MID-ATLANTIC INFORMATION NETWORK FOR PESTICIDES
AND ALTERNATIVE STRATEGIES - DELAWARE
ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING, 11/8/2004
Kent County Extension Office, Dover
Minutes
The Advisory Committee for the Delaware Information Network for Pesticides and Alternative Strategies met on November 8, 2004 at the Kent County Extension Office in Dover, DE at 9:00 am. In attendance were: Al and Jeff Chorman (aerial applicators); Ken Gauen (PictSweet Frozen Foods); Steve McCarron (Kenny Brothers Produce); Albert Augus (Hanover Foods); Luke McConnell (Crop Consultant); Grier Stayton and Larry Towle (Delaware Department of Agriculture); John Butler (EPA Region 3); Joanne Whalen (University of Delaware IPM Coordinator); and Susan Whitney King (Chair, Governor=s Pesticide Advisory Committee; University of Delaware Pesticide Safety Education Program; IR-4 Liaison; Technical Advisor, Delaware Pest Control Association; Information Network Project leader).
Members who could not attend but requested that they be kept informed were: Linda Pevey (Crop Consultant); Chris Cadwallader (Delaware Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Statistician); Dwight Meyer (Delaware State University Small Farms Extension Specialist); Maggie Moor-Orth (DSU Extension Specialist, organic growers and consumers); Carl Davis (UD Extension Agent); Bob Mulrooney (UD Extension Specialist); and Dot Abbott-Donnelly (UD Extension Specialist, Natural Resources).
The Advisory Committee Chair, Susan Whitney King, explained that the Delaware Network is part of the Mid-Atlantic Network which operates in cooperation with the Northeast Integrated Pest Management Center at Pennsylvania State University and Cornell. King presented a progress report on 2003 Committee recommendations.
PROGRESS REPORT
1. INCREASE REPRESENTATION ON THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
Recommended: Explore the possibility of meeting with County Extension Advisory Committees and/or commodity organizations, such as the Vegetable Growers Association.
Action:
On 11/24/03 King met with the County Agricultural Agents in Dover at their monthly meeting. King described the combined presentation that Whalen and King wished to make and asked if County Advisory Committees would be an appropriate resource for the Information Network. The agents did not agree that the county committees would provide useful advice. The committees have few agricultural members, and few total members. Attendance at meetings is sparse. The Agents recommended that King look to commodity & pesticide user groups for advice.
Vince Winkler, President of the Delaware Vegetable Growers Association has been asked to appoint representative(s) from the Association to the Advisory Committee. Ed Kee supplied a list of Processors who were invited to join the Advisory Committee. Joanne Whalen supplied names of crop consultants who were invited to join the Committee. Dyremple Marsh, Delaware State University, recommended that Dwight Meyer be added to the Committee. Gordon Johnson recommended that Maggie Moor-Orth be added to the Committee to represent organic growers and consumers. Dot Abbott-Donnelly offered to provide expertise on Natural Resources.
2. CROP PROFILES & PMSP=S
Recommendations and Actions:
Write a Crop Profile on peppers.
Done.
Hold the Spinach Workshop and write the PMSP.
Done.
Find out what other states have scheduled for Crop Profiles and PMSP=s.
Requested this information from the NE IPM Center.
Hold a Pickle Workshop in early 2005.
Scheduled for 1/5/05 in Harrington.
Ask Wootten for time on the pickle growers meeting at the Vegetable Growers Meeting in January >04 to jump start the PMSP.
Decided to be not necessary.
Evaluate the success of the lima PMSP.
Kate Everts has gotten grants for research on limas & spinach as a result of the PMSP=s being written. This research will provided needed information for growers.
3. PESTICIDE BRIEFS NEWSLETTER
Recommendations and Actions:
Reprint the post card AHow to get info.@
Done.
Ask for list of commodity associations from the county offices and add group leaders to Pesticide Briefs mailing list
In progress.
Check the links to 24C=s and Section 18's.
In progress.
Update mailing list annually
Done.
Send an e-mail to AAg-All@ asking if University of Delaware researchers and staff wish to receive Pesticide Briefs.
Done.
2005 ACTIVITIES
CROP PROFILES
After the progress report, King initiated discussion of Crop Profiles:
Completed: Green pepper >04, apple >03, wheat >02, sweet corn >00, peaches >00, green peas >00, potatoes >00, squash >00, spinach >99, lima beans >99, snap beans =99, watermelons >99.
King pointed out that we are scheduled to write a soybean crop profile by March 2005. She asked attendees if we still wanted to do soybean or was there another commodity that would be more critical today. Comments were that soy is important to the health conscious people today and becoming more important because of its health benefits. Grain is AKing@ attendees pointed out. The economics of soy to the state were emphasized. The consensus was that we would stay with the current schedule and write a crop profile on soybean in 2005. However, much discussion was held on the need to revisit old crop profiles that were now out of date with cancelled pesticides listed. After considerable discussion, it was decided that for the year 2005, King would review the active ingredients given in old Crop Profiles and remove those that have been cancelled. An extensive revision of old Crop Profiles would be conducted in 2006 to bring them all up-to-date. No new commodity would be targeted for a Crop Profile in 2006 to allow Extension Staff time to conduct the extensive revisions. It was felt that quality is more important than quantity. It should be minimal to review old Crop Profiles every 3rd year.
