PESTICIDE BRIEFS FOR DECEMBER 2005
THE LOCAL SCENE
(1) Pesticide Information Network Advisory Committee Meets
(2) Pesticide Applicator Training Dates Announced
(3) Annual Pesticide Conference Announced
(4) Ag Week in Delaware Announced
(5) New Pesticide information Web Site
(6) New Calendar of Events
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DELAWARE INFORMATION NETWORK FOR PESTICIDES
AND ALTERNATIVE STRATEGIES
ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING, 11/28/2005
University of Delaware ITV rooms
Lasher Lab, Georgetown, DE and 057 Townsend Hall, Newark, DE
Minutes
The Advisory Committee for the Delaware Information Network for Pesticides and Alternative Strategies met on November 28, 2005 at 10:30 am through Interactive Television at the University of Delaware Lasher Lab, Georgetown, DE and University of Delaware Townsend Hall, Newark, DE. In attendance were: Ken Gauen (PictSweet Frozen Foods); Steve McCarron (Kenny Brothers Produce); Luke McConnell (Crop Consultant); Grier Stayton and Larry Towle (Delaware Department of Agriculture Pesticide Section); Chris Cadwallader (Delaware Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Statistician); John Butler (EPA Region 3); Dwight Meyer (Delaware State University Small Farms Extension Specialist); Gordon Johnson (University of Delaware Kent Co. Agent); Marty Spellman for Joanne Whalen (University of Delaware IPM Coordinator); Mark VanGessel (University of Delaware Weed Scientist) 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: Dyremple Marsh (Associate Dean Delaware State University); Maggie Moor-Orth (Delaware State University Extension Specialist, organic growers and consumers); Carl Davis (University of Delaware New Castle County Extension Agent); Bob Mulrooney (University of Delaware Plant Pathologist); Dot Abbott (University of Delaware Renewable Resources Extension Agent); Pat Hastings (NE IPM Center Representative); Michele Roberts (Beyond Pesticides) and Jim Fredericks (Home Paramount Pest Control).
Committee members introduced themselves and John Butler gave a short presentation on activities of the NE IPM Center Advisory Committee.
The Advisory Committee Chair, King, presented ideas for plans for the future direction of the DE Information Network. FQPA is impacting critical pesticides in all areas of use – structural pest control, ornamentals & turf, mosquito control, as well as agriculture. King expressed interest in expanding the DE Information Network to include non-ag uses of pesticides. King and Towle have been working on getting King on the agendas for several non-ag stakeholder organizations: Golf Course Superintendents, State Parks employees, and Mosquito Control. King would like to prepare tables of pesticides labeled for use on these sites, as well as structural pest control. She will mark those pesticides that are “at risk” due to FQPA or pesticide re-registration. When King meets with these organizations, she would like to ask which pesticides are used and which are of critical-use. From this information, King will plan a possible Pest Management Strategic Plan Workshop for early 2008.
Stayton commented that he could provide a list of the top 10 pesticides used on golf courses from pesticide containers submitted for container recycling in the state. Johnson asked if pesticide use surveys had been done for landscaping. Cadwallader responded that nationally NASS was looking at non-ag pesticide use, but had not made such a decision yet. Towle pointed out that pesticide-use records are required only for restricted-use pesticides. Thus, golf courses would not be required to keep records of general-use products. Johnson asked if King was considering the landscaping industry and nursery production in with the non-ag organizations for Crop Profiles and PMSP’s. King responded in the affirmative and acknowledged that Val Budischak is the Executive Director of the Delaware Nursery and Landscaping Association. Johnson said that we also have the Professional Grounds Managers Organization in Delaware. McConnell urged King to work with Audubon International which has a certification program for golf courses. Audubon International may have a wealth of information that King could tap into. King responded that she had met the Audubon International Director, Joellen Zeh, at the NE IPM Advisory Committee meeting in October and agreed to ask for her assistance. McConnell and VanGessel both strongly urged that regional or multi-state approaches be taken when writing Crop Profiles or PMSP’s as was done with the sweet corn plan. A NE region golf course PMSP would be an appropriate approach to preparing such documents needed by EPA.
Discussion was held on Crop Profiles.
Completed: soybean ’05, 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.
