CIAS, in partnership with Cornell University and the US-Environmental Protection Agency, is offering two workshops this June: Effective Spraying of Orchards and Effective Spraying of Vineyards. These two new workshops are intended for spray operators who want to more effectively use their equipment to reduce drift, increase coverage and reduce pesticide use, thus decreasing costs. [...more]

Due to the limited number of apple IPM consultants in Wisconsin and the high cost of hiring consultants, few Wisconsin apple growers have been able to take advantage of professional consultant expertise in implementing IPM on their orchards. To address this need, the Eco-Apple Project launched a blog in 2006 and free weekly conference calls with an apple IPM consultant in 2007. [...more]

Beginning in 2003, Wisconsin apple and cherry growers and the University of Wisconsin worked with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to address orchard pest management resource concerns through the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). As a result, in 2005 Wisconsin’s EQIP Pest Management Standard was changed to provide orchardists with extended technical assistance and [...] [...more]

This publication provides an introduction to the biological control of pest insects and mites. It includes basic biological information on insects and how they become pests. A major part of the publication is dedicated to a survey of natural enemies. As there are hundreds of natural enemy pests in the North Central United States, the [...] [...more]

CIAS and Wisconsin Public Television have produced a series of educational videos on sustainable agriculture and IPM for potatoes, apples, and fresh market vegetables. These videos can be viewed online at the Research Channel: Healthy Grown Potatoes Fresh Market Fruit and Vegetables, Part 1 Fresh Market Fruit and Vegetables, Part 2 [...more]

Printer-friendly version (PDF) Apple orchards attract many kinds of insects that damage vegetation and fruit. But these orchard pests have insect enemies of their own. Growers can provide habitat for these natural enemies, also known as beneficial insects, as part of an integrated pest management (IPM) strategy that reduces the need for pesticides. Paul Whitaker and Dan [...] [...more]

The cornerstone of any Integrated Pest Management (IPM) program is regular scouting of the crop at hand. It’s important that the scouting or monitoring practices are done systematically and at regular intervals. In order for a scouting program to be effective, you must be familiar with what the crop should look like, which can be [...] [...more]

Canada thistle is a big headache for livestock producers managing pastures. Animals won't eat this spiny, tough plant, reducing productivity of pastures and livestock. Despite being on Wisconsin's noxious weed list and a target for serious control for many years, it is still a significant, widespread problem. [...more]

The Pesticide Use and Risk Reduction (PURR) Project was initiated in 1998 to help farmers anticipate the effects of more restrictive federal pesticide regulation. Fourteen agricultural organizations participated in this project. The project built new, lasting partnerships between the participating institutions, farm organizations and nonprofit groups. As a result of these partnerships and the resources [...] [...more]

Chemicals are not the only, or often the best, option for controlling pest problems. Integrated Pest Management is an alternative that uses all appropriate pest management methods instead of focusing on a single method. This will often prevent some pest problems from developing in the first place and will reduce the severity of [...] [...more]