant anthracnose fruit rot(Blueberry);3)evaluate effectiveness of new herbicides and orchard floor coverings to manage weeds in young blueberry orchards(Blueberry);4)Evaluate effectiveness of pheromone-based mating disruption as a strategy to control SJS (Peach);5)Evaluate the efficacy of new fungicides for control of brown rot of peach (Peach);6)Develop and implement resistance management plans for DBM (Vegetables);7)Develop and implement effective IPM programs for center rot of onion (Vegetables);8)Determine prevalence of parasitoid of FAW in the turf systems (Turf);9)Develop molecular tools to detect dollar spot in the field (Turf); and10)disseminate this information to blueberry growers (Blueberry, Peach, Turf, and Vegetables).We plan to conduct trialsat research and grower farms to address these pest and disease issues, and disseminate this information to stakeholders IPM for Pollinator Health:Our overall goal is to get citizens interested in pollinators and their conservation.The specific objectives under this priority area are to:1)To increase the amount of sustainable pollinator habitat across the state;2)to increase the entomological literacy of our citizens in regards to beneficial insects; and3)to generate data of Georgia's pollinator populations. We plan to conduct the Annual Georgia Pollinator Census on April 21and 22, 2020 and utilize that information to develop more educational materials for stakeholders on how to create more pollinator habitats and protect pollinator health. IPM Support for Pest Diagnostic Facilities:The specific objectives under this priority area are to:1)Develop, optimize and provide fungicide testing services for multiple crop-pathogen combinations to enable timely and effective disease management;2)Conduct regional monitoring for citrus greening to safeguard Georgia's commercial citrus industry; and3)Empower county agents through on-site diagnostics. We will continue to diagnose disease and pest samples delivered physically or received digitally through DDDI system, and further expand our molecular diagnostic abilities to implement routine DNA-based testing protocols for the most common pathogens in Georgia. Coordination and Evaluation:In this project, we willfocus more efforts on website content updates to provide all stakeholders and target audiences the most accurate information, and a digital newsletter subscription option on the website for stakeholders to receive live updates from all IPM-related blogs. At the end of this grant period, we will conduct grower surveys to determine thesuccess of extension IPM programming in Georgia.
Target Audience
Target audiences of this IPM Extension Implementation project were homeowners, producers of agronomic crops, specialty crops and poultry, and their employees including farm workers, pest management professionals, members of general public who submit insect, weed, and plant disease samples for identification, and other stakeholders associated with postharvest storage and processing industries.
Changes / Problems
Nothing Reported
Training & Professional Development
The training and development of stakeholders and pest management professionals is one of the primary goals of Georgia IPM program. During this reporting period, Georgia IPM Specialists delivered presentations in-person and virtually which were attended by over 4000 stakeholders across the state, attended several county extension meetings, conducted numerous County Extension Agent trainings, demonstrated new IPM techniques to farmers at field days across the state. Several extension events during this reporting period were conducted virtually due to pandemic and the presentations were recorded and posted online to stakeholders' access at any time. Additionally, our IPM Specialists were invited over multiple broadcast radio interviews to educate growers and professionals on current issues related to IPM. Several graduate and undergraduate students and postdocs worked on various projects associated with this project during the last year. This provided them valuable training on how to disseminate research findings to farmers, the ultimate consumers of scientific information.
Dissemination Streams
Results of this project have been disseminated to the communities of interest including homeowners, producers of agronomic crops, specialty crops and poultry, and their employees including farm workers, pest management professionals, and members of general public who submit insect, weed, and plant disease samples for identification, as well as other stakeholders associated with postharvest storage and processing industries. Information was disseminated using traditional ag extension means through county agents via the County Delivery system, presentations at grower and professional meetings, and digital means of communication including specialized commodity blogs, e-newsletters, and smart phone Apps., Agent trainings and Extension publications such as commodity production guides, the Pest Management Handbook, and Peanut Rx are the cornerstones of educational programs. Mass media and local and statewide grower meetings and field days also support county agent educational programs. Other outlets include UGA Extension Blogs, social media, websites and webinars. The details are included in the products section.