In Progress:
King has reviewed three Crop Profiles: Lima Beans, Green Pepper, and Peas (Green) for cancelled pesticides. The procedure King has followed is to first list all pesticides mentioned in the Profile, then check the Crop Recommendation manual for that pesticide/crop. If a pesticide is not recommended, King checks the label on the Crop Data Management Systems web site to determine if the crop is on the label. For the three Profiles, she has not found any fungicides or herbicides that have been cancelled. King has identified three insecticides: Penncap M (lima), Ambush 2E (green pepper) and Diazinon AG500 (green peas). Earlier this fall, Whalen agreed to these changes in the Profiles. King will make the changes and submit the corrected Profiles to the NE IPM Center. VanGessel pointed out that not all registered pesticides are given in the Crop Recommendation manual.
To Do Next:
King asked if the Committee still wanted to follow last year’s recommendation of completely revising old crop profiles. She said that, unless the Committee felt otherwise, she planned to put in the grant proposal that we would revise 7 Profiles. Either the oldest Profiles or the crops most “at risk” would be chosen. The question was raised as to how difficult it would be to revise the Profiles. McConnell pointed out that in many cases the revisions would be pesticide additions rather than deletions. Johnson, Gauen, McCarron, Meyer, and Spellman commented on changes in crop practices given in the Profiles. Varieties of crop will need to be revised. Some varieties will need to be added while others will be deleted. Spellman also stated that control measures in potato are always changing.
Discussion centered on Delaware watermelon, a very important crop and one that is unique to the state. Watermelon is the number one fresh market crop in the state. Spellman mentioned that there are new miticides and fungicides for watermelon since the Crop Profile was written. McConnell pointed out that dimethoate would need to be deleted from the watermelon Profile. Stayton discussed the problem of drift into watermelon from other sites. He stated that it was an education issue. VanGessel said that the past spring was the worse for watermelon and drift. Stayton commented that it was due to volatility.
VanGessel asked if Profiles include Section 18’s. There are several Section 18’s that are now full labels, such as metolachlor.
Discussion turned to Pest Management Strategic Plans.
Completed:
Lima Beans ’03, Spinach ’04, Pickles ‘05
In Progress:
Mushrooms (Penn State has lead), tomatoes & snap beans (NCSU & Va
Tech have lead)
To Do Next:
The Committee agreed that a watermelon PMSP workshop should be held in January, 2007.
The meeting adjourned at 11:15.
To Do List
Crop Profiles:
Complete the review of all old Crop Profiles for cancelled pesticides.
Conduct an extensive review of seven of the old Crop Profiles in 2006 - 2007.
Pest Management Strategic Plans
Hold a workshop to write a PMSP on watermelon in January 2007.
Gather information for a 2008 PMSP:
Prepare a table of pesticides registered in non-agricultural sites.
Meet with stakeholder organizations for these sites.
Ask which pesticides are critical.
Determine which pesticides are at-risk due to FQPA or Re-registration.
RETURN TO PESTICIDE BRIEFS DECEMBER 2005 TABLE OF CONTENTS
PESTICIDE APPLICATOR TRAINING DATES ANNOUNCED
December 21-22, 2005 at Kent Co Extension Office in Dover, DE
March 16-17, 2006 at Del Tech Owens Campus in Georgetown, DE
week of 3/20/06 in Kent County
week of 3/27/06 at the University of Delaware, Townsend Hall, Newark, DE
CHECK THE CALENDAR OF EVENTS AT: http://ag.udel.edu/WebCalendar/month.php?user=_NUC_DE_Pesticide_Info
ANNUAL PESTICIDE CONFERENCE ANNOUNCED
January 19, 2006
Modern Maturity Center
Dover, DE
Registration materials will be sent to all certified applicators in Turf & Ornamental, Mosquito Control, Aquatic, and Right of Way Pest Control
AG WEEK IN DELAWARE ANNOUNCED
The week of January 16, 2006 will be Ag Week in Delaware at the State Fair Grounds in Harrington, DE. For more information, go to: http://www.rec.udel.edu/AgWeek/home.htm . Pesticide Applicator Training recertification credits will be awarded in all Agricultural categories.
NEW PESTICIDE INFORMATION WEB SITE ANNOUNCED
For the new Pesticide Information Web site, set your bookmarks to: http://ag.udel.edu/extension/pesticide/index.php
Check out the new Cooperative Extension web site too: http://ag.udel.edu/extension/index.php
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