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]
Printer-friendly version (PDF) Grain farmers can help the environment by expanding their corn-soybean rotations to include additional crops. Research has shown that expanded rotations can reduce the need for pesticide and herbicide applications by breaking the life cycles of insects, weeds and diseases specific to corn and soybeans. In addition, grain yields often increase in the [...] [...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]
Researchers at UW-Madison found that exposure to low levels of a common lawn herbicide mixture led to reduced litter sizes in laboratory mice. This research builds on other studies showing possible links between pesticide exposure and reproductive and/or developmental problems in animals and humans. [...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]
In fruit and vegetable production, more labor is often spent on weed management than any other task. Understanding where a weed grows, why it grows in a particular place, and what actions will limit its growth are important parts of a weed control strategy. This publication will guide you through the establishment of a successful [...] [...more]
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) combines monitoring practices with cultural, physical, and biological control strategies to manage pests with a minimum of pesticides. With support from the Pesticide Use and Risk Reduction Project at CIAS, UW-Madison rural sociologist Pete Nowak and Extension IPM specialist Karen Delahaut surveyed Wisconsin fresh market vegetable and berry growers in 2001. They found that many fresh market vegetable and berry growers in Wisconsin use IPM practices. [...more]
Learn how to extend your marketing season by growing and selling winter storage crops like carrots, beets, winter squash, cabbage, potatoes, onions, garlic and more. This workshop will be held on December 4 in Hudson and December 11 in Madison. For details, see the workshop flyer. Hope to see you there!
(What is RSS?)On Thursday, November 12, CIAS hosted its annual meeting of apple growers engaged in its Eco-Apple pesticide reduction program. Notably, the group of 48 growers celebrated the successful completion of a six-year effort designed to reduce the use of pesticides on orchards throughout Wisconsin. During the course of the program, all reporting orchards demonstrated a reduced reliance on pesticides in favor of a diversity of IPM strategies, and some realized a near-total elimination of organophosphate applications. CIAS thanks its team of growers for their enthusiastic and committed participation. In particular, CIAS wishes to thank Dave Flannery, Wendy Schafer, Bill Stone and Anna Maenner for their fortitude in seeing this phase of the project through to a successful conclusion. UW rsearchers Dan Mahr, Patty McManus, Matt Stasiak and Teryl Roper have been critical to the project’s success. Thanks also to EPA-V and the USDA for their support and encouragement.
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