Next Reporting Steps
Over the next year, we will continue to refine IPM programs to address economically important diseases, weeds, and insect pest problems facing farmers and other stakeholders throughout the state of Georgia. In this project, we will focus on IPM implementation inAgronomic Crops (peanut and cotton), IPM Implementation in Animal Agriculture (poultry and beef cattle), IPM Implementation in Specialty Crops (blueberries, peaches, turf, and vegetables), IPM for Pllinator Health, and IPM Support for Pest Diagnostic Facilities (for all of the commodities). The specific objectives of each priority area are: IPM Implementation in Agronomic Crops (Peanut and Cotton):The specific objectives under this priority area are:1)Develop and refine effective management programs for rootworm complex (Peanut);2)assess effectiveness of TSWV resistant genotypes;3)survey commercial farms and processing facilities for incidence of fungal diseases and aflatoxin, and update Peanut Rx (Peanut);4)Evaluate chemical as well as cultural strategies based on pest (aphid) and crop phenology and use that develop sustainable IPM programs (Cotton); and5)Disseminate the new information to stakeholders (Peanut and Cotton).We plan to conduct on-farm trials and work directly with farmers and extension personnel to achieve these objectives. IPM Implementation in Animal Agriculture (Poultry and Beef Cattle):The specific objectives under this priority area are:1)Evaluate new chemicals and other alternative strategies to control insect pests of poultry (broiler and caged layers) and beef cattle and develop effective IPM programs;2)Develop monitoring programs to tack Asian Longhorned Tick (ALT); and3)disseminate this information to poultry and beef cattle producers. We plan to work with collaborators at other institutions in the Southeastern US to develop and implement monitoring techniques for ALT. We will work with poultry producers and extension personnel to disseminate educational materials. IPM Implementation in Specialty Crops (Blueberries, Peaches, Turf, and Vegetables):The specific objectives under this priority area are:1)Develop more sustainable IPM programs based on recent research findings to effectively manage SWD (Blueberry);2)Evaluate new and alternative fungicidal spray programs for managing QoI-resistant anthracnose fruit rot(Blueberry);3)evaluate effectiveness of new herbicides and orchard floor coverings to manage weeds in young blueberry orchards(Blueberry);4)Evaluate effectiveness of pheromone-based mating disruption as a strategy to control SJS (Peach);5)Evaluate the efficacy of plant defense inducers, growth regulators, and systemic chemical applications on PPD trees (Peach);6)Develop and implement resistance monitoring and management plans for sweet potato whitefly and DBM (Vegetables);7)demonstrate and help farmers implement effective IPM programs for center rot of onion (Vegetables);8)Evaluate host plant resistance and cultural strategies to control FAW (Turf);9)Conduct dollar spot surveillance in the field and develop management strategies (Turf); and10)disseminate this information to blueberry growers (Blueberry, Peach, Turf, and Vegetables).We plan to conduct trialsat research and grower farms to address these pest and disease issues, and disseminate this information to stakeholders IPM for Pollinator Health:Our overall goal is to get citizens interested in pollinators and their conservation.The specific objectives under this priority area are to:1)To increase the amount of sustainable pollinator habitat across the state;2)to increase the entomological literacy of our citizens in regards to beneficial insects; and3)to generate data of Georgia's pollinator populations.We plan to conduct theAnnualGeorgia Pollinator Census on April21and 22, 2020 and utilize that information to develop more educational materials for stakeholders on how to create more pollinator habitats and protect pollinator health. IPM Support for Pest Diagnostic Facilities:The specific objectives under this priority area are to:1)Develop, optimize and provide fungicide resistance testing services for multiple crop-pathogen combinations to enable timely and effective disease management;2)Conduct regional monitoring for citrus greening to safeguard Georgia's commercial citrus industry; and3)empowering county agents through on-site diagnostics.We will continue to diagnose disease and pest samples delivered physically or received digitally through DDDI system, and further expand our molecular diagnostic abilities to implement routine DNA-based testing protocols for the most common pathogens in Georgia. Coordination and Evaluation:In this project, we willfocus more efforts on website content updates to provide all stakeholders and target audiences the most accurate information, and a digital newsletter subscription option on the website for stakeholders to receive live updates from all IPM-related blogs. At the end of this grant period, we will conduct grower surveys to determine thesuccess of extension IPM programming in Georgia. <br><br>
<br>What was accomplished under these goals? Agriculture has played a dominant role in the Southeast's economy for more than two and a half centuries and continues to be a central part of its economy and culture. It is crucial to the economic well-being of the state of Georgia and the region with a farm gate value of $13 billion. In 2019, food and fiber production and directly related processing generated a total economic impact of $70.1 billion for the state and accounted for more than 359,220 jobs.Georgia has one of the most diverse cropping systems in the country and is a leading producer of numerous commodities. However, due to climate with warm temperatures, high humidity, and long growing season, crop production is constantly threatened by native and exotic pests including insects, pathogens, and weeds.An organized infrastructure aimed at providing farmers with information needed to implement systems-based IPM strategies is critical to ensure the environmental sustainability and economic viability of food and fiber production in the state. During this reporting period, UGA IPM Specialists worked closely with Extension agents, crop producers and other stakeholders throughout the state to provide them with most up-to-date information to implement science-based IPM programs which saved millions of dollars in crop losses and increased farm income. Specific accomplishments under each priority area are included in the