The Northeastern IPM Center recently awarded seven grants through the Northeast Regional IPM Competitive Grants Program. This program focuses on addressing real-world IPM challenges through research, outreach, and education, supporting projects that develop individual pest control tactics, integrate tactics into IPM systems, or develop and implement extension and education programs. These projects address IPM stakeholder priorities, benefit the northeastern region, involve environmental stewardship, and show a high likelihood of success. In fiscal year 2008, the program has awarded $571,000 to the following projects (project directors in parentheses):
• Development of novel application technology for the control of the Asian tiger mosquito in urban environments (George Hamilton, Rutgers Univ.)
• Fungi, predatory mites, and habitat plants for thrips IPM in greenhouse ornamentals (Margaret Skinner, Univ. of Vermont)
• Development of enhanced, web-based New York and New England Tree Fruit Pest Management Guidelines (Harvey Reissig, Cornell Univ.)
• Winter grain and short-season corn double crop forage systems: An integrated weed management strategy (John Jemison, Univ. of Maine)
• Development and implementation of diagnostic tools to asses bee colony health (John Burand, Univ. of Massachusetts)
• Biological control of swallow-worts in the Northeast (Richard Casagrande, Univ. of Rhode Island)
• Combining a disease and weather monitoring network with measurements of inoculum potential for disease forecasting in vineyard IPM for southern New England (Francis Ferrandino, Connecticut Ag. Experiment Station)
Later this month, the Northeastern IPM Center will announce the release of a Request for Applications for grants to be awarded in 2009. Visit http://NortheastIPM.org for updates.