Luke McConnell offered to review Crop Profiles during winter months, but he is not available during the growing season. King was urged to work with Emily to get Crop Profiles highlighted in the Weekly Crop Update for grower review.
John Butler explained how EPA decision makers use Crop Profiles and Pest Management Strategic Plans to decide which commodities get dropped from pesticide labels. He stated that these documents are AVery important@ and that IR-4 uses them also. John said that he would e-mail King a list of active ingredients that are coming up for re-registration on pickling cucumbers.
Discussion was held on pesticide alternatives. Even if there are alternatives, an alternative may not be as good a material as the one that EPA is considering for cancellation. This information needs to be expressed in Crop Profiles and Pest Management Strategic Plans.
PEST MANAGEMENT STRATEGIC PLANS
Discussion turned to PMSP=s.
Completed: Lima Beans =03 & Spinach >04
Scheduled: Pickles 1/5/05
King asked for comments on which commodity to choose for a 2006 PMSP:
Tomatoes
There are smaller commercial growers (30 acres) for roadside stands - very little green house production. King was asked to ask Chris Cadwallader for trends in commodity production. Attendees asked if the Southern Region IPM Center had done a tomato PMSP. If not, we could work across regional lines. If Virginia or North Carolina is doing tomatoes, we should join them.
Watermelon
It was pointed out that watermelons are very important in Delaware - a high value crop and they are at risk. There was a significant disease pressure this year. Joanne Whalen will ask at the MidAtlantic Watermelon Growers meeting in Ocean City on January 29, 2005 about a PMSP for watermelon. She will determine if there in interest in a PMSP.
Pumpkins
Pumpkins grown in the state are grown for ornamental uses, not food; thus attendees rejected this crop as a candidate for a PMSP. However it was pointed out that pumpkins are economically important to the state.
Peppers
Attendees felt that a NE regional pepper PMSP should be written and encouraged King to make this suggestion to the NE IPM Center.
Forage
With the increase in the equine industry, mixed hay is becoming an important commodity. King was urged to ask Chris Cadwallader about this increase. Luke McConnell pointed out, however, that forage has a light pesticide use, except for alfalfa. Insects in alfalfa are easy to kill. But mixed stands of alfalfa (+grass) is an issue. What can you use for a mixed stand? There are few products. The committee felt that mixed stands held potential for a Crop Profile.
Peas
Discussion was held on aphids and the loss of dimethoate. If we loose this pesticide, we will have multiple applications of alternatives. If so, peas is more important for a PMSP than watermelons. Currently we have low rates and one shot of dimethoate. If we loose this pesticide, we will go to multiple uses of alternative (malathion. Lannate). A PMSP in 2006 may be too late to save dimethoate. Alternative are highly toxic and very expensive and not as effective.
John Butler said that synthetic pyrethroids are next for EPA to look at. Joanne Whalen said that they are used a lot on vegetables - a big part of our tool box on a lot of our crops. John asked for a list of the top 5 crops (vegetable) in terms of acreage. Attendees said: sweet corn, lima beans, watermelon, peas, tomatoes.
The meeting was adjourned at 11 am.
After the meeting was adjourned, John Butler pointed out that scouting information should be included in the PMSP=s because this is economic information Vs routine calendar spraying.
To Do List
Crop Profiles:
Write a Crop Profile on Soybean in 2005
Review all old Crop Profiles in 2005 for cancelled pesticides.
Schedule an extensive review of old Crop Profiles in 2006.
Pest Management Strategic Plans
Write a PMSP on pickles in 2005
Gather information for a 2006 PMSP:
Ask Chris Cadwallader for trends in all commodity production, including forage.
Consider tomatoes for a cross-region PMSP with the south.
Joanne Whalen will ask at the MidAtlantic Watermelon Growers meeting in Ocean City on January 29, 2005 about a PMSP for watermelon. She will determine if there in interest in a PMSP.
Suggest that a NE regional pepper PMSP be written.
Addendum:
King contacted the Southern Regional IPM Center after the Advisory Committee Meeting and was told that Virginia planned to do a snap bean PMSP and VA + NC planned a tomato PMSP. King talked with organizers, Mike Weaver and Tom Kuhar, about the possibility of joining these workshops. UD Extension Specialists, Kee, Whalen, Mulrooney, Everts, and VanGessel were consulted. It was decided that King would gather input from UD Extension Specialists and attend both workshops representing Delaware. A PMSP workshop for 2006 in Delaware would not be planned. The next PMSP Workshop would be held in early 2007. Watermelons would be considered for a PMSP at that time.