text below: IPM Implementation in Agronomic Crops(Peanut and Cotton):Objectives.1)Trials wereconducted to determine the abundance and distribution of rootworm in peanuts and to evaluate efficacy of selected insecticide modes of action and use patterns. Data are being analyzed to update recommendations.2)Field trialsrevealed that the newly released field resistant cultivars were often not effective as standalone options and will require an integrated approach to reduce the risks posed by thrips and TSWV. Findings were used to fine tune the risk management index to assist growers to make the optimal risk reduction choices associated with planting peanuts.3)Based on results of multiple field trials,Peanut Rx was fully refined for 2021 and 2022 seasons. The Peanut Rx Team met "in-person" in December 2021 at George T. Bagby State Park. The Index was made available to growers in Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, and South Carolina though a new web-based interactive tool, through production guides, and through Industry fact sheets.4)Seven active ingredients were evaluated for cotton aphid control; top performers provided 86 to 92 percent control and no significant response in yield was observed among treatments. Trials completed in the fall of 2021 are consistent with previous years in that aphid management does not significantly affect cotton yield nor incidence of CLRDV.5)Findings were synthesized to update pest management recommendation which were disseminated to growers. Growers who implemented UGA pest management recommendations saved millions of dollars in crop losses. IPM Implementation in Animal Agriculture (Poultry and Beef Cattle):Objectives:1)Several new products, treatment methodologies, and suppression strategies were evaluated under field conditions throughout the state and findings were used to develop IPM recommendations.2)Sampling methodologies were optimized for surveying cattle ticks under field conditions. Having established these baseline data, we are better prepared to monitor for arrival ofALTas it spreads through the Southeast. We are working in collaboration other researchers in the southeastern US to initiate environmental monitoring while checking for the invasive tick on alternative hosts such as wildlife and domestic pets. and3)These findings were shared with poultry and beef cattle producers and used to update IPM recommendations in the Georgia Pest Management Handbook. IPM Implementation in Specialty Crops(Blueberries, Peaches, and Vegetables):Objectives1)Effectiveness of new reduced-risk insecticides and behavioral control tactics was evaluated and findings were used to update season-long SWD management programs.2)New and alternative fungicide programs for QoI-resistant anthracnose fruit rot are under way.3)Trials were conducted to evaluate safety and efficacy of Dual Magnum (S-metolachlor) in blueberries.4)Trialswere conducted to evaluate efficacy of two pheromone formulations in mating disruption of San Jose Scale (SJS). Results showed that trees under the mating disruption treatments had an average of four to five times fewer SJS crawlers than the control trees.5)Trials were conducted on PPD trees to evaluate efficacy of Actigard, K-phite, Maximizer, ProGibb40SG, and RIO in peaches. Initial results were shared with stakeholders and the trials will be repeated in 2022.6)A total of 21 LC50-based trials have been completed to screen whitefly populations for resistance so far using cotton as the standard host for all trials. The four vegetable crops are being cultivated at four different sites to serve as hosts for establishing whitefly field populations. Weekly scouting and monitoring are underway to identify the current timeframe for the whitefly invasion in the cotton belt region.7)Integrated approach with copper-bactericide, insecticide (thrips control) and herbicide program considerably reduced center rot incidence in bulb compared to the onion grower's standard. Implementation of this program can result in a total profit of $8.8 million for onion farmers.8)In ourhost plant resistance characteristics survey, all tall fescue cultivars/lines performed better than zoysiagrass 'Zeon'.9)In the disease survey, several isolates were genetically identified based on their sequence of the Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) region.10)Findings were shared with specialty crop growers and used to update IPM recommendations in the Georgia Pest Management Handbook. IPM for Pollinator Health:Objective.1-3):Maps of the pollinator gardens created as part of this project were generated by Hamilton Gardens showing the locations of the new gardens across the state.These are posted on the website (https://GGaPC.org). Data from all three Censuses were finalized and placed on the website as well.This data is being used by researchers as well as educators who are using it for the STEM curriculum.The educational materials have been updated for the 2022 Census and social media outlets are being used for educational purposes. IPM Support for Pest Diagnostic Facilities:Objectives: 1)Rapid, lab-based fungicide resistance assays were developed and validated for blueberry, peanut, strawberry, and turfgrass pathogens.2)Two of the 212 samples tested positive for HLB during this time period. One of the positive tests was the first report in Grady County and came from a commercial citrus tree. This is only the third HLB-positive tree from a commercial planting in Georgia.3)Agdia lateral flow tests forXylella fastidiosawere distributed to Extension agents in two Georgia wine grape-growing counties to aid in the diagnosis of Pierce's disease and 6 out of 11 samples tested positive. Similarly, 48Acidovorax citrulliimmunostrips were used to detect suspect seedling in greenhouse and 93Phytophthoraspp. immunostrips were used to detect pathogen cucurbits and pepper in field & storage. Coordination:The UGA IPM Program: 1) hosted the second training of the newly created UGA IPM Academy, focusing on blueberry production in the southeast; 2) recorded and published several episodes of the newly created IPM on the Fly Podcast, 3) continued to develop monthly IPM content for agents and growers to use in their counties; 4) updated the IPM website; and 5) updated and published 2022 Commercial Edition (Volume I and II) and 2022 Home & Garden Edition ofGeorgia Pest Management Handbook which is the most widely used IPM resources in Georgia and across the southeastern US. <br><br><b>Publications</b><br>